April 1964
From The Space Library
NASA awarded contract modification exceeding $12 million to North American Aviation's Space and Information Systems Div. for further work on Saturn V's S-II stage. (Marshall Star, 4/22/64, 4)
Postmaster General John A. Gronouski revealed plans for issuance of Robert H. Goddard air mail commemorative stamp this year. The stamp Would honor 50th anniversary of Dr. Goddard's first patent registrations in 1914 for solid/liquid fuel methods and multi-stage rocket designs. (NSC Ltr. 4/1/64; Goddard News, 4/20/64, 3)
Test firing of Bell Aerosystems Co. 40,000-lb.-thrust fluorine-hydrogen rocket engine showed combustion efficiency exceeded 95 per cent of theoretically obtainable maximum. (Av. Wk., 4/27/64, 69)
Dr. Raymond L. Bisplinghoff, NASA Associate Administrator for Advanced Research and Technology and AIAA Technical Director, said in Astronautics & Aeronautics editorial on research exploitation: "Those of us who seek specific scientific or technological goals in our free-enterprise system too often lose sight of the fact that the resources made available for this purpose cannot continue to increase indefinitely. In the years to come, it will be increasingly incumbent upon the individual to improve the effectiveness of his R&D activities, and so conserve the nation's resources. This is not just a matter to be dealt with at the national level, but one which will require understanding and discipline at all levels of our profession." (A&A, 4/64, 18-19)
Rep. Emilio Q. Daddario (D.-Conn.) said in Air Force and Space Digest article on technological goals: "A creative idea may be born in the mind of one man. Of primary importance is the basic and fundamental research necessary to spell out this idea. Here the financial investment is probably the smallest, limited to the man, his instruments, and the time. The amounts of money are relatively modest, except for capital facilities. Indeed, sometimes this money is used and reused, for basic research is often done in the university climate where its effects nourish graduate students as well. "The planning, the adaptation, and the oversight of applied research and development is a more resource-consuming operation. By skilled and thoughtful planning project managers can avoid difficulties which tend to drag on important programs. Here the important resource is people, for the decisions are difficult. The history of many important programs in the United States in recent decades affords case studies of matters where waste might have been avoided if top-level people could have anticipated and eliminated specific problems. "One of the most difficult problems facing the United States is to determine the standards by which we can exercise the necessary judgment to avoid moving into the most expensive areas of technology-development, testing, and production-at an appropriate time to ensure that we do not become prisoners of high costs and unnecessary use of resources. We need to exercise more rigorous standards, more decisive judgment, and action." (AF Mag., 4/64, 53-56)
Space Technology Laboratories, Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge, selected by JPL to provide throttleable vernier engines for Surveyor lunar spacecraft being developed by Hughes Aircraft Co. under JPL supervision. (Av. Wk., 4/27/64, 30)
European Space Research Organization (ESRO) was planning to orbit its first two satellites by late 1967 or early 1968, from U.S. Pacific Missile Range. Using purchased Scout booster, ESRO would launch the 200-lb. satellites into polar orbits. (Av. Wk., 4/27/64, 31)
Joint Congressional Committee on Atomic Energy voted unrequested funds for flight-testing Snap-l0A reactor in the AEC authorization bill for FY 1965. In voting to include the requested amount for Rover nuclear propulsion, the Committee called for review of the program after data from certain critical tests were obtained. "The committee believes that the Rover project is of great importance to the space program . . . [and] the committee therefore intends to follow very closely the develop-ments of the coming year with the hope that this program will lead to successful reactor design and operation." (M&R, 4/20/64, 9; M&R, 4/27/64, 18)
National Science Foundation issued study of scientist and engineer man-power. According to the study, "fewer than 765,000 newly trained scientists and engineers will become available to fill more than 1 million openings for them between 1960 and 1970." (Newsweek, 4/13/64)
President Charles de Gaulle approved France's plan to establish satellite launching center on east coast of French Guiana as an alternative to the Hammaguir complex in Algerian desert. Hammaguir site would come under Algerian control in July 1967 unless new treaty could be concluded. Later on, Gen. Robert Aubiniere, director- general of France's CNES, said in London that by 1966 France's space program would stabilize at $100 million per year. By 1966 France annually would launch two Diamant-boosted satellites, about 100 sounding rockets, and 300 bal-loons. (Av. Wk., 4/27/64, 30)
Col. Francis X. Kane (USAF) said in Fortune article that too much emphasis was placed on "computerized planning," thus handicapping our ability to prepare for the unpredictable. ". . discovery nearly always comes by chance," he said. He proposed "meta-planning," an approach to "bring the whole of experience and of the human personality to bear on planning. . . ." (Fortune, 4/64, 147ff )
United Aircraft Corp. Chairman H. M. Horner told New York Society of Security Analysts that development problems of supersonic transport engine were being underestimated. U.A.'s Pratt & Whitney estimated costs of $1 billion in its proposal to FAA, the figure based on estimated development costs of $500 million and another $500 million to bring the engine up to airline standards of reliability. (Av. Wk., 4/27/64, 47)
DOD accelerated construction of two Thor launch sites and ground support equipment at Johnston Island, part of Don's commitment to maintain adequate safeguards against U.S.S.R.'s sudden resumption of nuclear testing. (M&R, 4/20/64, 16)
Spacecraft Technology and Advanced Re-entry Tests (Start) established in Advanced Planning Directorate of the Deputy for Technology, Air Force Space Systems Div. Start included two activities: Asset re-entry vehicle program and unnamed glide re-entry vehicle, still under study. (Av. Wk., 4/27/64, 30)
Aluminum pressure suit designed for astronaut use on the moon was undergoing evaluation at SC. Officially called a "constant volume, rigid articulated, anthropomorphic protective suit," it featured increased mobility and constancy of pressure. Rigid suit concept was first introduced by Litton Industries in 1956 for use in pressure chambers. Advanced version for space use, with adaptations and improvements, was proposed to NASA by Litton last year. (MSC Roundup, 4/15/64,8)
DOD tracking station was established and began operating in the Seychelles Islands in the western Indian Ocean, some 1,000 mi. northeast of Zanzibar, where NASA tracking station had been closed. (M&R, 4/13/64, 9)
NASA Goddard Space Flight Center's Space Operations Control Center established that Soviet LUNIK IV spacecraft, launched April 21, 1963, was in a barycentric orbit-i.e., orbiting around the center of gravity (4,600 km. from earth's center) of the earth-moon system. This unusual orbit was apparently a coincidence, because final Tass announcement about the probe had said it would become a satellite of the sun. (GSFC, and MSFC SIN, 4/64, 15-16)
First production J-2 rocket engine was accepted by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center from NAA'S Rocketdyne Div., then turned over to Douglas Aircraft Co. for use in ground captive tests associated with Saturn S-IVB stage work. (Marshall Star, 5/6/64, 1)
Shipments of nearly six million pounds of large components for NASA Langley Research Center's $12.5 million Space Radiation Effects Laboratory began arriving. Beginning in mid-1965, the new facility would be operated by Virginia Associated Research Center (VARC) comprised of representatives of the College of William and Mary, U. Va., and VPI. (LaRC Release)
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