Mar 29 1965
From The Space Library
Gemini GT-3 Astronauts Maj. Virgil I. Grissom and LCdr. John W. Young were given traditional heroes' welcome from New Yorkers at a parade given in their honor, Honored with the astronauts was Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr, Associate Administrator of NASA. They were met by Mayor Wagner and the city's official greeter, Commissioner Richard C. Patterson of the Department of Public Events, Mayor Wagner presented gold keys to the city to the astronauts and Dr. Seamans at a ceremony at City Hall. He also presented the city's Gold Medal of Honor to Major Grissom and Dr. Seamans and the Silver Medal of Honor to Commander Young. At the United Nations, Secretary General U Thant presented medals and two autograph sets of U, N. outer space commemorative stamps to the astronauts. (Sibley, NYT, 3/29/65, 36; Talese, NYT, 3/20/65, 1; Orl. Sent, 3/30/65)
Pravda described Lt. Col. Leonov's exit and return to VOSKHOD II in giving the first detailed description of the inside of the spacecraft. The airlock was apparently built into the place occupied by a third astronaut during the VOSKHOD I flight Oct. 12. After Col. Leonov moved into the airlock, his companion, Col. Belyayev pressed a button that closed the inside door and created a vacuum inside the lock chamber. At the prescribed moment, Col. Belyayev pressed a second button that opened the hatch between the airlock and space, allowing Col. Leonov to climb out. The procedure was apparently reversed for the astronaut's return. (AP, NYT, 3/30/65)
USAF announced successful test firing of a simplified rocket engine called Scorpio. The engine had eight combusters in a ring around a nozzle and an injector that sprayed fuel into the combusters through several ports. Scorpio developed 200,000 lbs, thrust and would be modified to produce greater power. (AFSC Release 44.65; AP, Balt. Sun, 3/30/65)
Construction work at Cape Kennedy and Merritt Island Launch Area was halted when an Orlando union local set up picket lines to protest a contractor use of non-union labor, USCE estimated that more than 4,500 of about 5,000 building trades workers refused to cross the lines. NASA had advised the National Labor Relations Board. This marked the sixth time in 14 mos, that a labor dispute had crippled construction work on Merritt Island where launching facilities were being built. (AP, Chic, Trib., 3/30/65)
DOD Advanced Research Projects Agency had selected three contractors for research programs in the materials field: Martin Co., awarded $1 million, subcontract with the Univ. of Denver and conduct a three-year program on the high energy rate of forming metals; Union Carbide Corp., with $2.5 million, would subcontract with Case Institute of Technology and the Bell Aerospace Corp, and conduct a three-year research program on carbon composite materials; Monsanto Research Corp., awarded approximately $2 million, would subcontract with Washington Univ. of St, Louis, Mo., and conduct a two-year research program on high-performance composites. (DOD Release 193-65)
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