Jul 18 1967
From The Space Library
JPL scientists abandoned attempts to contact SURVEYOR IV spacecraft resting on the moon [see July 14-16]. A JPL spokesman said both Canberra and Goldstone Tracking Stations had sent signals to the spacecraft July 17, but had received no response. A committee was attempting to determine whether SURVEYOR IV had soft-landed on the moon as planned or crashed out of control. (AP, W Star, 7/18/67, A3; AP, NYT, 7/20/67,11)
A minimum of four manned space flights would precede the first US. attempt to land men on the moon, Astronauts Joe H. Engle and Alfred M. Worden, recently returned from a geology survey in Iceland, told NASA Hq. press conference. Three of the four missions would involve rendezvous with another spacecraft in earth orbit. Astronauts also said that they and their colleagues had even more confidence in the Apollo program now than they had before the Jan. 27 fire. (B Sun, 7/19/67; W Post, 7/19/67)
House passed $1.53-billion DOT FY 1968 authorization bill (H.R. 11456) which included $142.3 million for SST prototype development. Amendment by Rep. Clark MacGregor (R-Minn.) to delete SST funds was defeated. (CR, 7J18/67, H8813-58)
Christopher C. Kraft, Jr., Director of Flight Operations at MSC, received the Spirit of St. Louis medal from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) meeting in Cocoa Beach, Fla. He was cited for his meritorious service in the advancement of aeronautics." (NYT, 7/19/ 67,32)
LeRC awarded four contracts totaling over $5 million for major systems of the SERT II (Space Electric Rocket Test) spacecraft: (1) $2,462,678 to Fairchild Hiller Corp. for system definition selection and qualification of components for spacecraft support unit; (2) $1,308,065 to Hughes Aircraft Co. to develop prime power conditioning and control system for ion thrusters; $91,055,757 to Westinghouse Electric Corp. to develop backup power conditioning and control system; and (4) $290,987 to Cutler-Hammer Corp. to develop a radio frequency interference experiment to measure interference with radio communications generated by the ion engines. SERT II was an orbital mission scheduled for late 1968 to advance the development of ion engines as propulsion units for future long-duration space missions. (NASA Release 67-188)
Astronauts on long-duration space flights might have to accept greater radiation exposure than the amount considered safe for industrial workers and, in some cases, this additional exposure could heighten the risk of cancer and shorten life expectancy, NRC's Space Science Board concluded in report entitled Radiobiological Factors in Manned Space Flight. Board recommended that criteria different from those used in industry be set up to gauge radiation risks in space flight and to decide what was acceptable. "Manned space flights are high risk endeavors. They take place in a hostile environment that cannot be permitted to encroach beyond the limits of human endurance if the missions are to succeed." Report noted, however, that radiation was "only one of many recognized and accepted potential risks" to space flight and shielding against it added weight to the spacecraft. Consequently, protection against radiation had to be balanced against other needs vital to the success of the mission. (NRC Release; Schmeck, NYT, 7/18/67,38M; Reistrup, W Post, 7/18/67, A3; AP, W Star, 7/18/67, A3)
AFSC had presented its ninth Craftsmanship Award-highest of three honors that could be won by a defense contractor under USAF's Industrial Zero Defects Program-to RCA's Aerospace Systems Div. To qualify for the award, a firm had to show performance records for at least 18 mos dearly reflecting achievements against predetermined goals. USAF personnel then validated performance data and determined adequacy and realism of the goals. (AFSC Release 71.67)
A monument had been erected on the spot where Cosmonaut Vladimir M. Komarov was killed when his Soyuz I spacecraft crash-landed April 24, Pravda reported. It was located on the Orenburg Steppe, 1,207 km (750 mi) southeast of Moscow. (Reuters, NYT, 7/19/67; W Post, 7/19/67, C7)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
