Feb 6 1964
From The Space Library
In testimony before House Committee on Science and Astronautics, NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight Dr. George E. Mueller said that "1963 was a milestone year. It was the year of transition to hardware-now we can fill the pipeline and move forward to a manned lunar landing in this decade. . . "The resources for the Gemini and Apollo programs are moving forward. The major developmental resources are essentially completed; the manufacturing resources are under construction and approaching our goal; the test and operational resources have been initiated; a logistics program is being formulated and our personnel build-up is progressing. "The personnel staffing at the NASA Centers . . . is increasing from 11,858 at the end of FY 1963 to 13,711 at the end of FY 1964 and a forecast total of 14,711 at the end of FY 1965. In addition to the government team of personnel there are approximately 181,000 contractor personnel who are working on Manned Space Flight pro grams. With the continued buildup of construction, manufacturing, test and operations, it is anticipated that this figure will approximate 300,000 personnel at the peak of the Manned Space Flight Pro gram. . . ." Discussing planned activity in manned space flight program, he said: "A major decision was made in 1963 to adopt the "all-up' testing concept as a basic approach to our flight verification test program. "All-up' testing means, all flights will be scheduled with complete space vehicles using live stages and flight type spacecraft. . . . "There are several advantages to the "all-up' approach. It will permit us to land an American astronaut on the moon, and return him safely to earth, in accordance with our schedule even though we are operating this year on a reduced budget. It will permit us to capitalize on successful flights. It will also allow us to gather a very large amount of data early in the flight program and thereby provide much needed information to our design organization. It is planned in the Saturn IB and Saturn V programs to launch a complete unmanned space vehicle on the first flight in an earth orbital trajectory." (Testimony)
NASA Associate Administrator for Advanced Research and Technology Dr. Raymond L. Bisplinghoff, appearing before House Committee on Science and Astronautics, outlined NASA's program of advanced research and technology and proposed activities for FY 1965. Objectives in advanced research and technology were summarized: "1. Basic research aimed toward an understanding of the natural laws underlying aeronautical and space technology. "2. Engineering research aimed at the application of these laws and at codifying them in terms of engineering design principles. "3. Experimental subsystem development, using advanced concepts and components, to produce test "know-how" for the design of future operational systems. "Our aim in basic research is to contribute to the fund of relevant scientific knowledge and, in so doing, to maintain the best possible contact with the scientific and engineering community. Engineering research, that is the creation of engineering design principles, is also conducted by these same institutions with industry playing a somewhat greater role than in the case of basic research .. . . "A program of [advanced] research . . . which looks beyond today's technology is believed to be a pre-requisite for continued advancement in the performance and efficiency of aeronautical and space vehicles." (Testimony)
John F. Kennedy Space Center, NASA, announced major reorganization. KSC Director Dr. Kurt H. Debus said objectives of reorganization were to; (1) realign Apollo program management functions in accordance with concept of NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight Dr. George E. Mueller that these functions be standardized at NASA Hq. and the three manned space flight centers; (2) separate and strengthen administrative and technical support functions; and (3) reduce number of offices reporting to Dr. Debus and delegate more authority and responsibility to Assistant Directors. Under realignment there were five Assistant Directors, with authority to act for Center Director within their areas of responsibility: Program Management, Administrative Management, Launch Vehicle Operations, Technical Support Operations, and Instrumentation. Program Management was divided into two areas, Plans and Program Support Office and the Apollo Program Management Office, Which Was aligned as counterpart organization with Apollo program offices in NASA Hq. and the other manned space flight centers(Manned Spacecraft Center and Marshall Space Flight Center). Unaffected by the change were Launch Support Equipment Engineering Div., Facilities Engineering and Construction, and five staff offices. New NASA Hq. office, NASA Regional Inspections, was attached to KSC. MSC's Preflight Operations Div. was renamed MSC Florida Operations but its basic relationship to KSC was unchanged. Other NASA Center elements attached to KSC, such as GSFC Field Projects Branch, remained unchanged. (KSC Release 10-64)
Washington Post editorialized: "The failure of the sixth straight Ranger spacecraft hoists aloft the question of whether the United States will accomplish its goal of putting an American on the moon by the decade's end. . . . "A delay would not simply be a case of a stretchout in which work would continue but at a slower pace. A delay would take much of the binding and motivating tension from Apollo. It would increase costs by under using men and facilities brought together for a tighter schedule, and it would allow projects and personnel to drift out of the main stream into the eddies of lower priority. A delay also would entail loss of prestige for NASA, for the Administration and for the Nation as well. "No schedule, however, is sacred. If it is determined that the landing of a man on the moon by Jan. 1, 1970, is simply not feasible, or cannot be done with reasonable assurance of safety for the astronauts, then the space agency and the country will have to adjust to this reality, no matter how costly and comfortless it may be. A manned flight to the moon will be no less exciting or valuable for being somewhat delayed." (Wash. Post, 2/6/64, 18)
Tass announced ELECTRON I and ELECTRON H scientific satellites were continuing to send back "valuable scientific information." ELECTRON I had made 53 orbits of the earth and ELECTRON II, 6 orbits. (AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 2/6/64, 6)
Soviet Academician Anatoli A. Blagonravov announced in Moscow that U.S.S.R would participate in three-nation experiment of bouncing radio signals off U.S. balloon satellite ECHO II beginning Feb. 22. Signals would be transmitted from Jodrell Bank, England, to ECHO H, and reflected back by radioastronomy observatory near Gorki. (NYT, 2/7/64)
NASA Telephone and Data Distribution Center became first technical support element of the John F. Kennedy Space Center, NASA, to become operational on Merritt Island, KSC announced. Some buildings were being serviced by telephone service through the Center and other buildings would be phased in as required. Fully equipped to handle all types of communications, the Center participated in its first technical support operation during launch of Saturn I SA-5, when it provided closed-circuit television service to Washington and other areas. (KSC Release 11-64)
President Johnson spoke at 18th annual dinner of Weizmann Institute of Science, held in New York: "The Weizmann Institute . . . is an international scientific institution in every sense of the word. To its buildings come students from all over the globe. It has helped to make Israel one of the foremost scientific resources of the world. . . "We, like Israel, need to find cheap ways of converting salt water to fresh water. . . . This Nation has begun discussions with the representatives of Israel on cooperative research in using nuclear energy to turn salt water into fresh water. . . ." (Text, CR, 2/17/64, A703-04)
Rep. E. Ross Adair (R.-Ind.) said on House floor that a fifth transatlantic communications cable (TAT) would be unnecessary: "It is expected that within the next 6 weeks the . . . [ComSatCorp] will announce its plans for financing a communications satellite system and will tell Congress and potential investors when it expects to have a system in operation. I understand that CSC expects to design its first satellites to handle traffic between the United States and Europe. ". . . based on information filed with the FCC by the International Carriers having an interest in these matters . . . I am convinced that there is no need for TAT 5. If permission is granted to lay TAT 5 it would add at least 128 channels of capacity . . ., and this would mean that there would be no economic justification for orbiting a satellite system in the immediate future . . . He recommended adopting Mackay Radio's proposal to change the route planned for TAT 4: ". . . this route would not only make it possible to establish intermediate relay and terminal facilities in the Azores, but also to provide for extension to Spain and Portugal and even down to the Canary Islands. "The U.S. military might well prefer cable links to the Azores and this route could also serve the interests of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, both in Spain and the Canary Islands, where NASA tracking stations are either in being or being constructed. . . ." (CR, 2/6/64, 2220)
General Accounting Office made public report to Congress charging NASA's "unrealistic delivery dates" for first two Oso satellites had cost an unnecessary $526,000. GAO was critical of NASA for ordering backup Oso eight weeks before scheduled launching of the first satellite, thus spending $273,000 that was not needed. The GAO report also said NASA had unnecessarily limited competition for Oso construction. (AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 2/6/64, 2; Finney, NYT, 2/7/64, 10)
Col. Daniel McKee, head of AFSC Field Office at NASA Manned Spacecraft Center, said in Houston Post article that USAF would participate in NASA Project Gemini with 20 experiments, beginning with the second manned Gemini flight. Some of the areas in which USAF would conduct experiments include radiation, photography, communications, and extravehicular activities. (Maloney, Houston Post, 2/6/64)
FAA Administrator N. E Halaby announced formation of Future Flight Manpower Study Board to investigate future manpower requirements for civil aviation. Board was headed by Dan A. Kimball, Board Chairman of Aerojet-General Corp. and former Secretary of the Navy. (FAA Release 64-11)
Welcoming Dr. S. Dillon Ripley II as eighth Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, Senator Claiborne Pell (D.-R.I.) quoted Dr. Ripley in the Senate: "In the realm of the humanities, in art and the history of our culture, as well as in a variety of sciences ranging from the study of the ocean, of space and the natural sciences, it is implicit that the Smithsonian should assume a commanding position in education as well as leadership in the museum world. We cannot afford to overlook any possibility of increasing and diffusing knowledge among our people, young and old, at all levels-from exhibits and museum lectures and demonstrations to postgraduate specialized research. Museums and their technical resources are important as never before in these days of crisis in education." " (CR, 2/6/64, 2161)
FAA awarded $1.3 million contract to Skidmore, Owings and Merrill for improvements at FAA'S National Aviation Facilities Experimental Center (NAFEC) in Atlantic City, N.J. (FAA Release T 64-4)
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