Jul 31 1967
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos CLXX into orbit with 208-km (129-mi) apogee, 145-km (90-mi) perigee, and 50° inclination. All equipment functioned normally, but satellite reentered later in the day. (SBD, 8/10/67,202)
ComSatCorp reported net income of $2,088,146 for first six months of 1967 : a net operating loss of $755,603 was offset by a net interest gain of $2,843,749. ComSatCorp entered full commercial operations May 1. (ComSatCorp Release 67-39)
Latest Harris poll indicated American people, by 54%-to-34% margin, did not believe US. space program was worth an annual $4-billion expenditure. By 60%-to-30%, public would oppose continuing program at present rate of expenditure if U.S.S.R. were not active in space. People were divided sharply by income and age: (1) low-income persons opposed Apollo manned lunar landing program by almost three-to-one, while upper income favored it by nearly two-to-one; (2) 62% of persons over 50 opposed program, while 58% under 35 favored it. A 1965 poll had showed public supporting space program by 45% -t0-42% margin. (W Post, 7/31/67, A2)
The aerospace industry had a special responsibility to try to respond to the critical challenges posed by the Vietnam war and the urban riots, Robert Hotz suggested in Aviation Week. "Perhaps the aerospace industry has been so much absorbed in its traditional task of providing defense against external enemies that it has never given much thought to the contributions it can make to strengthen this nation internally. We submit that the events of this summer should stimulate the industry to take a long hard look in re-evaluating its role on the American scene and to make a bolder and more imaginative bid to offer its services to meet the new challenges of our times. . . ." (Hotz, Av Wk, 7/31/67,11)
House/Senate Conference Committee agreed on $4.86-billion NASA authorization bill -$234.2 million less than NASA had requested for FY 1968. It included $42 million for Voyager program, $347.7 million for AA program, $73 million for nuclear rocket program, and $157.7 million for launch vehicle procurement. Bill, which required Senate and House approval, was passed by the Senate Aug. 2. (NASA LAR VI/83; Committee Release; Clark, NYT, 8/1/67, 13)
NASA investigative board concluded that immediate cause of the M2-F2 lifting body vehicle crash at Edwards AFB May 10 was "an unusually low landing flare maneuver and premature ground contact" resulting from an unusual set of circumstances "that individually would not have ended in an accident." These circumstances were: (1) "Pilot was overburdened in his normally exacting task by a combination of events that disoriented and distracted him and denied him normal height information; (2) The large amplitude roll oscillation during final approach . . . caused a temporary loss of lateral control . . . and changed the landing heading"; (3) presence of rescue helicopter mar path of landing heading represented a collision potential; (4) lack of visual height cues in landing area; and (5 ) unavoidable absence of radioed attitude callouts from chase aircraft. Board recommended: (1) easing pilot workloads in landing lifting-body vehicles; (2) maintaining an enlarged cleared area where inadvertent landings might occur; and (3) improving the information flow on flight planning, briefing, and monitoring procedures. (FRC Release 20-67; NASA Release 67-205)
NASA would negotiate with Bendix Corp. for one-year, $25-million contract extension to provide KSC launch support services. (NASA Release 67-204)
A Polaris A-3 missile fired from nuclear submarine U.S.S. Will Rogers, submerged off the coast of Cape Kennedy, traveled 1,500 mi down Eastern Test Range (ETR) and impacted close to target area near Antigua Island. Scheduled to begin her first patrol in September, U.S.S. Will Rogers was 4lst and last ballistic weapon submarine in U.S. fleet. (Baldwin, NYT, 8/1/67,13)
William C. Schneider, formerly Mission Director for NASA's Apollo Applications (AA) program, was named Apollo Mission Director and Apollo Program Deputy Director for Missions, OMSF. Schneider would be responsible for management, direction, and coordination of mission and flight plans, schedules, and associated activities. (NASA Release 67-206)
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