Sep 17 1963

From The Space Library

Opening Of U.N. General Assembly transmitted via RELAY I and SYNCOM Ii to Europe and Africa. (NASA Release 63-207)

Addressing International Northwest Aviation Council in Edmonton, Alberta, Deputy Director Of NASA Office Of Educational Programs and Services James V. Bernardo said: "The destinies Of all nations are inextricably entwined with aeronautics and space ex­ploration. Aviation-or perhaps more appropriately, aerospace activities will continue, on an ever-increasing scale, to have pro­found effects upon the lives of all people. "The frontiers of science and technology are limitless. The years ahead will bring about not only tremendous changes, but also an increased and unquenchable thirst for knowledge of the unknown beyond our earthly atmosphere. These years ahead will also witness, I'm sure, another great revolution in education, one which will give us a continuity and Sequence in science and mathe­matics, from the kindergarten through the college graduate School. As the revolution takes place, great care must be exercised by the architects of the curriculum that we achieve a necessary balance. We must teach our young people-since the future lies with them-the physical sciences so that they can achieve our national goals in science and engineering. But we must also teach them the humanities so that they can use these achievements for man's betterment. The two great branches of learning must be blended into the best possible educational program." (Text)

AFC announced installation of experimental Snap-type reactor in its Western Test Station, Idaho, as first step in new series of reactor-destruction tests. Test series would Simulate con­ditions of "several conceivable, though unlikely, accidents that could destroy [such] a reactor." (AP, NYT, 9/18/63,16 )

Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, NASA Manned Spacecraft Center Director, said in speech before National Rocket Club in Washington that suggestions of U.S. U.S.S.R. joint lunar landing program were impractical. Such exchange of manpower, knowledge, and funds could be of some benefit, he said, "but I tremble at the thought of the integration problems we could expect . . . . I really have mixed emotions, but I'm speaking only as an engineer, not as an international politician . . . ." (NYT, 9/18/63, 11; NRC Release)

The Ballistic Missile Early Warning System (BMEWS), developed by the Electronic Systems Division, became fully operational with turnover of the third station at Fylingdales, England. The other two are located at Clear, Alaska, and Thule, Greenland. (AFSC Release 312-R-114,1/1/64,3; A&AE, Nov., 1963, 11)

NASA signed contract with North American Aviation for Studies of Apollo spacecraft modifications to permit its being used as a space science laboratory for missions up to one year. Contract was awarded by Manned Spacecraft Center. (Space Bus. Daily, 10/14/63, 76)

Field Enterprises Educational Corp. and Life Magazine announced signing of four-year contracts with 16 NASA astronauts for their personal stories; Field Enterprises acquired newspaper syndication and book rights, Life, the magazine rights. (AP, NYT, 9/18/63,15)

National Capitol Section of AIAA announced it was sponsoring con­struction of full-scale copy of Wright brothers' airplane which made man's first powered flight. Replica would be presented to Bill Devil Hills, N.C., Wright Memorial Museum at 60th anniver­sary program on Dec. 16. (AIAA/NCS Release)

USAF launched Titan I ICBM with dummy nuclear war­head from Vandenberg AFB. (M&R, 9/23/63,10)

September 17-19: Technical session on supersonic transport aircraft held at NASA Langley Research Center, with representatives of Boeing Co. and Lockheed California Co. reporting on results of their feasibility studies performed under LaRC contract. Con­tractor reports indicated two of the four AST concepts studied appeared to be most promising for commercial design: (1) design using principle of variable-sweep wing to provide good flying characteristics at low speeds needed for landing and take-off as well as for efficient supersonic cruise concept, evolved by scien­tists and engineers of LaRC; (2) design using fixed delta wing mounted well aft on long fuselage with canard control surfaces concept evolved out of research conducted by NASA Ames Research Center. (NASA Release 63-210; LaRC Release 9/19/63)

September 17-23: Symposium on applications of the Theory of Func­tions in Continuum Mechanics, sponsored by international Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics, held in Tbilisi, U.S.S.R. Dr. Adolf Busemann, Research Staff Scientist of NASA Langley Research Center, represented the Center and NASA at the sympo­sium. (LaRC Release)

• September

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