Oct 30 1964
From The Space Library
X-15 No. 3 was flown by Milton O. Thompson to maximum altitude of 82,000 ft., the rocket-research aircraft attaining 3,051 mph (mach 4.62) . (NASA X-15 Proj. Off.)
NASA launched Aerobee 150 sounding rocket from White Sands, N. Mex., in successful flight to collect solar spectral data in the x-ray and ultraviolet regions, to test adaptation of solar spectrometer designed for OSO-C satellite, and to measure ionospheric electron density. Rocket reached 117.5-mi. altitude and data were collected in all experiments during the flight. (NASA Rpt. SRL)
NASA pilot Joseph A. Walker flew Lunar Landing Research Vehicle (LLRV) at NASA Flight Research Center. Total free-flight time in this first test was less than one minute, the LLRV rising 10 ft. (M&R, 11/16/64, 8)
NASA announced selection of scientific satellites, IMP-D and IMP-E, that will be placed in orbit around the moon in 1966-67 to study interplanetary phenomena and earth-sun relationships in cislunar space. The eight experiments selected for the Interplanetary Monitoring Platforms were designed mainly to measure magnetic fields, solar plasma, micrometeoroids, and energetic particles in the vicinity of the moon. (NASA Re-lease 64-270)
NASA announced appointment of Francis J. Sullivan as Acting Director of Electronics and Control Div., NASA Hq. The position was formerly held by Dr. Albert J. Kelley, who became Deputy Director of NASA's new Electronics Research Center. Sullivan was Deputy Director of the division since November 1963. (NASA Release 64-276)
Appointment of Lt. Gen. Frank A. Bogart (USAF) as Special Assistant to Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight announced by NASA. Appointment would become effective shortly after his retirement from USAF Oct. 31. General Bogart would be concerned with industry relationships and special management problems of program control and contracting. (NASA Announcement 64-255)
U.S. Army's Redstone rocket, developed by NASA Marshall Space Flight Center team when it was formerly part of Army Missile Command, was officially retired from active military operation in ceremony at Army Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Ala. Dr. Wernher von Braun, MSFC Director, spoke on Redstone's contributions to U.S. space exploration, including serving as launch vehicle for first and second U.S. manned space flights. Redstone was replaced as military missile by Army's Pershing. (Marshall Star, 10/4/64, 10)
Dr. George E. Mueller, NASA Associate Administrator for Manned Space Flight, gave address at dedication of Magic Mountain Laboratory of the Marquardt Corp., Van Nuys, Calif.: "There is a considerable degree of misunderstanding of the overall purposes of our national space program. Many people seem to believe that a landing on the moon is our paramount objective. This is not so. "Our principal goal is to make the United States first in space. The Apollo mission milestones-manned flight in earth orbit, into deep space, and to the moon and back-provide a focus for the development of the total capability that will enable the United States to compete in the race for space. . . ." (Text) [[ Editorial in]] North American Aviation's Space & Information Systems Skywriter: "The company's XB-70 has now completed four test flights acquiring millions of items of information, in a highly significant beginning of its test program. "So far, the airplane has flown at altitudes up to 45,000 feet, at speeds up to Mach 1.4; with the wing tips deflected and up, and through various yaw, flutter and stability tests. "In 34 days, during which test flights were accomplished, the XB-70 has flown at supersonic speeds for 55 minutes. Performance at takeoff, liftoff, climb out, and angle of climb has coincided almost exactly with flight simulator estimates.. . ." (NAA MID Skywriter, 10/30/64, 1)
DOD announced award of $1,413,890 NASA-funded contract to Smith and Sapp Construction Co. for construction of launch equipment shop at Launch Complex 39, Merritt Island Launch Area, Fla. (DOD Release 783-64)
It was announced that in the first two-man Gemini flight, set for Feb. 1965, Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom might become the first man in space to alter the orbit of his own spacecraft. The change would be after about 90 minutes of flight in the first orbit over Guaymas, Mex. Major Grissom, the command pilot, would be sitting on the left side of the spacecraft and Lt. Cdr. John Young, pilot, would be sitting on the right side. (AP, Sunday Oregonian, 11/1/64)
Colonel John H. Glenn, Jr. (USMC), was declared fully recovered from inner-ear injury by USAF doctors in San Antonio, Tex. The former NASA astronaut was expected to resign from USMC and become an active director of Royal Crown Cola Co. (PI, NYT, 10/31/64, 11)
Dr. Werner R. Kirchner, vice-president of Aerojet-General and director of Solid Rocket Operations, announced the firing of a small solid propellant motor which successfully started and stopped more than six times. In the test, Aerojet used a 4-in. motor with 6 lbs. of propellant. (M&R, 11/23/64, 9)
Dr. Alvin Radkowsky, Navy nuclear scientist, received patent for design of large breeder reactor which AEC and California were proposing to use in 525-kilowatt steam-electric power plant (Jones, NYT, 10/31/64, 35)
West Germany's Ministry of Scientific Research said estimated 4,300 West German scientists had left to work in U.S. between 1949 and 1961, and number was expected to increase. (Reuters, NYT, 10/31/64, 8)
October 30-November 1: Inventors' Congress and Space Symposium held in Little Rock, Arkansas. NASA Administrator James E. Webb spoke on American progress and goals in space. He described "the Southern Crescent of the space program"-Cape Kennedy, Fla.; MSFC, Huntsville, Ala.; Michoud Operations, La./Mississippi Test Facility; and MSC, Houston, Tex. "One of the central facts about this great complex of space activities . . . is the possibility that many varied research, development and production activities will gravitate in this direction. This is made likely by reasons of economics and of convenience. "By and large, these will be activities that require heavy contributions from science and technology, and Arkansas and the other states of the South are now in a position to get ready to take full advantage of the prospect. Arkansas must be able to advance in such areas as electronics, in the development and use of new materials, in medical research related to the severe requirements of space, and the like. It must not only make provisions for suitable working and living conditions for scientists and engineers, it must also be farsighted in training its people as technicians and skilled workmen, for these are as essential in this kind of activity as the scientists and engineers. (Text)
Morris Forgash, president of United States Freight Co., gave his predictions of transportation in the year 2000, in address at National Defense Transportation Association conference in Frankfurt, Germany. Among his predictions : "By the year 2000 the hydrofoils will be the buslines of the oceans"; "people and things will be transported between all the more distant points on earth by rocket powered craft." He concluded: "Before you mark off anything that I have predicted for the next three and a half decades look back on the startling developments of the recent past. The breaking of the sound barrier. Space travel. Substitution of a cushion of air for the ageless wheel. The broadcasting of a message of good will to the world by a President of the United States not by cable, phone, or radio, but from a satellite circling around the globe in outer space-then the erasure of the message and substitution of another while the satellite was in orbit. The Olympic games in Tokyo brought into the homes of people on the far side of the earth through the medium of a relay station in space. Multiply these miracles of science by the rate of change which is being constantly compounded and see if my predictions do not come out on the modest side even to the point of reticence. "I believe the most important fact for us to understand is that transportation, though it opens new worlds and changes old concepts of time and distance, will not shape the world of 2000 A.D. Transportation is the servant of the people-the genie which makes their dreams come true-the magic carpet of their future-the mobility of their desires, their aspirations, and their resources. . . ." (Text, CR, 1/7/65, A70-74)
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