Jun 19 1963
From The Space Library
TIROS VII (A-52) meteorological satellite placed in orbit with Thor-Delta launch vehicle launched from Cape Canaveral. Ini-tial orbital data: 405-mi. apogee, 388-mi. perigee, 97-min. period, 58.2° inclination to equator. On satellite's first orbit, Command and Data Acquisition Station at Wallops Island, Va., obtained direct pictures from Camera 2 showing cloud vortex over New-foundland and set Camera 1 to read out pictures on next orbit. First pictures were transmitted within an hour to Cape Canaveral, Fla. ; NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. ; and National Weather Satellite Center, Suitland, Md. In addition to two wide-angle TV cameras, TIROS VII carried infrared sensors and electron temperature probe. Orbiting marked 18th straight successful satellite-orbiting by Thor-Delta launch vehicle. (NASA Release; Wallops Release 63-59; UPI, NYT, 6/20/63, 3)
Experiment to study behavior of liquid hydrogen when exposed to radiant heating and zero gravity conditions was launched to ap-proximately 120-mi. altitude by Aerobee sounding rocket from NASA Wallops Station. Preliminary analysis of telemetry data indicated only partial success of the experiment, provided by NASA Lewis Research Center. (Wallops Release 63-60)
Letter from Harold S. Geneen, IT&T President, to Sen. Warren G. Magnuson, Chairman of Senate Commerce Committee, and Rep. Oren Harris, Chairman of House Committee on Interstate and Foreign Commerce, was made public. Replying to RCA Chair-man David Sarnoff's April 2 letter to Leo D. Welch, Communica-tions Satellite Corp. Chairman, and to Former FCC Chairman New-ton N. Minow's May 31 letter to President Kennedy, Geneen said he "must respectfully disagree with General Sarnoff's suggestion that the merger [of international communications carriers] should be compulsory and include all international communications fa-cilities, both voice and record, under the Communications Satellite Corporation." Reasons against such merger: it would run coun-ter to historical Government opposition to monopoly in any field; IT&T believed that private enterprise should not abandon field to which it has made substantial contribution; and IT&T believed that ComSatCorp was established as "a private corporation and intended . . . to be a carrier's carrier" rather than competition for carriers using its services. "The real problem, as we see it, is rather to strengthen competition than abandon it . . . . "We have also urged that the international record communica-tion carriers be permitted to merge, as a means of offsetting Amer-ican Telephone and Telegraph's dominant position in internation-al voice communications . . . ." AT&T also issued statement opposing RCA Chairman Sarnoff's proposal to create single communications company: " . . The present arrangement . . . is a good one. It is based on the principles of good service and sound economics and is working well. We see no reason to experiment with substitutes of doubtful merit . . . ." (Smith, NYT, 6/20/63)
FAA Administrator Najeeb E. Halaby told AIAA meeting in Los Angeles: "First, technically, a superior supersonic transport is feasible. "Second, it is an expensive aircraft to develop, but not fantas-tically so, and certainly not beyond the resources of the greatest industrialized nation in the world. "Third, there is a market for an American transport of perhaps 200 to 250 first-round orders. If we do not develop an American SST, then the entire market, which could be something like 400 planes during perhaps a decade of first-round buying, will fall to our overseas competitors. Among the purchasers would be the airlines of the U.S., which would be forced to purchase planes produced overseas in order to remain competitive. "Fourth, in the event that we did not proceed with SST develop-ment, the Nation would default, its position of preeminence in in-ternational commercial aviation-with all that would entail in practical terms and in less measurable terms of confidence and prestige . . . ." (Text)
U.S.S.R. MARS I passed planet Mars, but with its communications systems dead as they had been since March 21. All subsequent attempts to restore communication had failed. (AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 6/26/63)
NASA announced RCA Service Co. had been selected to negotiate con-tract for operation and maintenance of satellite data-acquisition stations-two near Rosman, N.C., and two near Fairbanks, Alaska. One station at each location would be operational by Sept. 1963; other two stations were expected to be operational m 1964. Fa-cilities would be first high-capacity data-acquisition stations, supporting OAO, Pogo, Ego, and Nimbus satellites. (NASA Release 63-138).
NASA Deputy Administrator Hugh L. Dryden received inter-national aspects of the U.S. space program at a luncheon meeting of the National Capitol Section of the AIAA. Dr. Dryden was awarded the First Annual von Karman Memorial Citation and a letter from Vice President Johnson was read which said, in part: "A few more Hugh Drydens -appropriately placed about the globe-and we would have a world of peace, honor, and prog-ress." Preceding Dr. Dryden's address Mr. Robert F. Packard of the State Department reviewed U.S. policy with regard to space. (Letter; Citation; Text)
Brig. Gen. Gerald F. Keeling (USAF) said in address before Fifth Annual USAF-Industry Conservation Conference: "Department of Defense procurement from the aerospace industries for air weapon systems, and research and development, is now running about $20 billion a year .... "The Air Force share ... totals $10.6 billion a year, which is more than half the DOD total .... "With expenditures of this magnitude, both the DOD and Air Force have reason to be concerned that conservation, cost reduc-tion, and value engineering be practiced . . . ." (Text, AFSC Release 36-R-47)
June 19-July 7: First nationwide display of space research innova-tions with possibilities for industrial applications was held at 1963 Chicago International Trade Fair. Exhibit was sponsored by NASA Office of Technology Utilization and presented by Illinois Institute of Technology Research Institute (IITRI). (NASA Re-lease 63-122)
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