May 13 1966
From The Space Library
156-in.-dia., glass-reinforced, plastic-cased, submerged-nozzle solid motor reached full thrust of 300,000 lbs. in static firing at Thiokol Chemical Corp.’s Wasatch Div. Nozzle had expansion ratio of 34:l and directed exhaust into 83-ft.-long diffuser tube to simulate high-altitude atmospheric conditions. Motor was one of two units being built by Thiokol under contract to AFSC Space Systems Div. to demonstrate feasibility of a high-mass-fraction, high-performance, upper-stage 156in. solid motor. (Av. Wk., 5/23/66, 29)
Apollo Spacecraft LEM Adapter (SLA) was transported by helicopter from Tulsa to MSC for series of vibration and acoustics tests in conjunction with other Apollo spacecraft modules and a Saturn I-B instrument unit. (MSC Roundup, 5/27/66, 1)
Electrical fire broke out in basement of unoccupied room at JPL and briefly interrupted communications with NASA PIONEER VI interplanetary probe. Cause of fire had not yet been determined. (AP, Wash. Post, 5/14/66, A4)
World’s first commercial model of nuclear power generator was marketed by Martin Co. for $63,000. Designed to produce 25w of electricity for at least five years without refueling, 3,000-lb. device converted heat from radioactive strontium-90 into electricity. (Wilford, W I , 5/13/66, 55)
AFSC awarded Martin Marietta Corp. $3,115,200 increment to existing contract to study Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) compatibility requirements for Titan III program. Work would be done in Denver, Colo. (DOD Release 413-66)
NASA was negotiating $35,000 contract with RCA for continued research on simplified process for manufacturing microelectric printed circuits by printing patterns of paste or slurry through screens onto a ceramic wafer. Utilizing new transistor developed jointly by NASA and RCA, process would enable transistor formerly inserted by hand to be printed onto the wafer simultaneously with resistors and capacitors and permit several connections to be formed at one time. Contract would be managed by IARC. (NASA Release 66-109)
Moonwalker”-device developed by Space General Corp. for astronauts to travel on the moon -had been adapted for crippled children. Built under HEW grant, 90-lb. machine, which walked on eight mechanical legs, could negotiate sand or mud, climb and descend stairs, step up a normal street curb, and climb grades of 15° or more. (Wash. Eve. Star, 5/13/66, A1; Brevard Sentinel, 5/13/66)
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