May 14 1968
From The Space Library
Listen to William H. Pickering talk about Mars.
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ComSatCorp Chairman James McCormack submitted Annual Report to shareholders' meeting at Washington, D.C. Intelsat I, II F-2, II F-3, and II F-4 were reasonably loaded with commercial communications traffic. Intelsat III series was scheduled for late summer delivery and launching during fall 1968 and spring 1969. Intelsat IV series would be presented for Government approval shortly. It was hoped development could be under way before end of 1968. More than half the 40 earth stations anticipated to be in operation by 1969 were expected to be operating by end of 1968. Despite technical problems, satellite operating circuits maintained 100% reliability. Total of 48 nations were represented by Interim Communications Satellite Committee, to which ComSatCorp had submitted several U.S. proposals: relating investments of global members directly to amount of their use of system; limiting voting power to 50% maximum with substantive issues decided by two-thirds majority; ComSatCorp's continuing as Consortium manager with contractual obligations made more specific. ComSatCorp opposed authorization by Federal Communications Commission of separate satellite system for broadcast distribution as had been proposed. With first quarter operating income of $372,000 and investment income of $1.426 million, ComSatCorp realized net income of $1.798 million. At close of first quarter 1968, investments in communications fa- cilities amounted to $73 million. ComSatCorp expected this to exceed $100 million at end of 1968. (Text)
NASA's Test and Training Satellite Tts I, carried pickaback as secondary payload on Pioneer VIII and ejected into orbit Dec. 13, 1967, reentered atmosphere and was believed to have burned up over Easter Island in Pacific. Spacecraft supplied 14-station worldwide tracking network training for Apollo flights. (NASA Release 68-86; AP, P EB, 5/15/68; SBD, 5/15/68, 75)
Dr. Harold Brown, Secretary of the Air Force, told Los Angeles Junior Chamber of Commerce that if U.S.S.R.'s long-range bomber force improved, U.S. might need new 2,000-mph F-12 interceptor rejected by Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara in 1967. Although U.S.S.R. had about 155 long-range bombers and U.S. had 680, USAF officials feared U.S.S.R. might build advanced manned aircraft to overpower what McNamara had acknowledged to be an obsolete conventional air shield. DOD had announced major cutbacks in existing air defense units May 13. (Text; Omaha W-H, 5/15/68, 21)
Parafoil, steerable parachute being developed and tested by Notre Dame Univ. under contract with USAF's Flight Dynamics Laboratory, brought Sgt. Robert McDermott (USA) down from 35,000-ft altitude in demonstration at Wright-Patterson AFB. Parafoil had glide of nearly three feet for cach foot of vertical drop, enabling jumper to steer toward target. Steerable parachutes normally used for spot landings glided only about 1/2 ft for each foot of fall. (AP, NYT, 5/15/68, 24)
Dr. Walton L. Jones, Chief of NASA's Biotechnology and Human Research Div., Office of Advanced Research and Technology, in an interview reported study of 3,500 residents of Chicago, Denver, Dallas, and Los Angeles had indicated some were more annoyed by aircraft noise than others. Noise was more objectionable inside the house than out. The deeper people slept, the more boom it took to wake them. People could adapt to sonic boom, but data compiled thus far did not indicate to what extent. Dr. Jones' work on improving safety of aircraft seats showed "many injuries could be avoided if seats were designed to dissipate more energy." Good forward-facing seat, possibly with shoulder harness, would be better than rear-facing seats. (CSM, 5/14/68; CR, 5/28/68, E4743)
Dr. Arthur Rudolph, Saturn V Manager at MSFC for past 41/2 yr, was retiring after 38 yr in rocketry, MSFC Director, Dr. Wernher von Braun, announced. He would be succeeded by Lee B. James, Deputy Director of Apollo program in NASA Office of Manned Space Flight. ( MSFC Release 60-106; AP, NYT, 5/15/68, 5; AP, W Star, 5/15/68, A2)
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