Feb 13 1969
From The Space Library
February 13-14: NASA successfully launched one Nike-Tomahawk and six Nike-Apache sounding rockets carrying chemical cloud experiments from NASA Wallops Station between 6:11 pm and 6:13 am EST. Rockets ejected vapor trails between 50- and 186-mi (80.5- and 299.3-km) altitudes to measure wind velocities and directions. Nike-Tomahawk launched at dusk and Nike-Apache launched at dawn carried sodium experiments which created reddish-orange trails. Other five payloads consisted of trimethylaluminum (TMA) experiments which formed pale white clouds. Data were obtained by photographing continuously motions of trails from five ground-based camera sites. Launches were conducted for GCA Corp. under GSFC contract. In conjunction with vapor series USA Ballistics Laboratory at Aberdeen, Md., fired six projectiles containing cesium experiments to 330,000-ft altitude between 8:07 pm and 6:23 am EST for comparative study of winds. Three experiments failed to eject chemical; dispersion of cesium from remaining three projectiles was recorded by ground-based radar and ionospheric sounding stations. (WS Release 69-5; NASA Release 69-28; NYT, 2/14/69, 41)
February 13: President Nixon's Science Adviser, Dr. Lee A. DuBridge, announced at his first Washington press conference that overall plan for next decade of U.S. space program would be drafted at President's request by his office, NASA, NASC, and DOD for submission to President about Sept. 1. Charting "new directions, new goals and new programs for the entire United States Space program" was necessary. "Bringing to the benefit of people the marvelous space technologies that have been developed in the last decade and certainly orbiting satellites for the purpose of learning more about the earth must be an important element in our future space program," Dr. DuBridge said. "Whole problem" was balance between that enterprise and planetary and lunar exploration and "this is the problem which our group will seek . . . to bring into perspective as we project ahead and consider the budget problems that also lie ahead." In answer to question on White House appointments, Dr. DuBridge said, "We have not yet located the right man" for either Administrator of NASA or Executive Secretary for Space Council. (Transcript; White House Memo)
Arthur S. Flemming Awards for 1969 were presented to 10 outstanding young men in Federal Government in Mayflower Hotel ceremony in Washington, D.C. Winners included James J. Kramer, Chief of LeRC Propulsions Systems Acoustics Branch, who kept solid rocket program "on schedule and within budgeted costs," and Dr. Norman F. Ness, head of Extraterrestrial Physics Branch, GSFC, who made "significant contributions" to understanding space through Explorer satellite program. Dr. Richard E. Hallgren, Director of Commerce Dept.'s world weather systems, was named for "imaginative leadership" in recognizing and integrating requirements of oceanographers and meteorologists. (W Star, 2/13/69, B6; Lac Release 69-3)
Washington Post reported Washington Airlines President Robert Richardson had said first scheduled STOL air shuttle in U.S. had lost more than 8100,000, cut back operations 44%, and operated at less than half break-even load factor during first four months of service. He attributed most difficulties to start-up problems, including minor equipment shortcomings which had been corrected. Airline was lowering fares and could, said Richardson, break even in 12-18 mos. (Koprowski, W Post, 2/13/69, C9)
At GSFC, satellite mapping authority Dr. John A. O'Keefe was preparing first precise maps of Tibet using photographs taken from 100-mi altitude by U.S. astronauts and data obtained between 1890s and 1935 by Swedish explorer Sven Hedin during only extensive survey of area by outsider. Expedition's survey sightings on mountain peaks were being applied to numerous photographs from space. Revised maps would be published in Sweden. (Sullivan, NYT, 2/13/69, 14)
Intelligence briefings to high DOD officials had indicated U.S.S.R. missile defense was three-quarters complete and had been slowed in recent months to improve its radar system, said William Beecher in New York Times. Briefings also indicated that antimissile system around Moscow, even when finished, would not alter balance of power between U.S.S.R. and U.S. or undermine U.S. retaliatory power. (NYT, 2/13/69, 1)
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