Nov 14 1968

From The Space Library

NASA announced it had authorized JPL to proceed with con­struction of two Mariner spacecraft for 1971 Mars orbit with funds al­located under approved FY 1969 NASA appropriations bill. In combined mission to assist in establishing touchdown sites for 1973 Mars lander mission, spacecraft would be launched by Atlas-Centaur boosters into orbit around Mars to examine Mars polar cap, provide high-resolution coverage of selected areas, and permit oblique views of broad areas of Mars' surface and, possibly, its moons, Phobos and Deimos. Each spacecraft would complete trip from earth to Mars in six months, with May 1971 launch and November 1971 arrival, and would orbit Mars for three months or more. (NASA Release 68-196; B Sun, 11/14/68, A10; W Post, 11/14/68, D16)

Washington Evening Star editorial commented on scheduled December launch of Apollo 8; ". . . this promises to be one Christmas when the thoughts of all . . . will contain more than visions of sugarplums, of laden stockings, of gifts about to be received and bills about to come due. It is, in fact, just possible that NASA will succeed in putting that missing ingredient back into the yule season, and that more prayers will be offered this Christmas than at any time in the past 2,000 years." (W Star, 11/14/68, A14)

At hearing of Congressional Joint Economic Committee's Subcommittee on Economy in Government, A. E. Fitzgerald, Deputy for Management Sys­tems in USAF financial office, said ultimate cost to DOD of 58 C-5A cargo aircraft might be "100% above the original estimate" of $1.279 billion for Lockheed Aircraft Corp. airframes. General Electric Co. esti­mate of $459 million for engines was not expected to double. Increase resulted from rise in manufacturing costs, higher subcontracting prices, and rising administrative costs, rather than gross original underesti­mate, although there was probably some original underestimate by Lockheed. DOD was weighing all factors before deciding action on op­tion for 62 additional C-5As which would expire Jan. 31, 1969. (Crowther, B Sun, 11/14/68, A12; AP, NYT, 11/14/68, 10; Porter, W Post, 11/14/68, Al)

Soviet aviation experts told Pravda they had successfully tested "orni­thopter," aircraft which flew by waving its wings like a bird. Craft was said to have "withstood all aerodynamic tests" and to have greater lift­ing power than ordinary aircraft. Pravda said test "opens unheard of prospects." (m, P Inq, 11/15/68)

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