Nov 6 1968

From The Space Library

USAF launched unidentified satellite from Vandenberg AFB by Titan III-B booster into orbit with 249-mi (400.7-km) apogee, 90-mi (144.8-km) perigee, 89.8-min period, and 106° inclination. Satellite reentered Nov. 20. (Pres Rpt 68)

National Radio Astronomy Observatory astronomers at Green Bank, W. Va., disclosed discovery of first pair of pulsars, near Crab Nebula, 6,000 light yr from earth. Through association with the decayed star, they might provide clue as to pulsars' identity. (Cohn, W Post, 11/7/68, A4)

With task of designing equipment for U.S. space program largely over and because of cuts in NASA- spending, hundreds of scientists and engi­neers were losing their jobs or getting out "while the getting is good," said Peter H. Prugh in Wall Street Journal. Boeing Co. was laying off several hundred at New Orleans and Cape Kennedy; its Huntsville work force was down from 4,600 in 1966 to 3,000, with more cuts com­ing. Chrysler Corp. had cut employment at New Orleans from 3,300 to 1,500 and most of its 900 Cape Kennedy employees faced layoffs or shifts to other cities. Huntsville office of Alabama State Employment Service said area employment had declined 3,500 in past year with big­gest drop in aerospace field. Space scientists and engineers were finding even mundane jobs diffi­cult to land because of their specialized skills and relatively high salary demands. Exodus was worrying space experts, "who fret that a new emphasis on U.S. space efforts or new military needs would leave corn­panies hard pressed to fill the rows of desks being vacated now." (WSJ, 11/6/68, 1)

AFSC Commander, Gen. James Ferguson, addressing Fourth Biennial Guidance Test Symposium at Holloman AFB, N. Mex., cited missile guidance needs and said U.S.S.R. was "working night and day to upset the status quo. There are a number of possible advances or even break­throughs that would give them decided advantages over us. We would be most unwise to let them take a lead in technology through our lack of decisive effort. We must, at all times, maintain a technical momen­tum in order for our nation to maintain adequate strength across the entire spectrum of deterrence." (Text)

NASA announced appointment of Dr. Mathias P. Siebel as Director of MSFC's Manufacturing Engineering Laboratory, replacing W. R. Kuers, who retired Nov. 1. Dr. Siebel had been Deputy Director of Laboratory since going to MSFC in 1965. (MSFC Release 68-262)

Ham, first chimpanzee successfully launched on space flight [Jan. 31, 1961] and now 11 yr old, was among five great apes at National Zoo who reacted positively to tuberculosis tests, according to zoo veteri­narian, Dr. Clinton W. Gray. Animals were under treatment and ex­pected to be fit for exhibiting again within 60 to 90 days. (Schaden, W Star, 11/6/68, B2; Elsberg, W News, 2/14/69, 5)

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