Nov 18 1963

From The Space Library

Speaking in Tampa, Fla., at a ceremony celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first scheduled air service in the U.S., President Kennedy contrasted the first air service between Tampa and neighboring St. Petersburg with today's jet travel. Looking ahead, he said that "within our sight, if not yet within our grasp, is the day when men will routinely fly through space at 25 times the speed of sound." As soon as 1975, the President predicted, "metroplanes" would take off from the center of one city and land in the center of another, while supersonic jet transports would be crossing the oceans at 1,400 mph. And beyond that would be "hypersonic transports" flying at mach 6 to 8. (Wash. Eve. Star, 11/18/63)

The House Select Committee on Government Research opened its hearings with nine witnesses from Government and university sci­entific circles. Created by the House last September "to make a complete, full and thorough investigation of the numerous re­search programs" conducted by or sponsored by the Federal Gov­ernment, the Committee would by November 1964 have listened to some 70 scientific leaders from Government, universities, in­dustry, and labor. (Finney, NYT, 11/19/63, 18)

NASA Administrator James E. Webb, testifying before the Select Committee on Government Research of the House of Representatives, said : "Something more than four billion dollars will be paid industry for work it will do under NASA contracts this year. About half of this will pay for the design of this ad­vanced equipment and for its fabrication, using the latest methods and newest technologies in its production. . . . Just to make sure that the design is right, the fabrication is right, and the equip­ment sufficiently reliable, the other half of this four billion dollars will be paid to industry to test these machines and advanced sys­tems of equipment once they have been fabricated. Thus Ameri­can industry is moving into an entirely new period where the importance of very advanced design, manufacture, fabrication, and testing for utmost reliability will replace some of the practices of the past." (Text)

Former NASA Director of Manned Space Flight, D. Brainerd Holmes, said in Hartford address that industry and government leaders must discover better ways to manage the U.S. space pro­gram. He discussed Project Apollo plans and said the space flight programs must be based on better mutual confidence be­tween Government and industry. (Hartford [Conn.] Courant, 11/19/63)

Dr. Frederick Seitz, President of the National Academy of Sciences, testified at the initial hearing held by the House Select Commit­tee on Government Research. Dr. Seitz warned Congress against starving basic research and individual or small-team research "in order to divert funds for research which appears to be more spectacular from a popular standpoint . . . . There appear to be signs of such diversion in the present session of the Congress." As evidence of this trend, Dr. Seitz pointed out the relative size of the cuts in the NASA budget compared with the cuts of the National Science Foundation. Also, he pointed out, even the NASA cuts were heavier in space sciences than in manned space flight or applications. NASA, he thought, should play a role like that of the Office of Naval Research ten years ago, offering broad support to basic research in chemistry, physics, astronomy, and other sciences. (Loory, N.Y. Herald Tribune, 11/19/63)

Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara, in address before Eco­nomic Club of New York, summarized current status of "the balance of strategic nuclear forces" : "The U.S. force now contains more than 500 operational long-range ballistic missiles-Atlas, Titan, Minuteman, Polaris--and is planned to increase to over 1,700 by 1966. There is no doubt in our minds and none in the minds of the Soviets that these missiles can penetrate to their targets. In addition, the U.S. has Strategic Air Command bombers on air alert and over 500 bombers on quick reaction ground alert. By comparison, the consensus is that today the Soviets could place about half as many bombers over North America on a first strike. The Soviets are estimated to have today only a fraction as many intercontinental missiles as we do. Furthermore, their submarine-launched bal­listic missiles are short range, and generally are not comparable to our Polaris force. The Soviets pose a very large threat against Europe, including hundreds of intermediate and medium-range ballistic missiles. This threat is today and will continue to be covered by the clear superiority of our strategic forces . . . ." (Text)

Willis B. Foster became Director of new Manned Space Science Div. of NASA'S Office of Space Science and Appli­cations. Formerly Deputy Assistant Director for Research in DOD'S Directorate of Defense Research and Engineering, Mr. Foster would direct liaison and scientific support of the manned space flight program, including the criteria and selection of scientist-astronauts and scientific R&D in support of manned space flight. (NASA Release 63-242)

NASA had launched only six of a projected 40 major satellites and probes so far in 1963, according to Aviation Week. Though all six had been successful, it was a big drop from the 18 launches in 1962. NASA Associate Administrator Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., attributed some of the drop in the launch rate to "squaring away difficulties which existed before NASA was created or which devel­oped in the early days of the agency." He included Centaur and Nimbus in this category. "As for some of the other delays and postponements, I think they are due to our involvement in projects where we are doing things for the first time. In building spacecraft such as EGO, and the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory, we are learning how to design, assemble and test advanced spacecraft-a new generation of spacecraft that are much more complex than the ones we have been flying so successfully." (Av. Wk., 11/18/63, 30, 31)

NASA Administrator James E. Webb was showing interest in acquir­ing USAF Titan III boosters to launch future heavy payloads such as observatory satellites, according to Aviation Week. Webb was said to have discussed with DOD'S Dr. Harold Brown the possibility of adding Titan III to the list of standard launch vehicles in the national space program. (Av. Wk., 11/18/63, 25)

Japan's Science and Technology Agency announced a five-year space program that included development of Japanese boosters and launching of three satellites. It would be funded at $59,138,888 and employ some 300 Japanese engineers. Programs included a 60-km. weather observation rocket; a 150-km. two-stage weather observation rocket; 400-km. three-stage rockets; 1,200-km. two-stage rockets; navigation satellites, to be ready for launching by NASA in 1967. (M&R, 11/18/63, 13)

The ratio of NASA scientists and engineers to NASA-contractor scien­tists and engineers should be 1 to 4 by early 1964. It was 1:2 in Jan. 1960, 1:3 in Jan. 1963. (Space Bus. Daily, 11/18/63, 265)

Astronomers at McMath Hulbert Observatory of the Univ. of Michi­gan and at the U.S. Naval Observatory reported the first signs of a new 11-yr. solar cycle. Indications of a new cycle were the ap­pearance of sun spots well above the sun's equator and the reversed magnetic polarity of the disturbance. (Science Service, NYT, 11/18/63, 15)

Two USAF U-2 aircraft have been used at AMR for more than three years in a program gathering data on infrared charac­teristics of the exhaust plumes of ballistic missiles, according to Aviation Week. The program had been sponsored by Aeronautical Systems Div. of AFSC. Known as Smokey Joe, it was coordinated with ARPA's Project Tabstone, which includes aircraft-user programs Lookout (using RCAF CF-100's) and RAMP (Radiation Air Borne Measurement Program). One of the U-2's was equipped with 400-lb. radiometer, the other with spectrometer. One or both covered 80% of AMR launchings, flying at 60,000 ft. to observe the plume of the rocket as it passed on its upward flight. Data was forwarded to agencies concerned with ballistic missile defense. (Av. Wk., 11/18/63, 53)

USAF-sponsored solar hydrogen rocket engine (SOHR) was successful in series of ground tests, producing up to one pound thrust in runs of several hours. Scale-up to 10-lbs. thrust now appeared feasi­ble. Built by Electro-Optical Systems, Inc., SOHR uses large, light­weight solar concentrators to focus solar energy into a cavity ab­sorber containing a heat exchanger using hydrogen. The heated hydrogen provides thrust as it is accelerated through a nozzle. One SOHR generating one to two lbs. thrust could move a 6,000-1b. payload from a 300-mi. orbit to a 22,400-mi. synchronous orbit in 20 days, compared with half a day for a chemical powerplant and 45 days for an electrical one. Specific impulse of SOHR is 800 sec. compared with 400 sec. for chemicals, 1,200 for arc jets, and 5,000 sec. up for ion rockets. (M&R, 11/18/63, 35)

U.S. had produced a total of 53 U-2 reconnaissance aircraft, accord­ing to Aviation Week. The first model, of which 48 were pro­duced, was a single seater; most of them were powered by the Pratt & Whitney J57-P-37A (JT3) jet engine, a few-including the one flown by Francis Gary Powers - by P&W J75's. The sec­ond model was two-place powered by a. modified P&W J75 twin- spool engine. Five were produced. (Av. Wk., 11/18/63, 57)

Editorial in Missiles and Rockets took issue with widespread asser­tions that the space program was a serious drain on the Nation's scientific and technical manpower. Asserting that no other part of the economy was known to have a serious shortage of scientists or engineers and that even if the space program were stopped to­morrow the crosstraining of scientists and engineers into some other part of the economy would be long and difficult if not impos­sible, the editorial concluded that the big problem of the future would be a shortage of skilled manpower against a background of a rising threat of unemployment. The Nation would need an esti­mated 34.5 million new jobs by 1970. "New jobs develop from new technologies. And one of the fastest and most promising routes to development of new technologies lies in the missile/space industry. "With such a demand for new jobs ahead and with a concur­rent need for skilled workers, the answer seems obvious-yet has received little attention. Training of surplus manpower to fit the requirements for skilled workers is the only sensible route-not a cutback in what will soon be the nation's largest industry. But we have yet to see any large-scale government program for training of unemployables. "Nor is it solely a government problem. It must be shared by the nation's industrial management and labor unions." (MR, 11/18/63, 46)

French government report recognized the direct and in­direct economic benefits to the French economy from space and nuclear work. Of 13,000 persons employed in rocket development, 5,000 were in electronics, 5,000 in chemical-metallurgy. Of 14,000 working at the Pierrelatte nuclear center, 92% are employees of private industry. (M&R, 11/18/63, 9)

USAF was reported by Aviation Week to have canceled its specific operational requirement (SOR) for the CX-4 cargo aircraft (100,000-lb. payload, 4,000-mi. range) in favor of an upgraded requirement for a CX-X concept that would provide 180,000-lb. payload and 10,000 to 12,000-mi. range by taking advantage of new state of the art improvements expected to be available within the next two years, including the high-bypass-ratio turbofan en­gine for lower fuel consumption, boundary-layer control for in­creased lift and range, and lighter structural materials, including plastic and metal honeycombs, ceramic-metal combinations for use in high-temperature portions of the engines, and other plastic parts. CX-X would be able to deliver troops and equipment over­seas, airdrop them, and return to U.S. without landing or re­fueling. Cost per ton mile was expected to be less than the long-sought five cents per ton mile; indeed, it was thought to be cheaper than sea lift when antisubmarine forces are included. (Av. Wk., 11/18/63, 26)

November 18-20: In a paper presented to the national symposium of the Society of Aerospace Material and Process Engineers in Seattle, Wash., D. J. Levy, a Lockheed Missiles and Space Co. scientist, discussed a revolutionary new gold-plating technique. His own invention, the technique makes it possible to goldplate by the simple method of spraying a gold solution from an ordi­nary spray gun, or from an aerosol bomb. Gold is the ideal sub­stance for thermal control because of its optical properties and resistance to tarnish. This new method, "Lockspray-Gold," has the advantage of great flexibility since there is no limit to the size of the object that can be coated. Levy also described how his gold-spray process was successfully used in the design of special lightweight furlable antennas developed by Lockheed for space vehicles. (Space News Roundup, 12/11/63, 2)

• November

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30