May 24 1963

From The Space Library

Sodium-vapor experiment launched on Nike-Apache sound­ing rocket from Wallops Island, Va., ejected sodium-vapor trail from 26- to 122-mi. altitudes. Pink and reddish vapor clouds were visible for several hundred miles from launch site. This was last experiment in current sodium-vapor series, which in­cluded similar experiment May 23 and unsuccessful attempt earlier May 24 (payload failed to operate properly and no sodium vapor was ejected Data from these tests would be correlated with information obtained from similar experiments conducted from other sites around the world. Eight countries (Algeria, France, Italy, Canada, Pakistan, Argentina, Japan, and the United States) were now participating in the international sodium program for ob­taining high altitude wind measurements and diffusion. (NASA Release No. 63-51, Wallops Releases 63-51 and 63-52)

Soviet press agency Tass announced Cosmos XVIII satellite had been placed in orbit (apogee, 187 mi. ; perigee, 130 mi. ; period, 89.44 min.; inclination, 65°01' to the equator). Onboard equipment was functioning normally. (Tass, Komsomolskaya Pravda, 5/25/63,1, AFSS-T Trans.)

Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, NASA Deputy Administrator, and Dr. Anatoli A. Blagonravov of Soviet Academy of Sciences announced U.S. and U.S.S.R. had reached agreement on coordinated launching of satellites for measuring earth's magnetic field. Agreement was subject to final approval by NASA and Soviet Academy of Sciences; agreement was expected to be approved in about a month. (NYT, 5/25/63,25)

USAF announced all radio experiments conducted with orbiting Proj­ect West Ford needles were successful. Tests included coast-to-coast radio tests in which signals were bounced off 2,000­mi.-high cloud. Needles were now stretched over 11,000-mi. section of polar orbit, lengthening at rate of 1,000 mi. per day. Scientists expected in Six weeks cloud would lengthen to form closed path about 40,000 mi. in circumference. (Toth, NYT, 5/25/63,6)

Titan II ICBM launched from Cape Canaveral Successfully placed re-entry payload in target area more than 6,500-mi. down AMR, third Such success for Titan II. This was the 1,400th missile to be launched from the cape. (DOD Release 755-63; CR, 1/8/64,2910)

NASA Manned Spacecraft Center announced award of contract to Westinghouse Electric Corp. for design and delivery of main drive system of flight acceleration facility. Main drive motor will provide power to rotate 50-ft. arm, to end of which gondolas would be affixed for men or equipment. (MSC Release 63-91)

Chief of NASA Recruiting and Examining Programs Madison B. Smith said at meeting of Federal Personnel Associations of New York and New Jersey, Massena, N.Y., that recent study of 3,348 Scientists and engineers hired by NASA over 15-month period Showed about one third of group came from industry. Bulk of those hired from industry were from firms with personnel cut­backs. Another third of new scientists and engineers came from other Government agencies. "The rest of the 3,348 were mainly new college graduates. About 30, or less than one percent, were from faculties." (NASA Release 63-113)

Communications Satellite Corp. Chairman Leo D. Welch and Presi­dent Joseph V. Charyk left Washington, D.C., for 10 days of dis­cussions with Canadian and European communications officials. (Wash. Post, 5/24/63 )

Development of new helium isotope, Helium 2, was reported by Dr. O.M. Bilaniuk of Univ. of Rochester and Dr. Rodolfo J. Slobodrian of Argentine Atomic Energy Commission. Finding opened "whole new vistas for the possibility of holding other ex­periments of this kind," Dr. Bilaniuk said. (AP, NYT, 5/16/63, 18)

New York Journal-American reported as many as five Soviet cos­monauts had died in unsuccessful space flights. Newspaper quoted informed Congressional and Space authorities. (N.Y. Journal-American, AP, Balt. Sun, 5/253)

USAF Minuteman ICBM launched from Vandenberg AFB silo in suc­cessful flight. (DOD Release 767-63)

May 25 1963