May 13 1968
From The Space Library
Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences approved $4.151 billion NASA FY 1969 authorization, adding $119.137 million to H.R. 15856, which had authorized $4.031 billion. Figure still was approximately 5% below $4.37 billion requested by President Johnson. Senate voted $350 million for Apollo Applications, against $253.2 million by House, and $55 million for NERVA program, as against $11.7- increasing R&D funds to $3.475 billion. Both houses agreed on allocation of $2.025 billion for Apollo program. Senate committee cut construction of facilities funds by $5.4 million to $39.6 million, but increased administrative operations by $32.4 million to $635.6 million. (NASA LAR VII/48; AP, NYT, 5/14/68; Sehlstedt, B Sun, 5/14/68)
ESSA was studying solar flare prediction technique and ground observatory support for NASA'S Apollo Telescope Mount flight scheduled for 1971. NASA had transferred $30,000 to ESSA for six-month investigation to enable astronauts to know when and where solar flare would occur within accuracy of 1,000 mi out of 860,000-mi-wide face of sun. ESSA also would study data required for maximum results from ATM mission and examine existing data collection networks and observing procedures. Effort would be monitored by ATM Project Office and. Space Sciences Laboratory at MSFC. (MSFC Release 68-103; SBD, 5/15/68, 73)
Free world's largest experimental comsat was being built by Hughes Aircraft Co. under USAF Space and Missile Systems Organization management. The 1,6004b satellite designed to provide testing for tactical communications between military units in the field, ships at sea, and aircraft-was scheduled for late 1968 delivery. It would be launched by Titan III-C booster into 22,300-mi-altitude orbit and would be equipped with three antenna systems. During orbital tests, standard military UHF band would be used for air-ground communications and super-high-frequency portion of X band for military satellite communications. (AFSC Release 64.68)
National Sporting Aviation Council, formed Feb. 16, adopted official charter at first meeting held in Washington, D.C., affirming its original mission to promote progress and development of all forms of sport aviation in U.S. through National Aeronautic Assn. and worldwide through Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. (NAA News)
Dr. Walter Haeussermann was selected to Fellowship in American Astronautical Society for "direct and significant contribution to the field of astronautics," as Director of Astrionics Laboratory, MSFC. (MSFC Release 68-102)
John B. Tuke had assembled operable weather-picture receiving station at his home in Stranraer, Scotland, out of spare electronic parts, old antenna, electric motor, and tuning fork for about $480. One of first amateurs to construct homemade receiving set, Tuke was able to receive pictures from ESSA and Nimbus satellites for 15 min, from lower Spain to Arctic, on each pass. Interest in amateur stations had grown to point that NASA had published booklet of instructions for building ground stations [see April 26] and Electro-Mechanical Research Co. in College Park, Md., had begun selling packaged sets for $5,000. (Wilford, NYT, 5/13/68)
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
