Apr 5 1966
From The Space Library
LUNA X was continuing in circumlunar orbit with 1,017-km. (632mi.) apolune, 350-km. (217-mi.) perilune, 2-hr. 58-min. period, and 71c inclination, Tass reported. Eighteen radio communications had been held with the satellite "During which a large volume of scientific data had been received." Scientific equipment onboard included: (1) recorder of meteoric particles for investigating meteor showers along earth-moon route, for seeking dust cloud around the moon, and for registering the micrometeorites in circumlunar space; (2) gamma-spectrometer for studying the gamma-radiation of the lunar surface; (3) magnetometer for refining the value for the strength of the moon's magnetic field; (4) equipment for studying solar plasma in circumlunar space; (5) equipment for recording the infrared radiation of the lunar surface; and (6) instrumentation for studying the radiation conditions in the moon's environs. Variations in the satellite's orbital parameters would be used to investigate the moon's gravitational field. (Tass, Pravda, 4/6/66, 1, USS-T Trans.)
NASA had invited 33 firms to submit proposals on a 12-mo. study of Mars and Venus flyby missions in 1975-1982 period using Saturn/Apollo hardware with minimum modifications. Study would emphasize earth escape stages based on modifications of the upper stages of Saturn V. launch vehicle (S-II and S-IVB), orbital tanking and assembly operations, launch windows, spacecraft, and probes to be launched from spacecraft to planet's surface. (MSFC Release 66-73)
NASA MSFC awarded cost-plus-incentive-fee contracts totaling more than $61 million for "engineering, fabrication, and institutional support services in . . . Saturn launch vehicle program" to nine firms: Sperry Rand Corp.; Vitro Corp.; Brown Engineering Co.; Spaco, Inc.; Northrop Corp.; Hayes International Corp.; Management Services, Inc.; Rust Engineering Co.; and RCA Service Co. Awards were first one-year renewals under options of original contracts awarded in 1965. (MSFC Release 66-74)
Secretary of the Air Force Dr. Harold Brown testified before the House Armed Services Committee that UFO reports investigated by USAF under Project Blue Book indicated no threat to our national security: "Based upon 10,147 reported sightings from 1947 through 1965 . . . the Air Force has succeeded in identifying 9,501 of these objects. Virtually all of these sightings were derived from subjective human observations and interpolations. The most common of these were astronomical sightings. . . . Other major sources of reported sightings include . . . satellites, mirages, and spurious radar indications. The remaining 646 . . . are those in which the information available does not provide an adequate basis for analysis, or for which the information suggests a hypothesis but the object or phenomenon explaining it cannot be proved to have been there or taken place at that time." Dr. Brown assured committee that USAF would contract a group of scientific experts to conduct an "in depth study" of selected UFO sightings. (Text, AP, Wash. Post, 4/22/66, A4)
Success of U.S.S.R.'s LUNA IX and LUNA X missions supported two important conclusions, suggested the New York Times in an editorial: "The Soviet Union is now well ahead of the United States in scientific exploration of the moon; Moscow's scientists are straining to beat this country in achieving man's first round-trip to the moon. . . . "But no matter which nation will be first to conquer the moon, it is important to clarify the legal issues arising from this development. There should be general international agreement that the moon is the property of all mankind and not of any one nation . . . [and] is open for research by scientists of all nations. . . ." (NYT, 4/5/66, 36M)
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