Jan 31 1969
From The Space Library
Eleventh anniversary of [[Explorer I ]], first U.S. satellite. Since its launch Jan. 31, 1958, the 30.8-lb stovepipe-shaped satellite had completed nearly 60,000 revolutions around earth and on Dec. 31, 1968, was in orbit with 632-mi (10,170.8-km) apogee, 199.9-mi (321.7-km) perigee, and 98.1-min period. (MSFC Release 69-26)
Apollo 9 press briefing was held at NASA Hq. Countdown would begin Feb. 22, for launch from ETR at 11 am EST Feb. 28. Ten-day earth-orbital mission would demonstrate LM manned crew performance for first time and carry out intervehicular activities between spacecraft, through-docking-tunnel activities, and EVA. Number of small aluminum-alloy brackets and fittings had been replaced or reinforced in LM -3 and LM -4 because they were sensitive to stress or corrosion. Both vehicles were ready for flight. Apollo Program Director George H. Hage said number of activities would be performed on Apollo 9 that had not been done before "in the sense of wringing out the spacecraft." NASA was "working the hardware launch readiness of Apollo 10 to a late April date" so that "if we have difficulty on Apollo 9 and need to repeat some element or all of the D mission, we can get that mission off as early as possible." If Apollo 9 was successful Apollo 10 could be launched as early as May 17 on lunar landing mission. (Transcript)
NASA successfully launched two Nike-Cajun, one Arcas, and three Nike-Apache sounding rockets from Wallops Station, carrying experiments to measure meteorological, ionospheric, and composition characteristics of upper atmosphere during "winter anomaly"-unusual absorption of radio waves-which occurred during January or early February. Launches would contribute to specimen day program, coordinated investigation of winter variability of D region of ionosphere above Wallops. Nike-Cajun s carried GSFC payloads to 75.2-mi (121-km) and 12.4-mi (20-km) altitudes. All 19 grenades on each rocket detonated as planned and sound arrivals were recorded, but poor vehicle performance of second rocket prevented acquisition of useful data. Arcas carried Naval Weapons Center payload to 33.2-mi (53.4-km) altitude to measure ozone concentration in 18.6- to 37.3-mi (30- to 60-km) region during parachute descent, but parachute did not deploy satisfactorily and payload descended too rapidly for recovery. First Nike-Apache carried Univ. of Illinois-GCA Corp. payload to 141.1-mi (227-km) altitude to investigate winter variability of D region of ionosphere and measure differential absorption, Faraday rotation, and probe current to determine electron density, collision frequency, and temperature. Second Nike-Apache carried Univ. of Colorado payload to 71.5-mi (115-km) altitude to obtain vertical profile of nitric oxide density, using scanning monochromoter. Third Nike-Apache carried GSFC payload to 72.1-mi (116-km) altitude to measure degree of polarization and intensity of nitric oxide emission at 2,147 A to determine whether resonance scattering of sunlight was responsible for emission in D and E regions. Secondary objective was to determine altitude profile in 46.6- to 65.2-mi (75- to 105-km) region. Desired spectrum was not observed, apparently because of mechanical failure in payload. (NASA Rpts SRL; WS Release 69-3)
President Nixon, accompanied by Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird, visited DOD employees at Pentagon. President recalled reference made by Astronaut Frank Borman at White House Apollo 8 briefing Jan. 30 to "400,000 men and women in the Nation who at one time or another had played a part in making this great, spectacular feat possible." President said, "I was glad to see Colonel Borman bring it home that way. Four hundred thousand made it possible for this magnificent achievement to occur. I trust that all of you can convey that kind of spirit to those who work in the Defense Department." (PD, 2/3/69, 194)
Sen. Kenneth McC. Anderson, Australian Minister for Supply, accepted NASA Group Achievement Award for Dept. of Supply at NASA Hq. luncheon for "outstanding contributions in the establishment and operation of the stations and associated facilities in Australia which assured the success of the Apollo 8 mission. . . ." Sen. Anderson also received awards for Apollo 8 support by MSFC stations at Canberra and Carnarvon and DSN station at Canberra. (NASA Release 69-23)
FAA said preliminary figures showed its 27 air route traffic control centers handled 19.5 million aircraft in 1968, an increase of 17% over 1967. Chicago, New York, and Cleveland each logged 1.5 million operations -first time any center had reached this mark. (FAA Release 69-15)
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