Dec 10 1965
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (2MB PDF)
At Austin, Tex, Administrator James E. Webb announced that Dr. Robert C. Seamans would become the Deputy Administrator of NASA, filling the position held by the late Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, Dr. Seamans joined NASA as Associate Administrator of NASA on September 1, 1960. In this post he was general manager of NASA's operations, including field laboratories, research centers, rocket testing and launching facilities, and a world-wide network of tracking stations. (EMI)
COSMOS XCIX unmanned satellite, carrying scientific instruments "for continued space research," was launched into orbit by the Soviet Union, Tass announced. Initial orbital data: apogee, 320 km. (198.7 mi.) ; perigee, 199 km. (123.6 mi,) ; period, 89.6 min.; inclination, 65°. Equipment was functioning normally. (Tass, 12/10/65)
The GEMINI VI spacecraft underwent final checkout of all systems; its crew, Astronauts Walter M. Schirra, Jr, and Thomas Stafford, received final briefings. NASA announced that Gemini VI would be launched December 12, one day ahead of schedule. (WSJ, 12/10/65, 1; Wilford, NYT, 12/11/65, 1, C54)
NASA announced EXPLORER XXXI and Canadian ALOUETTE II, launched together on the same booster Nov. 28, were functioning as planned. EXPLORER XXXI's apogee was less than a mile higher than ALOUETTE II's and its perigee less than a mile lower. Orbits were some 1,850 mi. (2,978.5 km.) at apogee and 310 (499 km) at perigee. The 13 experiments on the ISIS satellites were working well with excellent data on the ionosphere being obtained. (NASA Release 65-377)
Possibility of an atomic-powered artificial human heart being developed sometime in the future was mentioned by AEC Chairman Glenn T. Seaborg in discussion with President Johnson at the LBJ Ranch: "There is a possibility of using isotopes produced in this way as a source of energy for pacemakers for the human heart, and possibly even as a source of energy for a completely artificial heart implanted in man. The isotope which would be used in this case happens to be the isotope plutonium 238. That is the isotope that has the best qualifications for this purpose." (Wash. Eve. Star, 12/11/65, A5)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
