Mar 15 1967
From The Space Library
NASA and West Germany's Federal Ministry for Scientific Research (BMWF) signed Memorandum of Understanding for study of electric fields in the upper atmosphere. NASA would furnish five Nike-Apache sounding rockets for launch from ESRO facilities at Kiruna, Sweden, beginning in April. Rockets would release barium clouds, particularly in the auroras, to be observed from the ground. BMWF would provide chemical payloads and ground observation equipment and would conduct launchings in cooperation with ESRO and Swedish Space Research Committee (SSRC). Both NASA and BMWF would bear cost of their respective responsibilities. Results would be made available to world scientific community. (NASA Release 67-57)
NASA and USAF announced agreement to transfer overall management of XB-70 supersonic aircraft research program to NASA Flight Research Center-effective March 25-and to utilize XB-70 "at a reduced rate." Under new arrangement, which updated May 1965 agreement, XB-70 research program would continue as joint NASA-USAF effort, with AFFTC mission support and DOD pilot participation, aircraft support, and research and test projects. Next flight of XB-70, which had been undergoing maintenance, modification, and installation of additional instrumentation since Jan. 31 in preparation for new program, was scheduled for late March or early April. (NASA Release 67-59; FRC Release 5-67)
Changes in NASA staff alignment: Harold B. Finger, Manager of NASA-AEC Space Nuclear Propulsion Office (SNPO) since its formation in 1960, was named to new NASA position of Associate Administrator for Organization and Management. He was succeeded in SNPO by his deputy, Milton Klein. Reporting to Associate Administrator Finger would be Assistant Administrator for Administration William E. Lilly; Assistant Administrator for Industry Affairs Dr. Bernhardt L. Dorman; Assistant Administrator for Technology Utilization Dr. Richard L. Lesher; and former LaRC Assistant Director Francis B. Smith in new post of Assistant Administrator for University Affairs. University Affairs Office would integrate, coordinate, and guide NASA's relationships with colleges and universities; manage the Sustaining University Program; and assume other duties previously assigned to OSSA's Office of Grants and Research Contracts. Dr. Thomas L. K. Smull, formerly Director of Grants and Research Contracts, was appointed Special Assistant to the Administrator on NASA-NAS and NASA-NAE relationships. Other changes: DeMarquis D. Wyatt became Assistant Administrator for Program Plans and Analysis and David Williamson was appointed as his deputy. Budget and programming functions previously under Wyatt were transferred to the Office of Administration, where they would be integrated into a NASA-wide system for resources management, including programming, budgeting, personnel management, and financial reporting. Breene M. Kerr, Assistant Administrator for Policy Analysis, resigned to return to private industry but would continue to serve as part-time consultant to NASA; Gen. Jacob M. Smart (USAF, Ret.) succeeded Kerr in addition to continuing to serve as Special Assistant to the Administrator; William E. Lilly, Director of Program Control, OMSF, became Assistant Administrator for Administration, replacing General Smart; and John Biggs, Deputy Executive Secretary, became Executive Secretary, replacing Col. L. W. Vogel (USA), who returned to his previous assignment as Executive Officer. (NASA Releases 6747, 6749, 67-50)
NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications Dr. Homer E. Newell, testifying before House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on Space Science and Applications, said the scientific community saw a need to develop a spacecraft to make measurements at low altitudes-about 80 mi-to investigate transition between the meteorology of the lower atmosphere and the aeronomy of the upper. In the lower atmosphere the constituents are thoroughly mixed; in the upper, they tend to separate by gravity with the heaviest below and the lightest above. "The importance of this transition region has been revealed by the [sounding] rocket program, but only satellites can provide the global measurements needed to establish the lower boundary conditions for the upper atmosphere as a whole," Newell said. "Such a mission would require the development of a spacecraft with a restartable engine in order to achieve an adequate lifetime." (Testimony)
Sen. Clinton P. Anderson (D-N.Mex.), on behalf of himself and Sen. Margaret Chase Smith (R-Me.) , introduced to Senate new $5.l-billion FY 1968 NASA authorization bill (S. 1296) to reflect President Johnson's Feb. 28 request for funds to develop nuclear rocket technology. Original NASA authorization bill for $5.05 billion (S. 781) had been introduced Jan. 31. (CR, 3/15/67, S3781)
Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey told the National Space Club's 1967 Goddard Memorial Dinner that US. space program would continue to move forward despite the Jan. 27 Apollo tragedy. "On behalf of President Johnson, I assure you . . . that we have not lost heart-that we will not falter-that we shall move forward with renewed determination in our exploration of space." The Vice President said the first obligation was to "come as close as humanly possible to determining the cause of the Apollo 204 accident, so that we can make sure it will never happen again." He said he was impressed with the "tough-minded way the Review Board is going about its work." (Text, AP, NYT, 3/3/67,31)
Milton B. Ames, Jr., Director of Space Vehicles, and Dr. Walton L. Jones, Director of Biotechnology and Human Research Div., NASA Office of Advance Research and Technology, testified before House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on Advanced Research and Technology. Ames said land recovery of manned spacecraft was one of OART's major objectives; NASA had enlarged research plans substantially to acquire "without delay" the detailed technology necessary to "permit the confident application of steerable flexible-winged parachutes to the recovery of manned spacecraft." Earliest major potential application would probably be to Apollo, to provide for land recovery in post-lunar-lading period of the early 1970's. "Such a capability would greatly extend the operational flexibility and utility of the Apollo system and . . . contribute to the feasibility of refurbishment and reuse." Dr. Jones said increased possibility of aspiration of particulate matter had been identified by NRC Space Science Board as a potentially serious effect of prolonged weightlessness. "In zero gravity conditions, dust particles do not settle out. This could lead to deposits in the respiratory tract which could have important implications in the production of pulmonary disease." Jones said a new instrument to measure and record the number and size of dust particles in a spacecraft was scheduled for an Apollo flight. (Testimony)
Satellite reconnaissance alone justified spending 10 times what US. had already spent on its space program, President Johnson told a group of Southern educators and Government officials in Nashville. Because of this reconnaissance "I know how many missiles the enemy has." Before making his remarks on space, Mr. Johnson said he did not wish to be quoted on ,that section of his talk, but more than 100 persons not bound by press rules heard the statements. (Clark, NYT, 3/17/67,13; Loory, W Post, 3/18/67)
NASA had successfully completed series of ground tests to qualify improved graphite nozzle insert in FW-4S solid rocket motor which had malfunctioned during launch of Scout booster in January. Malfunction had caused postponement of Feb. 15 launch of ComSatCorp's Intelsat II-C, because FW-4 was 3rd stage of its booster, Thrust-Augmented Improved Delta. (NASA Release 67-60)
MSC had awarded Bell Aerosystems Co. a nine-month, $5.9-million fixed-price contract to provide three Lunar Landing Training Vehicles (LLTV) for astronauts to practice simulated lunar landings. Capable of simulating 1/6 gravity environment of the moon, LLTV would be towed to about 4,000-ft altitude and released; pilot could damp out 5/6 of gravity force on vehicle using jet engines; remaining % gravity would be supported by rocket motors simulating lunar landing conditions. (NASA Release 67-58)
An electric rocket engine capable of operating off low solar cell voltage, which could be used for satellite station-keeping or attitude control, had been successfully tested for more than 400 hrs at LRC. (LRC Release 67-11)
US. should move its technology beyond the "building blocks" to break out of the "mental straitjacket which is confining the Nation to a stalemate of defeatism," recommended a policy statement adopted by Air Force Assn., at meeting in San Francisco. Asserting that U.S.S.R. was "far ahead" of US. in a critical area of nuclear knowledge, AFA called for a "sweeping re-examination of national strategy" to assess the impact of technology "on the world balance of power." In a specific resolution, AFA urged a full-scale US. SST program, claiming that U.S.S.R. had been secretly flying a supersonic aircraft prototype for "more than one year." (Davis, NYT, 3/16/67,10; W Post, 3/17/67, A4)
Dr. Harold Agnew, Weapons Div. Leader at AEC's Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory, said US. reluctance to deploy an antiballistic missile system reflected a new balance-of-power concept which was characterized by weapons judged on their contributions to world stability rather than their superiority. This philosophy was dangerous because it stifled innovation and placed the Nation continually on the defensive. "Whether we use our full technological advantage should be determined solely on whether it is to our advantage politically, militarily and economically as far as our adversary is concerned. I believe it has been a mistake to allow the fleeting opinions of every nation that has a vote in the U.N. to influence materially our actions. The inhibition of the use of our full technological advantage has hurt our technological future as well as prolonging whatever confrontation is at hand. The basis of advanced technology is innovation, and nothing is more stifling to innovation than seeing one's product not used or ruled out of consideration on flimsy premises involving public or world opinion. . . ." (Av Wk, 3/27/67, 11)
The possibility of using communications satellites to help expedite border crossing formalities on international flights was considered by Air Transport Assn.'s Facilitation Committee meeting in Ponce, Puerto Rico. It was suggested that computers, working with numerical codes and aided by comsats, could file necessary papers on an aircraft's cargo and passengers from point of departure, thereby facilitating clearances on arrival in the US. (NYT, 3/15/67,78M)
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