May 30 1965
From The Space Library
A modified Convair 990A jet transport-NASA's new high-altitude research laboratory-carried 30 scientists from five countries and a million dollars worth of delicate instruments in a race with a total eclipse over the South Pacific. Path of the eclipse stretched from the northern tip of New Zealand 8,000 mi. east to the coast of Peru. Except for a few small islands, the eclipse was not visible in any heavily inhabited parts of the earth. Taking off from Hilo, Hawaii, the jet flew at an altitude of 39,500 ft.; in its 9 min, 42 sec, race with the 1,700 mph eclipse, it reached a speed of 587 mph, doubling observation time possible from a ground-based station.
NASA's Convair 990 airborne research laboratory photograph of solar eclipse. First indications were that the mission was a complete success; detailed analyses of data from 13 observation projects would be made. Most obvious phenomena were large prominences on the sun, Jupiter shining brightly in the sun's corona, and long corona streamers flashing with surprising brightness. Scientists in the mission were from Belgium. The Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, and the United States. (NAM Release 65-178; AP, NYT, 6/1/65, 20)
"A report recently prepared by the Science Policy Research Division of the Library of Congress . notes that seven of the agencies -the Weather Bureau, Air Force, Federal Aviation Agency, NASA, Army, Navy, and Treasury Department-ran through about $266 mil lion last year in collecting and reporting identical weather information," said Fred Blumenthal in an article in the Washington Post. He continued: "If the current structure of our weather efforts continues unchanged, untold millions of dollars will keep going down the drain. The obvious solution would be to establish one central national agency to handle the collection and reporting of all weather data,. giving us the same service at a cheaper price or better service for the same price-or possibly even less. Then each of the agencies which are now duplicating each other's efforts can use the information for their own purposes." t Blumenthal, Wash. Post, 5/30/65 )
Maj. Virgil I. Grissom (USAF) was honored by a parade in his home town of Mitchell, Ind, Indianapolis Star, S/211'65)
Soviet press published first technical details and a sketch of the communications satellite MOLNIYA launched April 23. The satellite, which was visible nine hours a day from Soviet ground stations, had been used for experimental transmissions of television programs, including color, between Moscow and Vladivostok. According to the drawing and the text description, MOLNIYA I had an airtight cylindrical body with conical ends, one of which contained a rocket engine used to correct the orbit, as well as other solar orientation devices. Expanding like spokes of a wheel from the cylinder were six long panels of solar batteries to supply electrical power to the satellite for retransmission of signals received from earth. It was equipped with two parabolic antennas, one active, the other in reserve. These were pointed toward earth with a high-precision direction finder for earthbound transmissions. MOLNIYA I would make two 12-hr. revolutions around the earth every 24 hrs. One loop would take it over the Soviet Union during daytime periods, when it could be of most use for transmissions. The other loop would take it over the United States. (NYT, 5/31/65, 6)
A successful 60-sec. ground test of the solid-fuel rocket programed to launch Japan's first artificial satellite in 1968 was announced by Tokyo Univ. scientists. The rocket had a maximum thrust of 200,000 lbs. (Wash. Post, 5/30/65)
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