Sep 16 1966
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (2MB PDF)
U.S. and U.S.S.R. reached impasse over question of access to tracking facilities that would be part of U.N. treaty on space exploration. U.S. Ambassador Arthur J. Goldberg blamed U.S.S.R. for halting agreement on treaty, voicing US. contention that tracking facilities must be negotiated by bilateral agreements and not guaranteed by treaty. Compulsory access to tracking facilities, Goldberg said, would constitute sovereignty violation. Soviet Ambassador Platon D. Morozov defended proposal as means to correct a discriminatory situation in which U.S. had certain advantages because of its alliances with other nations. ‘‘(Teltsch, NYT, 9/17/66; Sanger, Wash. Post, 9/17/66, A4)’’
NASA Nike-Apache sounding rocket launched from NASA Wallops Station reached 103-mi. (166-km.) altitude. NASA-Univ. of Maryland experiment was designed to (1) evaluate pulse and thermal equalization probes as research tools, (2) investigate electron energy distribution in normal daytime ionosphere, and (3) investigate use of wing-slope techniques with Langmuir probes. Rocket and instrumentation performed satisfactorily. ‘‘(NASA Rpt. SRL)’’
NASA Nike-Tomahawk launched from Churchill Research Range reached 151-mi. (243-km.) altitude in last of four NASA-Univ. of California, Berkeley, experiments [see Sept. 1,6]. Rocket and instrumentation performed satisfactorily, and measurements of flux, energy spectrum, pitch angle distribution, and time variations of mirroring and precipitating charged particles were obtained. ‘‘(NASA Rpt. SRL)’’
USAF launched two unidentified satellites with Atlas-Agena D booster from WTR. ‘‘(U.S. Aeron. & Space Act., 1966, 156)’’
GEMINI XI Astronauts Charles Conrad, Jr., and Richard F. Gordon, Jr., arrived at KSC from recovery ship U.S.S. Guam to undergo physical examination and to begin debriefing. ‘‘(Wilford, NYT, 9/17/66, 11)’’
A 40-ft. strip of 16-mm. film “of excellent quality” shot by Astronauts Richard F. Gordon, Jr., and Charles Conrad, Jr., during Sept. 12-15 GEMINI XI mission was released at MSC. One sequence showed Gordon straddling Agena to tie tether from GATV to GEMINI XI. Movie revealed Conrad had described scene accurately when he had radioed to earth: “Heys riding it like a cowboy.” In Washington, D.C., White House announced Gordon would be promoted from USN lieutenant commander to full commander. ‘‘(AP, Wash. Post, 9/17/66, F1; AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 9/17/66, A5; UPI, NYT, 9/18/66, 1, 82)’’
M2-F2 lifting body vehicle, piloted by NASA test pilot Bruce Peterson, was air-launched from B-52 aircraft at $5,000-ft. altitude in sixth glide flight at Edwards AFB. Purpose of flight was checkout of new pilot. ‘‘(NASA Proj. Off.)’’
President Johnson announced his intention to nominate Dr. Werner A. Baum, Vice President for Scientific Affairs of New York Univ., as Deputy Administrator of ESSA to succeed V/Adm. H. Arnold Karo who would retire Jan. 1, 1967. ‘‘(Pres. Doc., 9/19/66, 1305)’’
LRC Director Dr. Abe Silverstein discussed LRC studies on use of liquid methane as an aircraft fuel at the 5th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS) meeting in London. Since liquid methane had higher heating value, greater cooling capacity, and lower price per pound than present jet fuels, its use in commercial. supersonic transport might increase SST payload by 30 per cent and similarly reduce direct operating cost. Dr. Silverstein pointed out, however, that much more would have to be learned about both flight and ground equipment before liquid methane could be seriously considered as an aircraft fuel. ‘‘(LRC Release 66-56)’’
New York Times editorial: ‘‘space historians will have to invent new superlatives to describe the contributions of Gemini 11 and astronauts Conrad and Gordon to man’s entry into the cosmos. From the link-up with the Agena in the very first orbit to the incredibly accurate automatic return to earth, the three-day flight demonstrated a new level of capability far surpassing that shown in any previous flight by any nation.” ‘‘(NYT, 9/16/66, 34M)’’
Soviet newspaper Trud said that although Sept. 12-15 GEMINI XI mission had set new altitude record, it otherwise only repeated “already achieved results.” Trud added that some of these results were “worse” than before, citing the lesser length of time spent in Eva by Astronaut Richard F. Gordon, Jr. ‘‘(AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 9/16/66, A2)’’
Air Force Assn. honored four officers for exceptional achievement at its second annual fall meeting in Washington, D.C.: Col. Robert A. Berman, Wright-Patterson AFB, Logistics Executive Management Award; Col. Spencer S. Hunn, Hanscom Field, Mass., AFSC Distinguished Award for Management; Col. Gregory C. Frese, Jr., Washington, D.C., AFSC Meritorious Award for Support Management; and L/Col. Martin H. Brewer, Vandenberg AFB, AFSC Meritorious Award for Program Management. ‘‘(J/Armed Forces, 9/10/66, 25)’’
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