Jul 29 1963

From The Space Library

NASA announced SYNCOM II communications satellite was per­forming "extremely well," drifting westward at rate of 4.5° per day. Orbital data: 22,800-mi. apogee, 22,110-mi. perigee, 1,454­min. period (slightly more than 24 hours). SYNCOM II was ex­pected to be on station above Brazil in about three weeks. (AP, NYT, 7/30/63)

RCA announced RELAY r communications satellite had operated suc­cessfully for 203 days, setting record for performance and dura­bility by a communications satellite. RCA, which built satellite for NASA, said RELAY r had traveled estimated 156 million mi. and carried out more than 1,350 communications experiments and demonstrations. (AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 7/29/63)

President Kennedy appointed Robert M. White to succeed Francis W. Reichelderfer as Chief of U.S. Weather Bureau. White was president of Travelers Research Center, Inc., an independent nonprofit organization engaged in R&D in environmental and mathematical sciences. (Simons, Wash. Post, 7/30/63)

Rep. James Fulton (R.-Pa.) introduced bill to establish in NASA an inspector of programs and operations (H.R. 7770). Bill was referred to Committee on Science and Astronautics. (NASA Leg. Act. Rpt. II/114)

347-acre Government site in Newport News, Va., presented to Commonwealth of Virginia for Virginia Associated Research Center (VARC), established by Univ. of Va., VPI, and College of William and Mary. VARC would operate the adjacent Space Radiation Effects Laboratory under NASA contract. Speaking at luncheon following site presentation ceremonies, NASA Deputy Administrator Dr. Hugh L. Dryden discussed role of physicist today "It seems clear to me that man's newly won ability to leave the confines of earth and explore the frontiers of space offers a chal­lenging new opportunity for scientists of all disciplines, and for physicists in particular .... "The need . . . is for our creative physicists to think of simple devices, or at least small ones, to make the critical physical measurements that will heighten our knowledge of the charac­teristics of the universe around us. The task is not easy, but the challenge is great, and the opportunities for new findings are, it seems to me, almost unlimited . . . . "Today space exploration is the great motivating development that can serve to promote the over-all growth of science and enhance its role in the national life . . ' (Text)

Sen. Jack Miller (R.-Iowa) inserted in Congressional Record the May 10 Republican policy committee staff study examining U.S. priorities in space as well as article from current issue of Reader's Digest entitled "We're Running the Wrong Race with Russia" which said "The Russians have recently achieved an increase in the effec­tiveness of nuclear explosions so devastating that it dwarfs all previous records. Confirming this, our own atomic experts have warned that such stupendous forces, let loose above us from a satellite, could, in a few seconds, literally cremate a large part of the United States, There would be nothing left below, no man, beast, vegetation, buildings, nothing at all but the glare of white-hot cinders. "In the face of such a dire threat, it must come as a stunning shock to all thoughtful Americans to learn that the United States has no top-priority programs beamed at preventing, antic­ipating, or deterring such a terrifying prospect, Our top priori­ties are all tied up with steamrollering through the moon shot. Many billions of public money, together with the rich cream of scientific talent, are lavished on an effort that could well be aborted in midstride by Soviet enterprise and realism. "There is a crying need for a reappraisal of our space aims, for more specific public information, especially since statements from those highly placed in Washington are so contradictory that they blur rather than clarify our understanding . . . ." (Reader's Digest, 8/63, CR, 7/31/63,13035-39)

New York Times editorialized that "there is a need for a thorough review of all the activities and outlays carried on by NASA. "This would not be necessary if Congress had been exercising ordinary supervision over our space efforts. But, goaded by Mr. Kennedy's determination to beat the Soviet Union in the race to the moon, Congress has permitted NASA to lead a charmed life, providing what amounted almost to a blank check for its opera­tions and a free hand to its managers. NASA, it seemed, could do no wrong .... "There is no doubt that false Starts and dead ends are inevitable in exploring the unknown frontiers of space. But NASA's effec­tiveness will be enhanced by tighter controls over spending and greater coordination of its activities." (NYT, 7/29/63)

Rep. Donald Rumsfeld (R.-Ill.) inserted in Congressional Record Dr. James D. Atkinson's "An Approach to American Strategy" from the book National Security, Political, Military, and Economic Strategy in the Decade Ahead, in which Dr. Atkinson said "Space military capabilities would broadly appear to be (1) Intelligence operations: observing, recording, detecting, (2) Direction: of land, sea., air, or combined operations. (3) Offensive actions: against land, sea, or air targets; against other space vehicles. (4) Defensive actions: neutralizing attacking missiles; counter­acting other space vehicles. (5) Psychopolitical operations in advance of or in Support of military actions.... "The transferrence of classical military operational concepts to space remains to be accomplished and the next decade will see this taking place apart from the obvious projections of well­ understood military operations. Space offers intriguing new pos­sibilities for the exercise of power at low intensity levels, but with enormous strategic import .... (Text., CR, 7/29/63, 12852)

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