Jan 9 1964

From The Space Library

USN announced a solar-powered, 120-lb. satellite was launched pickaback last Sept. 28 along with a previously announced nuclear-powered satellite. On board the solar-powered satellite were six tran­sistors and several radiation detectors, testing means of protecting the transistors from radiation damage. (AP, NYT, 1/10/64, 86)

Sen. Barry Goldwater (R.-Ariz.) stated in Portsmouth, N.H., press conference: "I don't feel safe at all about our missiles, to tell you the truth. I wish the Defense Department could tell the American people how undependable the missiles in our silos actually are." Secre­tary of Defense Robert McNamara announced that Senator Goldwater's charge was "completely misleading, politically irresponsible, and dam­aging to the national security. There is no information, classified or otherwise, to support the false implications that our long-range missiles cannot be depended upon to accomplish their mission. . . ." (NYT, 1/10/64, 1, 14)

Following Senator Goldwater's charge that U.S. missiles are undependa­ble, unnamed official sources at Cape Kennedy pointed out that newest U.S. ICBM'S-Minutemen and Titan II's-can be fired in less than a minute's notice, have been successful in nearly 7 out of 10 test firings, partially successful in 2 out of 10, and completely unsuccessful in only 1 out of 10 firings. (UPI, NYT, 1/10/64, 14)

NASA Administrator James E Webb told University Club in New York that NASA's last 25 attempts to place satellites in orbit were all success­ful. Of the 25, only one payload failed to function. Mr. Webb pointed out that in 1959, NASA's first full year of operation, the record showed 6 successes and 13 failures. By 1961, rocket reliability "had improved to the point that we had 54 successful space flights with five successes for each failure." (NYT, 1/10/64, 85)

• January

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31

• February