Jul 1 1965
From The Space Library
NASA and the Brazilian Space Commission (CNAE) signed an agreement in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil, providing for a cooperative project for studying hemispheric weather patterns by launching meteorological sounding rockets from Brazil. Project would be part of the Inter-American Experimental Meteorological Sounding Rocket Network (EXAMETNET). Under the terms of the agreement, Brazil would transport the rockets and equipment from the U.S. to Brazil, assemble and launch the rockets from Brazilian launch facilities, and provide meteorological data to other participants in the network, NASA would lend ground support equipment such as radar to CNAE; train Brazilian personnel in the handling of sounding rockets and in reducing meteorological data; and provide data obtained at NASA's Wallops Station, Va., to other participants in the network. Agreement was similar to one signed by the U.S. and Argentina on May 18, 1965. The project entailed no exchange of funds between the two countries. (NASA Release 65-258)
NASA and India's Dept, of Atomic Energy (DAE) signed a memorandum of understanding for a joint space research program to be conducted in India by NASA and the Indian National Commission for Space Research, Program would include two sounding rocket launchings to investigate upper atmosphere wind shears, turbulence, and diffusion by chemical release payloads; six launchings to investigate relationship between wind shears and sporadic E; two launchings to investigate the equatorial electrojet; and two launchings to measure electron and ion densities and other phenomena in the D region, DAE would make available the scientific payloads; range and range support facilities; and personnel for conducting the scientific experiments, for range support, and launching operations, NASA would furnish the sounding rockets, two test payloads, cameras, and nose cones as well as necessary training for DAE personnel at NASA centers, No exchange of funds was provided for. All scientific results of experiments would be made freely available to the world scientific community. (NASA Release 65-259)
USN F-111B variable-sweep-wing fighter flew supersonically for the first time, reaching speed of mach 1.2 and 30,000-ft, altitude. During the 54-min, flight, the F-111B for the first time changed the angle of its wings from a virtually straight 16° takeoff configuration to a maximum sweep supersonic configuration of 72.5°. The flight took place at Calverton, N.Y. (Gen. Dynamics Corp, Release; NYT, 7/26/65, 38M)
XB-70A research bomber reached a speed of 1,870 mph and 68,000-ft, altitude during a one-hour, 44-min, flight from Edwards AFB. The 185-ft., 500,000-lb, aircraft, expected to reach its design maximums of 2,000 mph and 70,000 ft.-altitude on its next flight, flew over Arizona, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Wyoming, and California. (AP, Balt. Sun, 7/2/65)
Astronauts Frank Borman (Maj. USAF) and James A. Lovell, Jr. (LCdr. USN), had been assigned as the prime flight crew for the Gemini VII mission scheduled for the first quarter of 1966, NASA announced. Backup crew far the flight, which would last up to 14 days, would be Astronauts Edward H. White, II (Lt, Col., USAF) and Michael Collins (Maj., USAF). Borman and Lovell had been the backup crew and White the pilot for GEMINI IV. (NASA Release 65-218)
General Electric Co, told a news conference in New York that it had successfully converted a space age component-SCR-to a device for home use that could dial speed or heat like tuning in a radio. A silicon-controlled rectifier, SCR had one of the highest power-amplification capacities of any semiconductor, no moving parts, and could control kilowatts in thousandths of a second. The unit would cost 35 to 50 cents for GE customers, GE did not comment on what GE appliances would initially incorporate SCR. (Smith, NYT, 7/2/65, 37)
NASA announced changes in the names of NASA organizations: from Mississippi Test Operations to Mississippi Test Facility ; from Michoud Operations to Michoud Assembly Facility; from MSC White Sands Operations to White Sands Test Facility. (MSFC Release 65-107; NASA Hq, Bull. 1-65, No, 13)
NASA selected Federal Electric Corp., a subsidiary of ITT, for negotiation of an award fee contract to provide logistical and technical information support services to NASA Manned Spacecraft Center. Contract would be for one year with renewal provisions for two additional years. Estimated cost for the first year was $15 million. (NASA Release 65-217)
Over 50 security guards at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center-members of the International Union of United Plant Guard Workers of America -went on strike over wage and contract issues with their employer Wackenhut Services, Inc, Wackenhut, operating at GSFC under contract, provided additional guards; there was no breakdown in security. Some 250 guards at NASA test sites near Las Vegas, Nev., also went on strike against Wackenhut. They were members of a separate local union. (Wash. Post, 7/2/65, A3; co-NS, Balt, Sun, 7/2/65; Wash, Eve, Star, 7/2/65)
Continuation of Weather Bureau-Navy Project Stormfury during the 1965 hurricane season was announced. Hurricanes and cumulus clouds would be seeded to investigate the feasibility of modifying clouds and tropical storms. The hurricane research program began in 1961, included experiments on hurricanes Esther (1961) and Beulah (1963) and on tropical clouds (1963). Objectives for 1965 were to intensify the hurricane-seeding experiments and to begin new experiments on hurricane rainbands. (Commerce Dept. Release WB 65-100)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center announced selection of six firms for contract negotiations to provide nonpersonal scientific and engineering support services for GSFC. Final negotiations were expected to result in cost-plus-award-fee contracts for two years at a total cost of about $16 million. Contracts would cover requirements for ten divisions at GSFC; although requirements of a single division would be fulfilled through a single contract, one contractor might service more than one division in several cases. Firms selected: Fairchild Hiller Corp.; Vitro Corp, of America; Electro-Mechanical Research, Inc.; Consultants and Designers, Inc,; Lockheed Electronics Co,; and Melpar, Inc. (NASA Release 65-216; GSFC Release 15-65)
Gen. William F. McKee (USAF, Ret.) was sworn in as Federal Aviation Agency Administrator-less than 24 hrs. after confirmation by the Senate-in a White House ceremony. President Johnson, presiding, announced that General McKee's primary task would be development of a supersonic transport (SST). Mr. Johnson had approved five recommendations of the President's Advisory Committee on Supersonic Transport: "Those five recommendations are: first, the next phase of design covering an 18-month period beginning about August 1, 1965; second, the four manufacturers-Boeing Company, Lockheed Aircraft Company, General Electric Company, Pratt & Whitney Division of United Aircraft-be invited to continue this phase of the program; third, the FAA Administrator be authorized to enter into contracts with the airframe manufacturers to undertake detailed airframe design work and test them over the next 18 months; fourth, the FAA Administrator be authorized to enter into contracts with the engine manufacturers to construct and test over the next 18 months demonstrator engines to prove the basic features of the engines; and five, and finally-and very importantly-that the Congress be requested to appropriate-Senator Magnuson-the necessary funds to initiate the next phase of the program. And for this purpose I shall request an appropriation of $140 million." Ira C. Eaker commented in the San Antonio Express: "When McKee succeeds in his SST mission, as I believe he will, any citizen will be able to buy a $50 ticket for a flight from Washington to Los Angeles in 55 minutes, or purchase for $55 air passage from New York to Paris in one hour, Of course, there will be cynics who will ask: 'Who wants to fly to Paris in an hour?' The answer is: Most of the people who want to go to Paris, "There is one predictable human trait, People will always go for the fastest transport, Not long after man got on a train, he took his freight out of the covered wagons and off the oxcarts forever. When people took up with automobiles, they soon put their produce, their pigs and their poultry on trucks, "There is also some algebraic or arithmetic relation between the speed of travel and the number of people who travel. About 10 times as many people fly the Atlantic now in five hours as crossed when the trip took five days, No doubt 10 times more people will cross the ocean when they can do it in an hour." (White House Release; Eaker, San Antonio Express, 7/8/65, 14)
Sen. A. Willis Robertson (D-Va.) issued a statement opposing President Johnson's plan for a supersonic commercial airliner: "I attended the conference at the White House at which the secretary of defense explained his plans for the development of a supersonic airplane that would be the fastest of any in the world, making mach 2.5 to 2.7, or about 1,800 miles per hour. The cost of developing this plane will be between 2 and 2.5 billion dollars, and when developed, the planes will probably cost 20 to 25 million each. ". , if we succeed in the development of this plane any airline that agrees to use them will have to be largely subsidized both for the purchase of the plane, which will have a limited life, and likewise for its operation, Consequently, I feel towards this project like I do about the shot to the moon-a fine advertising scheme, but not worth what it is going to cost the taxpayers." (Text)
USAF launched an Atlas D ICBM from Vandenberg AFB in test of the Army's [[Nike-Zeus antimissile missile. (UPI, NYT, 7/2/65)
Harvey Brooks, Dean of the Division of Engineering and Applied Physics, Harvard Univ., succeeded George B. Kistiakowsky as Chairman of the National Academy of Sciences' Committee on Science and Public Policy. (NAS-NRC News Report, 7/8/65, 1)
American Institute of Physics established a Center for History and Philosophy of Physics, which was the merging of AIP'S Niels Bohr Library of the History of Physics, History of Physics Archives, and Project on the History of Recent Physics in the United States. (AIP Release)
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