Jul 16 1965
From The Space Library
PROTON I, a scientific space station, was orbited by the U.S.S.R. with a "powerful new booster," Tass announced. The 26,880 lb, payload-claimed to be heaviest ever launched-was placed into an orbit with the following initial parameters: apogee, 627 km. (389.4 mi) ; perigee, 190 km. (118 mi.) ; period 92 min.; and inclination, 63.5°. In addition to scientific and measuring instruments, the space station was equipped with special equipment for the study of cosmic particles of super-high energies and a radio transmitter, Tass said: "In order to insure realization of the planned space research program, a powerful new booster rocket has been developed in the Soviet Union," Commenting on the Soviet launching, Dr. Edward C. Welsh, Executive Secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council, said he was "impressed but not astonished" by the Russian accomplishment. "We have been predicting for some time that they would develop into the space station field," he said. "We have anticipated that they would practice rendezvous and docking before they developed what they said was a space station, but they haven't followed that particular line." (Tass, 7/16/65; NYT, 7/17/65, 6; Wash. Post, 7/17/65, Al)
U.S.S.R. launched COSMOS LXXI, LXXII, LXXIII, LXXIV, and LXXV into orbit with a single booster. Initial orbital data: COSMOS LXXI, apogee, 542 km. (337 mi,), perigee, 521 km. (324 mi,) ; COSMOS LXXII, apogee, 588 km. (365 mi,), perigee, 538 km. (334 mi,) ; COSMOS LXXIII, apogee, 564 km. (350 mi.), perigee, 531 km. (330 mi,) ; COSMOS LXXIV, apogee, 619 km. (384 mi,) , perigee, 537 km. (334 mi.) ; COSMOS LXXV, apogee, 644 km. (400 mi.), perigee, 539 km. (335 mi.). Period for all five satellites was 95 min,; inclination, 56°. Satellites contained scientific equipment for outer space research as well as "Mayak" radio transmitters. All instruments were said to be functioning normally. (Izvestia, 7/17/65, ATSS-T Trans.)
A 707 jet transport, owned and fitted by the Boeing Co. with extensive instrumentation, including an analog computer and a 15-ft, needle-like nose extension to make it an in-flight dynamic simulator, had arrived at NASA Langley Research Center for a four-month program of supersonic transport experiments. The research program would assess simulated landing approaches with both the fixed-wing and variable-sweep concepts, including conditions such as emergency use of cruise sweep-back during a landing. (NASA Release 65-233)
Gemini V backup crew members, civilians Neil A. Armstrong and Elliot M. See, Jr, began a training exercise in Gulf of Mexico waters designed to teach the astronauts the proper methods to leave the spacecraft after touchdown. Primary crew members Maj. Leroy Gordon Cooper (USAF) and Cdr. Charles Conrad (USN) would take the same training July 21. (AP, Houston Chron., 7/16/65)
FCC rescinded an earlier order and granted a group of communications companies temporary authority to provide television service from EARLY BIRD I comsat. The order authorized AT&T, ITT, RCA Communications, Inc, and Western Union International, Inc, to pool their efforts and resources in a consortium which would buy the television service from ComSatCorp and then sell the service to American television networks. In its earlier order, FCC had granted temporary authority to ComSatCorp to provide the television service directly to the television networks. (Weekley, Wash, Post, 7/16/65)
The successful use in modern surgery of plasma probes developed for the U.S. program by High Temperature Instruments Corp. under contract to NASA Lewis Research Center was reported by Dr. Walter T. Olson, Assistant Director for Public Affairs at LRC. The temperature-sensing elements of these tiny probes were used in a cryogenic cannula for treating Parkinson's Disease, a malady involving control centers in the brain. The surgical probe, through which low-temperature liquid nitrogen flows, is used to destroy parts of the brain by freezing without affecting adjacent tissue. It also permits the neurosurgeon to probe at an intermediate temperature; once located, the selected brain tissues can be frozen by using the thermocouple to monitor the temperature. (LRC Release 65-50)
NASA awarded $75,000 cost-plus-fixed fee contract to Control Data Corp. for a breadboard model of Scads (Scanning Celestial Attitude Determination System), a simple star-mapping system for use onboard spacecraft to determine the pitch, roll, and yaw attitude errors, Initial tests of the system would be conducted at GSFC. (GSFC Release G-18-65)
NASA entered competitive negotiations with Documentation, Inc, and Tech/Courier Corp, for a contract valued at approximately $4.5 million to operate NASA's Scientific and Information Facility-containing the world's largest collection of aerospace literature-in a new government-furnished building in College Park, Md. The contract would run through June 1966 and would be monitored by NASA Hq, Scientific and Technical Information Div. (NASA Release 65-236)
Dr. Edward C. Welsh, Executive Secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council, remarked in an interview with Missile Space Daily: "I do not doubt that with good fortune, the trip [to the moon] will be made during this decade, which to me means during the 1960's, Replying to a question about the future use of solid fuel rockets, Dr. Welsh said: "I certainly see no reason to doubt that the use of solids will continue to increase. Without attempting to predict specific dates or missions, I believe large solid motor technology will be a very valuable element in our growing national space competence... ." On post-Apollo missions: "... Under present circumstances, it would seem that our program will include extended exploration of the moon after the first trip, provided conditions are found to be favorable to such exploration. Also, we should be expected to develop a growing capability in earth-orbiting space stations and make an increasing effort in planetary exploration, I do not rate these major objectives one against the other because I believe the national space program will in time include all three of the broad missions I have mentioned," Dr. Welsh said that he hoped the U.S. would be able to "maintain space expenditures at a figure above 1 percent of our Gross National Product." (M/S Daily, 7/26/65)
"We saw it and we were amazed," wrote Pope Paul VI in Latin on a copy of the first photograph returned by MARINER IV. He signed his name underneath with the date. (UPI, NYT, 7/17/65)
20th anniversary of the first atomic device, at Los Alamos, N. Mex, the beginning of the so-called "atomic age," Since then, atomic devices had been exploded by the U.S.S.R. beginning in 1949, Britain in 1952, France in 1960, and Red China in 1964. Thermonuclear devices had been demonstrated by the U.S. in 1952, U.S.S.R. in 1953, and Britain in 1957, Now Federal spending for the peaceful uses of atomic energy had drawn abreast of spending for nuclear weapons for the first time since the first atomic bomb, Commenting on this fact, Evert Clark wrote in the New York Times: "Even in the Atomic Energy Commission there is little tendency to view this as a triumph for peace over preparations for the possibility of war, "It is rather that military needs have been largely taken care of, so that they demand less money." (EPH ; Clark, NYT, 7/17/65, 6)
A commercial model of the military C-5A subsonic jet was being considered by Pan American World Airways to provide cheap air transportation, reported the Wall Street Journal. The aircraft would measure 230 ft. or more from nose to tail, weigh over 700,000 lbs., and carry a payload of over 250,000 lbs.; four jet engines would propel it at 550 mph. The passenger version would hold between 700 and 1,000 people. The jet bus could cut cargo rates 50% or more and cut fares 20 to 25%. Problems would arise, however, in that present airport runways might not be able to sustain the great weight and new procedures would have to be developed to handle the increased traffic. (Cooke, WSJ, 7/16/65, 1, 8)
NASA Administrator James E. Webb was one of four persons named honorary chairmen of the Robert Hutchings Goddard Library Program at Clark Univ. The other three were Mrs. Robert Hutchings Goddard; Dr. Charles G. Abbot, former fifth Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution; and Mr. John Jeppson, executive vice president of the Norton Co, and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Clark Univ. Mr. J. L. Atwood, president of North American Aviation, was named general chairman of the Library program. (Goddard, 7/65)
Physicist Serafim Nikolayevich Zhurkov, corresponding member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of labor on his 60th birthday for work in his field. (Pravda, 7/16/65)
"Mariner IV's performance constitutes one of man's greatest triumphs to date in the field of science and technology," said a Washington Evening Star editorial: "It has blazed the way for the landing of instruments on the Martian terrain within the next decade, and after that, on some day between 1980 and the end of the century the landing of Americans there, "The wonder and wizardry of it all are nothing less than awesome. Everybody involved with MARINER'S success merits the praise of the entire nation." (Wash, Eve, Star, 7/16/65)
Click here to listen to a press conference recorded on this day about Mariner 4.
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