November 1965
From The Space Library
Wendover Air Force Auxiliary Field, Utah, an empty facility in "caretaker" status, was reported to be leading candidate for site of the first American inland landing station for spacecraft. A study made by a DOD committee had described Wendover as "the only site known to satisfy the recovery requirements of polar orbiting vehicles." (NYT, 11/28/65, 50)
The Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation would award nine or more graduate fellowships to train men for engineering and scientific leadership in spaceflight, rocket-propulsion, and flight-structures research in 1966-67. The fellowships were for residents of the U.S. and Canada. (NYT, 11/29/65, 41)
General Electric researchers at the Philadelphia Aquarama studying weightlessness problems of the Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) in underwater tests substituting neutral buoyancy for weightlessness concluded that in weightlessness the time required to perform a task would be substantially increased in some instances by as much as 50%. The company-funded program had also succeeded in developing: (1) a tether line that could be made rigid in any position or left slack for use as a restraining device, a ladder, or means of moving; (2) a better understanding of procedures for movement between the Gemini spacecraft and MOL and out of the Gemini spacecraft for extravehicular experiments in the weightless state; (3) a conceptual design of restraining devices for use inside the cabins of both vehicles to aid in performance. It had been verified that neutral buoyancy appeared to simulate reasonably the parameters of weightlessness that have a significant effect on human motor performance, but could not simulate effects of weightlessness on any activity in an important role. (David, M&R, 11/8/65, 34)
Compact, remote transmitters similar to those designed for NASA by USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, Brooks AFB, Tex., were being worn by cardiac patients as part of the Central Cardiac Monitoring System (CCMS) at the hospital at Andrews AFB, Md., reported The Airman, Use of CCMS, a centrally-located computer capable of receiving telemetered data from several ambulatory patients simultaneously, improved patient care and provided physicians advance warning of deterioration in a patient's condition. (The Airman, 11/65, 9)
Policy statement on participation by NASA employees in "widely-attended dinners honoring aerospace pioneers" was issued by Deputy Administrator Dr. Hugh L. Dryden: "NASA policy does not prevent acceptance of an invitation from a company to attend such affairs, provided the expense borne by the company is limited to the cost of tickets, Lodging or travel expenses may not be accepted." (NASA Ann.)
FCC received 27 statements on the question of direct purchase of communications services from ComSatCorp. A brief submitted by the American Newspaper Publishers Assn, argued that "a basic policy determination [should] be made at this time, assuring access by the press to ComSat facilities for news media dissemination... " A brief by AT&T argued that "authorized users" of ComSat services should be common carrier companies only not any communications organization wishing to rent satellite channels. The "only interpretation ... consistent with the specific language of the Communications Satellite Act of 1962," argued AT&T, is "the view that ComSat is to function as a 'carriers' carrier,' except possibly in the case of the U.S. Government. . ." Weekley, Wash, Post, 11/4/65, C9)
Study of approximately 300 photographs taken over the Antarctic by NASA NIMBUS I meteorological satellite had caused the U.S. Geological Survey to plan three major changes on its relief maps: (1) Mount Siple, 10,000-ft,-high Antarctic mountain used by pilots as a navigational aid, would be repositioned 45 mi. further west; (2) a mountain group in the Kohler range, positioned by two expeditions in two different locations, would appear as one group rather than two; and (3) ice front information on the Filshner Ice Shelf, Weddell Sea, and Princess Martha Coast areas would be updated with photographs producing better definition of the ice shelf's shape. (CSFC Release G-2965)
A Soviet booster capable of generating more than 60-million hp, had launched the instrumented spacecraft of the PROTON series, Prof. Georgi V. Petrovich disclosed in Aviatsiya i Cosmonavtika. Each engine had produced about 3-million-lbs. thrust at liftoff. USAF Titan III-C had produced 2.4-million-lbs, thrust when it was launched with an instrumented payload June 18. (Shabad, NYT, 11/14/65, 74)
- November
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