Feb 20 1964
From The Space Library
NASA Nike-Apache sounding rocket launched from Ft. Churchill, Canada, carried instrumented payload to 127-mi. altitude, in successful flight to obtain data on charged particles responsible for visual aurora and on those responsible for auroral absorption. Instrumentation included five charged-particle detectors, an aspect magnetometer, and an accelerometer. (NASA Rpt. SRL)
NASA announced selection of biological specimens to be included in first biosatellite in late 1965. Effects of radiation, weightlessness, and absence of earth's rotation would be studied on the 14 specimens, including pepper plants, wheat seedlings, amoeba, frog and sea urchin eggs, bread mold, fruit flies, and embryonic beetles. The biosatellite payload would be launched into orbit by a Delta vehicle from Cape Kennedy and recovered three days later in the Pacific. (NASA Release 64 40)
AEC issued special report on Snap (Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power) program, stressing need to flight test Snap in spacecraft in order to develop its full potential: "The Snap program has reached a point in technology where its importance to the Nation must be recognized, accepted and supported, or the development and performance of ambitious space missions will be handicapped by a lack of adequate and reliable power." Flight test of Snap-10A had been canceled earlier this year when Bureau of the Budget cut Snap funds requested for FY 1965. (AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 2/20/64; Simons, Wash. Post, 2/21/64)
House passed (336-0) military R&D authorization bill of $16,914,800,000 for FY 1965. Amendment to delete $52 million for design and development of new jet bomber and $40 million for design and development of new interceptor aircraft was defeated (121-29). The programs, recommended by Air Force Chief of Staff General Curtis E. LeMay, had not been included in Administration budget request; Defense Secretary McNamara had requested only $5 million for studies of new bomber. (Raymond, NYT, 2/21/64, 1)
Prime contractors of NASA Marshall Space Flight Center were assuming additional responsibilities in Saturn launch vehicles program, MSFC Director Dr. Wernher von Braun announced. Principal contractors immediately affected would be Boeing Co., Chrysler Corp., IBM Corp., and General Electric Co. Dr. von Braun said this was "a continuation of the Marshall policy to transfer research and developmental work, as well as fabrication, from "in house' to contractor plants as soon as practical. Not only has this been our philosophy but prime contracts in most cases have spelled out the eventual taking over by industry of full responsibility for major elements and stages of the vehicles.. ." MSFC would retain overall systems management responsibility for the three Saturn launch vehicles and continue to "maintain a technical and managerial competence in our own organization. Without it we cannot monitor the work of our contractors to insure that we are getting the quality and reliability that a manned space program demands. . . (Marshall Star, 2/26/64,10)
Edward Z. Gray, NASA Director of Advanced Manned Missions, described manned lunar bases under study for post-Apollo missions, in testimony before House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. "The earliest system we can see for extending the capability of Apollo would be the Apollo logistic support system (ALSS). "It consists of the launching on the Saturn V of an Apollo spacecraft with an unmanned LEM, wherein we have replaced the ascent stage of the LEM with a cargo compartment. The Apollo spacecraft and unmanned LEM, or LEM truck are launched to the Moon. The LEM truck is disengaged from the Apollo spacecraft in lunar orbit and lands in an unmanned mode on the surface of the Moon. "The payload capability with the present Apollo launch vehicles and spacecraft would be approximately 7,000 pounds. There would be a payload volume of about 2,000 cubic feet. This would provide a shelter with occupancy capability for two men for about 14 days on the lunar surface. An alternate payload that could be carried by the LEM truck would be a two-man roving vehicle . . ., which would have a capability to cover about 200 to 300 miles on the lunar surface in the 14 days. . . "Then looking beyond to the time when much greater staytime on the lunar surface would be desired, we show a Lunar Exploration System for Apollo (LESA) which weighs about 25,000 pounds on the surface of the Moon. These are Earth pounds. "It would be launched with a Saturn V without an Apollo spacecraft and would be delivered in an unmanned mode directly onto the surface of the Moon. It has a volume of over 3,000 cubic feet, and could provide satisfactory shelter and life support for 3 men to stay 90 days on the surface of the Moon. "The mode of operation would be to launch this unmanned vehicle to the surface of the Moon, and follow it up with an Apollo launch so that the LEM would land in the near vicinity of the LESA payload, probably using a homing radar. . . ." He described the LESA concept as expandable through addition of modules; for instance, three modules could form a base for 18 men, 24 months occupancy time. (1965 NASA Auth. Hearings, Part 2, 597- 99)
USAF announced selection of Douglas Aircraft Co., Martin Marietta Corp., and General Electric Co. for orbital space station study-contracts. The studies would aid in defining tests and experiments for USAF Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL). (DOD Release 148-64)
Lt. Col. Andrian G. Nikolayev had replaced Col. Yuri A. Gagarin as head of Soviet cosmonauts, Krasnaya Zvezda reported. (Um, NYT, 2/22/64, 10)
Dr. Herman J. Sander, Behavioral Scientist in USAF OSR Life Sciences Directorate, was presented Air Force Exceptional Civilian Service Medal by Maj. Gen. Don R. Ostrander, OAR Commander. (OAR Release 2-64-1)
Martin Marietta Corp. received $1,748,450 increment to USAF contract for R&D for Titan II ICBM, DOD announced. (DOD Release 149-64)
NASA Manned Spacecraft Center began the first increment of its mass move to the new facilities at Clear Lake from leased temporary facilities in Houston and Ellington AFB. (MSC Release 64-35; Houston Chron., 2/20/64)
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