Sep 11 1968

From The Space Library

NASA selected Fairchild Hiller Corp. and General Electric Co. to develop spacecraft designs for Applications Technology Satellites (ATS) F and G under $4.6-million fixed-price contracts. Configuration would consist of 30-ft-dia deployable antenna and precision control sys­tem. Both spacecraft would carry advanced communications, naviga­tion, weather, technical, and scientific experiments. They were sched­uled for 1972 and 1973 synchronous orbits at 22,300-mi altitude. Each company would design and develop basic configuration for both space- craft and provide specifications, drawings, and test procedures. (NASA Release 68-157)

Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratories launched largest research balloon-28.7-million-cu-ft polyethylene sphere-to record 158,000-ft al­titude from WSMR. Flight carried instruments for atmospheric measure­ments near stratopause and terminated near Needles, Calif., after 18 hr. Previous record size for polyethylene balloon was 13.5 million cu ft. Previous balloon record, 26 million cu ft, was held by five fiber-rein­forced Mylar balloons flown by AFCRL for NASA in 1966 and 1967. (OAR Research Review, 1-2/69, 8-9)

Republican Presidential candidate Richard M. Nixon announced deci­sion to request Senate postponement of approval of nuclear nonprolif­eration treaty. "Despite my concern over some of its provisions, I have endorsed [the treaty]. . . I hope that it can be universally adopted. But the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia has seriously damaged the prospects for early ratification of the treaty." Nixon statement came as Republicans blocked meeting of Senate Foreign Relations Committee for second day, preventing voting on treaty approval. (Semple, Finney, NYT, 9/12/68, 1; Oberdorfer, W Post, 9/12/68, 1)

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