Jan 13 1963
From The Space Library
In his State of the Union message to Congress, President Kennedy said: “In these past months, we have reaffirmed the scientific and military superiority of freedom. We have doubled our efforts in space, to assure us of being first, in the future. We have undertaken the most far-reaching defense improvements in the peace-time history of this country. And we have maintained the frontiers of freedom from Viet Nam to West Berlin . . . .” (Text, Wash. Post, 1/15/63, A10)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center announced sodium-vapor cloud experiments by Goddard during past two years had shown wind behavior 44-50 mi. above earth becomes erratic and unpredictable. Below that altitude, winds generally follow global pattern, regularly reversing with the seasons. Region between 56- and 68-mi. altitudes is characterized by “remarkable wind sheers”-within altitude span of less than three miles, wind speed was observed to increase swiftly by more than 250 mph and even to reverse direction. Immediately above this band of maximum wind velocity, wind diminishes almost to zero. Above 70 mi., research indicated region of “strong but more uniform minds” with velocities of about 200 mph. Goddard experiments, launched on sounding rockets from NASA Wallops Station, did not extend beyond 105-mi. altitude. (Goddard Release; AP, Wash. Post, 1/13/63, A16)
Pravda announced Yevgeny Alexandrov, head of research laboratory in Moscow Mining Institute, had discovered a new law of physics which corrects the laws of Sir Isaac Newton. Newspaper did not indicate which laws of Newton were corrected nor how they were corrected, but it said : “Up to now, mechanisms and machines of an impact nature [presumably mining equip- ment such as pneumatic drills] quickly went out of commission. Now their life will not only be extended immeasurably but also their power will increase many times over. “Innumerable examples can be given,” the newspaper said, but did not offer any. (AP, Wash. Post, 1/14/63, A3)
Soviet Cosmonaut Pavel Popovich, boarding Soviet aircraft, in Havana bound for MOSCOW, made the comment: “The world will soon know about the first female cosmonaut.” (UPI Wash. Post, 1/14/63, A3)
