May 12 1963
From The Space Library
Astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper (Maj. USAF) flew simulated Project Mercury launch in FAITH 7 at Cape Canaveral in preparation for MA-9 flight scheduled for May 14. (Simons, Wash. Post, 5/13/63)
Radar contact with copper dipoles launched in USAF Project West Ford confirmed they were successfully ejected into orbit from unidentified USAF satellite, MIT Lincoln Laboratory announced. Fibers were still in compact cloud circling earth every 166 min. in near-polar orbit, some 2,000 mi. high and at approximately 87° to equator; on May 13 dipoles had begun to spread in elongated cloud. Fibers were expected to spread along circular orbital path, some 40,000 mi. in circumference, to form ring around earth. Orbital ring would be used in bouncing radio signals back to earth over long distances. (DOD Release 666-63; NYT, 5/13/63, 1; AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 5/13/63, A3; Sullivan, NYT, 5/14/63,18)
Izvestia reported about 400 spectrograms of Mars had been taken this year at observatory of Astrophysics Institute, Kazakhstan Academy of Sciences, in project to investigate properties of blue haze concealing details of Martian surface. (Izvestia, 5/12/63, 6, AFSS-T Trans.)
U.S. aviatrix Betty Miller landed in Brisbane, Australia, after solo 7,100-mi. flight in twin-engine airplane from Oakland, Calif. Mrs. Miller was first woman to solo across Pacific Ocean from California. (UPI, Wash. Post, 5/13/63)
