Aug 21 1969
From The Space Library
NASA's X-24 A lifting-body vehicle, piloted by Maj. Jerauld R. Gentry, successfully completed third flight after air-launch from B-52 aircraft over South Rogers Lake Bed, Calif. Objectives of unpowered flight were to obtain handling qualities, stability and control derivatives, flow visualization over aft portion of vehicle, and longitudinal trim curves and lift-to-drag ratio at 15° upper-flap setting. Procedural error caused X-24 A to be launched 35 secs early and some planned data were not obtained. (NASA Proj Off)
Intelsat I (Early Bird ) had been put back into orbital retirement and full communications service via Intelsat-III F-2 had been restored, ComSatCorp announced. Intelsat I, reactivated June 30 after six-month retirement to compensate for failure of Intelsat-III F-2 until service was restored Aug. 1, would remain in orbit and would be capable of operational service if needed. Restored Intelsat-III F-2 was handling 620 full-time commercial circuits serving countries in Atlantic area and transatlantic TV programming when ordered. (INTELSAT Release 69-53)
NASA launched series of three sounding rockets from Wallops Station. Nike-Tomahawk carried GSFC payload to 141.1-mi (227.0-km) altitude to test neutral-mass spectrometer system with unique sample-flow and test-leak subsystem necessary for making high-pressure neutral-constituent measurements on planned Mars and Venus missions and to demonstrate capability of sterilized-mass-spectrometer electronics in flight environment for first time. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily and complete data were obtained. Nike-Tomahawk carried GSFC and Univ. of Michigan payload to 197.6-mi (318.0-km) altitude to measure nitrogen density and temperature. Secondary objectives were to evaluate Omegatron system designed for San Marco-C satellite, measure density and temperature of nitrogen simultaneously, compare Pitot-static-probe and thermosphere-probe density in 74.6-mi (120.0-km) region, and validate mass spectrometer nitrogen measurement and electrostatic-probe electron temperature data. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily and complete data were obtained. Nike-Apache carried Univ. of Michigan payload to 124.3-mi (200.0-km) altitude to measure neutral atmospheric density by Pitot technique in 18.4- to 74.6-mi (30.0- to 120.0-km) region. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily and all atmospheric measurements made by Pitot probe were excellent. (NASA Rpts gm)
Every scientist-astronaut except one-geologist Harrison Schmitt-had been removed from NASA's lunar landing training list, Victor Cohn reported in Washington Post. Report was later denied by NASA. Cohn said remaining scientists had been assigned to train for long-duration earth-orbiting Apollo Applications missions beginning in 1972. (W Post, 8/21/69, Al; 8/22/69, A18)
Washington Post published letter from Irene S. Rubin in Lampang, Thailand. Real impact of Apollo 11 success in Thailand had been "on the group of educated men who have some effect on government. Their primary reaction was not one of shared accomplishment but of shame in the gap thus dramatized between themselves and the developed countries." Though U.S. could not hide technological capacity, "I think we should be more aware of the context into which news of the Apollo mission is received. Far from bringing the world closer together with such performances, we may be arousing bitterness and obstinacy in the misallocation of development funds." (W Post, 8/21/69, A18)
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