May 11 1964
From The Space Library
XB-70 supersonic aircraft was unveiled at North American Aviation plant, Palmdale, Calif. The 2,000-mph intercontinental-range plane would be used to investigate feasibility of long-range high-speed flight. Speaking of achievements in the program thus far, Brig. Gen. Fred J. Ascani (AFSC Aeronautical Systems Div.) said ". . . Not all of these and other accomplishments can be termed radical breakthroughs (although the XB-70 program has produced about a thousand patent disclosures), but taken together they have helped to advance a technology which constitutes a base for a new generation of civil and military aircraft which will operate at sustained supersonic speeds." (DOD Release 374-64; Witkin, NYT, 5/12/64,1; AF Pol. Info. Ltr., 6/1/64)
NASA announced appointment of Dr. Alfred J. Eggers, Jr., Assistant Director of Ames Research Center, as Deputy Associate Administrator for Advanced Research and Technology. In the newly created position, Dr. Eggers would work closely with staff members in planning NASA's advanced and supporting research programs. Specialist in problems of hypersonic and space flight research, Dr. Eggers made many contributions to theories of hypersonic aerodynamics and atmospheric entry problems of motion and heating. Among his past awards were Arthur S. Flemming Award in 1956 and Sylvanus Albert Reed Award (1962) of the IAS. (NASA Release 64-110; NASA Announcement 64-95)
Dr. George E. Mueller, NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, told group touring Saturn-Apollo industrial facilities at NASA Michoud Operations that astronauts on flight to the moon would not be harmed by radiation from Van Allen belts or solar flares. Project Apollo astronauts would be "safer than test pilots in industry have ever been," he declared. (Maloney, Houston Post, 5/12/64)
MSFC Director Dr. Wernher von Braun discussed Saturn IB/Centaur launch vehicle at Michoud tour and said that "there will be money to develop the booster in the FY "66 space agency budget." Dr. von Braun said he believed Saturn IB/Centaur would compete on cost-effectiveness basis with Titan III; with the contemplated missions, cost of $20 million per launch was possible. Dr. von Braun also disclosed NASA studies indicating manned circumlunar flight with Gemini spacecraft was feasible. Such a mission was not being seriously considered at this time, however. (M&R, 5/18/64, 17)
AEC announced a satellite carrying small Snap-9A atomic generator had been launched on Thor-Able-Star booster from Vandenberg AFB last April 21, but it did not go into orbit. Preliminary data indicated the satellite burned up upon re-entry into earth's atmosphere. (AP, NYT, 5/12/64; Av. Wk., 5/18/64, 38)
Walter L. Lingle, Jr. NASA Deputy Associate Administrator, said in address to the Missouri Jr., Association in St. Louis: "I cannot overemphasize the importance of incentive contracting as a force for improving NASA's own planning and decision making processes, as well as the contractors". "We expect to write more than $500 million of incentive contracts in the present fiscal year. "As you know, President Johnson has taken a very personal interest in the cost effectiveness and efficiency of companies which are contractors to the Government. We regard incentive contracting as a primary means for achieving the added efficiency which President Johnson seeks. "More than incidentally, we think that they can become a primary means for improving contractor profit levels. It is NASA's policy to let a contractor substantially improve his profit ratios if he can achieve the incentive targets which we mutually establish. Some recent targets which we have established will permit the contractor to more than double the profit ratio . . ., if all incentive targets are achieved." (Text, CR, 5/12/64, 10308-11)
Sen. J. W. Fulbright, Chairman of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said at Copenhagen celebration of 50th anniversary of Denmark-America Foundation: "The most urgent need of this troubled world is new thoughts and attitudes toward the old problem of human relations, as distinct from excessive preoccupation with traveling to the moon." (AP, Kansas City Times, 5/12/64)
Dome of ancient rock at Vredefort, South Africa, was said to be one-mile-dia. meteor which impacted earth at 36,000 mph about 250 million years ago. William I. Manton, research geologist of Johannesburg's Univ. of the Witwatersrand, said: "It is almost certain that a meteorite struck the earth at Vredefort and completely changed the geological structure for 60 miles around the point of impact." (AP, Phil. Eve. Bull., 5/11/64)
May 11-14: 35th annual meeting of Aerospace Medical Association held at Bal Harbour, Fla. At the meeting, USAF School of Aerospace Medicine scientists led by Dr. Billy Welch reported on SAM's two 30-day experiments with 100% oxygen atmosphere and concluded that 100% oxygen was acceptable for 30-day period. USAF doctors also reported on tests with oxygen-nitrogen mixture at 7 psi for Manned Orbiting Laboratory Problem of bends in test subjects, occurring during change from MO] atmosphere to 3.5 psi atmosphere in Gemini extravehicular spacesuit caused testers to extend denitrogenization period to 41/2 hours. (M&R, 5/18/64, 16)
At Aerospace Medical Association conference, Dr. Dietrich E. Beischer and James C. Knepton, Jr., of Naval School of Aviation Medicine said high magnetic fields, such as those under study for spacecraft shielding, may have noticeable effect on behavior of heart. Squirrel monkeys subjected to high magnetic fields (20,000 to 70,000 gauss) showed up to 1/4 decrease in heart rate and marked change in heart-beat's rhythm. Dr. Beischer also reported sea urchin eggs exposed to 140,000 gauss were retarded in their development, but fruit fly showed no effects after two-hour exposure to high gauss. High magnetic fields were being investigated for use in shielding astronauts against cosmic radiation and other space hazards, and Dr. Cornelius Tobias and N. M. Amer reported that magnetic fields around 3.5 kilogauss appeared to have protective effect against high doses of ionizing radiation. (M&R, 5/18/64, 16)
At Aerospace Medical Association meeting, Maj. Gen. Marvin C. Demler, Commander of AFSC Research and Technology Div., said USAF was studying use of "space lifeboats" for astronauts who might have to abandon their spacecraft. The self-contained unit would be designed to sustain astronauts until they were rescued. (UPI, NYT, 5/12/64, 43)
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