May 25 1964
From The Space Library
Third anniversary of President Kennedy's address to Congress on urgent national needs in which he said: ". . . I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth." Douglas Aircraft Co. Missile and Space Systems Div. summarized study on Manned Orbital Research Laboratory (MORL) made for NASA Langley Research Center. Douglas said it would be possible for U.S. to have a six-man operational space station within the next five years. MORL would be launched with Saturn IB, would remain in orbit just over one year. (Houston Post, 5/25/64)
Major improvements in performance of supersonic transport shapes had come from aerodynamic refinements at NASA Langley Research Center, NASA announced. Applied to the wing design of supersonic transport concept known as "Scat 15," the refinements achieved much better flight characteristics and more than 15 per cent increase in range. The improved concept-Scat 15F-was now regarded more favorably in comparison with the two established concepts, Scat 16 and 17. (NASA Release 64-120)
Compilation by NASA Procurement Office showed that two thirds of the $1 billion in subcontract work assigned by NASA's 12 largest contractors during 1962 and 1963 went to 2,697 different subcontractors in 46 states. (NASA Release 64-118)
Delegates from U.S., Canada, Australia, and Japan met with the European Conference on Satellite Communications-a body representing 15 European nations-to further negotiate formation of a world-wide communications satellite system. Francis Trew, secretary of the European Conference, said at the London meeting he was hopeful an agreement "would be ready for ratification in the "near future.' " (Farnsworth, NYT, 5/26/64, 11)
NASA announced it would negotiate with Douglas Aircraft Co. for S-IVB stage mockup to be used with Saturn V launch vehicle simulator at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Expected to cost about $5 million, the mockup would be used in study of prelaunch, launch, and orbital check-out of third stage. (NASA Release 64-123)
United Technology Center (UTC) had developed hybrid rocket combining best features of solid and liquid propellants and 20% more powerful than any solid-propulsion rocket operational today. Rocket used solid fuel-butadiene rubber-and liquid oxidizer-liquid oxygen. UTC Assistant Manager of Advanced Technology Douglas D. Ordahl said the rocket also was safer than solid-fueled rocket motors and was simpler and more reliable than liquid-fueled rockets. (WSJ, 5/26/64)
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