Dec 3 1965
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R, launched LUNA VIII unmanned spacecraft toward the moon. Objectives were testing of soft lunar landing system and scientific research, Weighing 1,552 kg. (3,422 lbs,), the spacecraft was following a trajectory close to the calculated one. Equipment was functioning normally. (Komsomolskaya Pravda, 12/4/65, 1, ATSS-T Trans.)
AEC announced the U.S. had conducted a weapons-related nuclear test in Nevada with a yield equivalent to an explosive force of 200,000 to one million tons of TNT. It was the 22nd test announced in 1965 and reportedly the year's biggest. (NYT, 12/4/65, 3)
ComSatCorp announced a $4,650,000 contract with Sylvania Electric Products, Inc, for two large antenna systems to be installed at earth stations in Paumalu, Hawaii, and Brewster Flat, Wash. Movable portions of the 85.ft dish antennas would weigh more than 135 tons and, when in place atop concrete foundations, be up to 110 ft. high. When completed, the stations would serve as links in a worldwide commercial satellite communications system. (ComSatCorp Release)
Dr. Jan A. O'Keefe, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, said previous Russian efforts to land a vehicle on the moon bad failed because they could not slow it up enough at the point of contact, Dr. O'Keefe also advanced the view that the moon originally broke off from the earth and eventually assumed its present position in the universe, He spoke at the monthly meeting of the Catholic Laymen's First Friday Club in Washington D.C. (Wash. Eve, Star, 12/4/65, A3)
Secretary of Washington, Robert S. McNamara directed USAF to proceed with development of a reconnaissance version of the F-111. New version would be called the RF-111A and would be developed by General Dynamics Corp., prime contractor for the USAF F-111A and USN'S F-111B tactical aircraft. More than $12,000,000 had been authorized for the initial development program, which would he directed by AFSC. (DOD Release 873-65)
December 4-18: NASA's Gemini VII spacecraft, piloted by Astronauts Frank Borman (Maj. USAF),; command pilot, and James A. Lovell, Jr. LCdr., USN), pilot, was successfully launched from Eastern Test Range at 2:30 p.m. EST on 14-day mission-longest U.S. flight to date. It would be target vehicle in rendezvous with GEMINI VI spacecraft, scheduled for launch December 13. Titan II booster's first stage burned 155 sec,; second stage separated and burned 182 sec. Traveling at 17,586 mph, Gemini VII was inserted into elliptical orbit with 203-mi. (327.4-km,) apogee; 100-mi. (161,2-km.) perigee; 89-min, period; and 28,9° inclination. Immediately after spacecraft separation, Gemini VII turned blunt end forward and began station-keeping on Titan H's second stage at distances from 20 ft, to 50 mi, for 17 min. Several hours later Borman made the first of a series of course corrections to position Gemini VII for the scheduled rendezvous with Gemini VI by firing the thruster rockets 11/4 min. to raise the apogee from 100 mi, to 138 mi. Apparent loss of pressure in spacecraft's fuel cells during flight's early stages was later determined to be faulty indicator light, On Dec. 5, the astronauts encountered difficulties at first in sighting the rectangular panels displayed near Laredo, Tex., but later they successfully identified the patterns of panels and provided evidence that their visual acuity was not degraded over the 14-day period. On Dec, 6, Lovell removed his 16-lb. spacesuit, becoming first U.S. astronaut to fly in undergarment. The astronauts visually tracked Polaris A-3 missile fired from USS Benjamin Franklin, submerged nuclear submarine off Cape Kennedy, and successfully tested onboard radar receiving unit needed for rendezvous. On Dec, 7, Borman fired thruster rockets to achieve a higher orbit for rendezvous attempt: apogee, 197 mi. (3017 km.) ; perigee, 145 mi. (233.8 km,) . On Dec, 8, clouds over New Mexico caused astronauts to cancel scheduled experiment to communicate with ground by laser beam, On Dec, 9, Borman executed a posigrade maneuver to circularize Gemini VII's orbit, firing thruster rockets one minute 18 sec, to raise perigee to 185.8 mi. (299.7 km.) ; 43 min, later, he fired braking thrusters 15 sec, to lower apogee to 188.3 mi. (103.7 km,) and provide a proper target orbit for GEMINI VI, Dr. Berry recommended that Borman apply ointment to ease the nasal dryness caused by the 100%-oxygen atmosphere of his spacesuit, On Dec, 10, when temperatures in Gemini VII's cabin rose to 85°, Flight Director Christopher C. Kraft ordered Lovell to put on his spacesuit to permit Borman to remove his, One astronaut was to wear his spacesuit at all times during the mission, Dr. Berry recommended that Lovell apply antihistamine ointment to ease nasal dryness. On Dec, 11, laser experiment was conducted with partial success: the Hawaiian ground station received signals from the spacecraft when Lovell locked his hand-held laser onto the ground-based one, but contact was not precise or strong enough to carry a human voice. On Dec. 12, the astronauts tried again to establish ground laser communications over White Sands Missile Range, but were able to pick up only two quick flashes from the ground beacon. On Dec. 13, when Gemini VII's fuel cell warning light flashed on, the astronauts flushed excess water from the system by forcing in additional oxygen borrowed from the cabin's oxygen supply, thereby correcting the difficulty. A tape recorder malfunction prevented the spacecraft from supplying automatic data on performance of its systems between tracking stations, On Dec. 14, Borman observed reentry of a Minuteman missile fired from Vandenberg AFB to Eniwetok-first time a missile reentry had been sighted by an astronaut. Both Gemini VII astronauts were be- ginning to feel the strain of their ten days in space: "Jim and I are beginning to notice the days seem to be lengthening a little," Borman said, "We're getting a little crummy." On Dec, 15, Gemini VII and Gemini VI achieved their historic rendezvous in orbit (see Dec. 15-16). On Dec. 16, a report from Gemini VII Astronauts Borman and Lovell that three of the six fuel cell stacks were not operating aroused apprehension that the flight might end prematurely. Next day Gemini VII's fuel cells began to function satisfactorily, thereby assuring a full-duration mission. Astronauts Borman and Lovell checked out all their spacecraft's systems and received reentry instructions, On Dec. 18, Gemini VII began a normal reentry when its four retrorockets fired automatically in correct sequence above the Pacific southeast of the Philippines. After a controlled reentry to the predetermined landing point, the spacecraft splashed down in the Atlantic at 9:06 a.m. EST, 700 mi. southwest of Bermuda-only 7.6 mi. from target. The astronauts, after their record-breaking 330-hr. 35-min. spaceflight, were assisted from the capsule by Navy frogmen and taken to the carrier Wasp for medical debriefing. (NASA Release 65-362; NASA Proj. Off.; Transcript; NYT, 12/5/65, 1, 72; 12/6/65, 1, 43; 12/7/65, 24; 12/13/65, 1, 46; 12/15/65, 23; WSJ, 12/9/65, 1; 12/13/65, 1; 12/14/65, 1; Wash. Post, 12/6/65, A3; 12/7/65, Al, A3; 12/9/65, A9; 12/10/65, Al, A3; 12/12/65, Al, A8; 12/13/65, Al; 12/14/65, A3; Wash. Sun, Star, 12/5/65, Al, A8; Wash. Eve. Star, 12/6/65, Al, Al2; 12/7/65, A3; 12/8/65, A3; 12/12/65, A7; 12/15/65, Al, A2, A6; Time, 12/24/65, 32-36; MSC Gemini VII/Gemini VI Fact Sheet)
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