Dec 12 1966
From The Space Library
XB-70 No. 1 experimental research aircraft, piloted by NASA test pilot Fitzhugh Fulton and North American Aviation, Inc., pilot Van Shepard reached mach 2.52 and 60,000-ft. altitude during national sonic boom program flight. (NASA Proj. Off.)
Howard H. Haglund, formerly Deputy Project Manager and Spacecraft System Manager for Surveyor at JPL, had been named Manager of JPL's Surveyor Project Office. He succeeded Robert J. Parks, who returned to his former position of JPL Assistant Director for Lunar and Planetary Projects. (JPL Release 426)
Efficient management in both industry and Government was the key to a continuing successful space effort, Dr. Edward C. Welsh, NASC Executive Secretary, told the Management Club at Patrick AFB. "The space challenge is unique. To face up to its imperatives calls for new ways of doing things. The pacing item is as much managerial competence as it is technology or money. . . . "Under the stress and pressure of getting the job done, there is imposed a harsh necessity which breeds innovation. So long as purposeful men accept such challenges, this nation will flourish and its economic and political systems will continue to lead the way. On the other hand, should we slip into the path of the familiar and decline to accept the challenge of the new, this nation will suffer a grievous loss and so will the peoples throughout the world. . . ." (Text)
MSFC Director Dr. Wernher von Braun discussed U.S. space objectives and accomplishments in U S . News & World Report interview. Immediate objective, he explained, was "to land an American on the moon in this decade and bring him back alive"; far-reaching goal was "to develop a broad, national space flying capability." He described Gemini program as "a smashing 100 per cent success. . . . The purpose of Gemini was to learn the kind of things you can't learn on the ground . . . and we did make some surprise discoveries, for which we are more than grateful. . . ." Dr. von Braun said there was a "distinct possibility" US. might land a man on the moon in 1968. (US. News, 12/12/66,62-7)
U.S.S.R. launched COSMOS CXXXV into earth orbit with 662-km. (411-mi.) apogee, 259-km. (161-mi.) perigee, and 48.5ø inclination. (U.N. Public Registry, 1/9/67)
New Soviet launch site near Archangel was discovered by British schoolboys after they had tracked several Cosmos satellites and fed information, including data on orbital intersections, into a computer. US. later confirmed U.S.S.R. had been launching satellites from large military base south of Archangel. Only two Soviet launch sites-Baikonur and Kapustin Yar-had previously been publicized. Schoolboys' information, which appeared in Flight International, represented important break in secrecy surrounding Soviet reconnaissance satellites. (Wash. Post, 12/13/66; 12/19/66, A1, A8; NYT, 12/21/66, 25; Time, 12/ 30/66)
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