Feb 20 1968
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. launched two Cosmos satellites. Cosmos CCII entered orbit with 456-km (283.3-mi) apogee, 211-km (131.1-mi) perigee, 91.2-min period, and 48.4° inclination and reentered March 24. Cosmos CCIII entered orbit with 1,203-km (747.5-mi) apogee, 1,186-km (736.9-mi) perigee, 109.2-min period, and 74° inclination. Both satellites performed satisfactorily. (UPI, P Inq, 2/21/68; SBD, 2/21/68, 294; 2/23/68, 300; GSFC SSR, 2/29/68; 3/31/68)
NASA announced Apollo 6 would be launched no earlier than March 21 in second unmanned test flight of command and service modules on Saturn V. First Saturn V had been launched successfully Nov. 9, 1967. Ten-hour, earth-orbital mission would include (1) 51/2-min second burn of 3rd-stage engine to provide 279,000-mi flight into space on 16-day elliptical earth orbit; (2) separation and flight of Apollo spacecraft to 13,824-mi altitude, using 4-min retro-burn of spacecraft's main propulsion system; and (3) high-speed spacecraft reentry into earth's atmosphere simulating lunar mission return. (NASA Release 68-37)
Surveyor VII, on the moon, stopped operating 22 hr before nominal sunset time. Spacecraft, launched Jan. 7, had responded to turn-on commands Feb. 12, transmitted 45 200-line TV pictures, and obtained 22 hr of useful data from alpha-scattering instrument, but performance before signal loss indicated that appreciable functional degradation had occurred during preceding lunar night. (NASA Proj Off; AP, B Sun, 2/22/68, A5)
Explorer XXXVI (Leos II), launched Jan. 11, became fully operational, having achieved orbit well within specifications. With launch of this spacecraft, Thrust-Augmented Delta had accomplished record 23rd consecutive, successful launch. Spacecraft would support 128 global observation stations which used both electronic and optical geodetic instrumentation. (NASA Proj Off)
Dr. Bruce C. Murray, Cal Tech associate professor of planetary science, told Space Science and Applications Subcommittee of House Committee on Science and Astronautics it would be tragic if U.S. were to "ignore the challenge and the opportunity" of planetary exploration. He urged sustained exploration program competitive with U.S.S.R. "We need not always be first, but we must not always be second." He saw "real possibility of Soviet Mars lander attempts as early as 1969" and other attempts at planetary firsts. (NASA Auth Hearings; Randal, W Star, 3/7/68, A12)
Lockheed Aircraft Corp. engineer John W. Jones was granted patents 3,369,455 and 3,369,485 for new rocket-launching technique with potential military and space applications. Rockets encased in liquid-filled plastic sheaths were fired from a gun, after which sheath fell away, solid propellant ignited, and rocket continued on its own power. Jones said high-altitude research probes could be conducted using seven- or eight-inch gun at one-half to one-fourth cost of present methods. Protective sheath and liquid permitted use of new thin-walled military rockets which had better flight performance and traveled twice as fast as standard artillery shell. (Jones, NYT, 2/24/68, 37; Patent Off PrO)
National Academy of Engineering announced award of its third Founders Medal to Dr. Vladimir K. Zworykin, Honorary Vice President of Radio Corporation of America and technical consultant to RCA Laboratories, in recognition of his many contributions to engineering and to betterment of human society. Dr. Zworykin, known as "Father of Television" for invention of iconoscope, first practical picture transmission tube, was cited also for "his role in developing the first commercial electron microscope in the western hemisphere . . . promoting the cause of traffic safety through the imaginative concept of an automated `electronic highway,' and . . . working . to bring about a union of electronics and medicine." Medal would be presented April 24 during NAE's 4th Annual Meeting. (NAE Release, 2/20/68)
USA announced plans to establish Advanced Ballistic Missile Defense Agency which would combine some elements of DOD's Advanced Research Projects Agency ( ARPA ) Office of Ballistic Missile Defense and Nike-X advanced development. Dr. Patrick J. Friel, Director of ARPA office, would be appointed USA Deputy Assistant Secretary and Director of new agency. He would be replaced by Dr. David E. Mann. (DOD Release 176-68)
Administration would soon announce plans to slow pace of SST development, Evert Clark reported in New York Times. He said industry sources believed that technical reasons would be cited as cause, but "the real reason was chiefly political-an attempt to reduce the request for funds ... for [FY] 1969 to a level acceptable to Congressional critics of the program." (Clark, NYT, 2/21/68)
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