Nov 2 1965
From The Space Library
PROTON II 26,900-lb. unmanned scientific space station was launched by U.S.S.R. into orbit: apogee, 638.7 km. (396 mi,) ; perigee, 191.9 km. (119 mi,); period, 92.6 min.; inclination, 63.5°, Tass said that instrumentation on PROTON II would study cosmic particles of superhigh energies, cosmic rays and their radiation danger, and the nuclear interaction of cosmic particles with super-high energies up to 1,000 billion electron volts. All onboard equipment was said to be functioning normally. (NYT, 11/3/65, 5; AP, Balt. Sun, 11/3/65, 4; UPI, Wash. Post, 11/3/65, A21)
The Interim Communications Satellite Committee (ICSC), on behalf of the International Telecommunications Satellite Consortium (Intelsat), approved a communications satellite system to provide services for NASA's Project Apollo and for other commercial users. The system, which would provide the first commercial comsat service to the Pacific area and supplement services across the Atlantic as part of the Intelsat system, would include four satellites: two in synchronous orbit at about 22,300-mi, altitudes, one over the Pacific, the other over the Atlantic; and two in reserve, Larger and more versatile than EARLY BIRD I comsat providing commercial service over the Atlantic, these satellites would weigh 150 lbs. compared to EARLY BIRD I's 85 lbs, ICSC also approved ComSatCorp's contract with Hughes Aircraft Co, to buy four satellites for the system. (ComSatCorp Release)
NASA would negotiate with Ling-Temco-Vought, Inc, for 12 Scout launch vehicles under a 27-month, firm-fixed-price contract, valued at more than $8 million exclusive of option provisions for several additional vehicles. ( NASA Release 65-343)
Rep. John W. Wydler (R-N.Y,) urged the Subcommittee on NASA Oversight of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics to consider priorities in the U.S. space program. He noted that the Agena Target Vehicle failure which postponed the Oct, 25 Gemini VI mission might have been avoided if the modified Agena had undergone flight-testing before the Gemini mission attempt, Reiterating his view that "the last two Pegasus [satellites] shots were not clearly necessary," he suggested: ".this modified Agena rocket could have been test fired by means of utilizing the last two Saturn I rockets, which carried the additional Pegasus satellites instead. Such a test might have avoided the failure..." (CR, 11/2/65, A6259)
Soviet-French communique was issued after six days of talks between Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko and French Foreign Minister Maurice Couve de Murville in Moscow expressing the desire to sign "an appropriate agreement" on space cooperation. This apparently referred to a Soviet invitation that France join in a communications satellite system which would compete with the U.S.-led ComSatCorp, to which France already belonged. (Rosenfeld, Wash. Post, 11/3/65, A9)
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