Oct 1 1969
From The Space Library
Boreas (Esro IB) satellite-designed, developed, and constructed by European Space Research Organization-was successfully launched by NASA from WTR by Scout booster. Orbital parameters: apogee, 237.4 mi (382 km) ; perigee, 180.8 mi (291 km) ; period, 91.3 min; and inclination, 85.1°. Primary NASA mission objectives were to place Boreas into planned orbit and provide tracking and telemetry support. Boreas was backup for and identical to Aurorae (Esro IA) successfully launched by NASA Oct. 3, 1968. It carried eight experiments to study aurora borealis (Northern Lights) and related phenomena of polar ionosphere, representing six organizations from UK., Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Boreas was third successful ESRO satellite launched by NASA. First success, Iris I (Esro IIB), had been launched by NASA May 16, 1968, to replace ESRO IIA, which had failed to enter orbit May 29, 1967. ESRO was responsible for experiment instrumentation, delivery of spacecraft to launch site, equipment and personnel necessary to mate spacecraft to launch vehicle, and spacecraft testing. NASA provided Scout launch vehicle and launch services in second launching on cost-reimbursable basis under Dec. 30, 1966, agreement with ESRO. (NASA Proj Off; GSFC SSR, 10/15/69; SBD, 10/3/69, 147)
Solid-fuel U.K. Falstaff rocket, carrying equipment to measure vibrations and temperatures, reached mach 5 after launch from Australian monorail launcher at Woomera, Australia, in joint U.K.-Australia research program. (Interavia, 11/69, 1751)
Eleventh anniversary of NASA, established by National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958. (Space Act)
Portrait of James E. Webb, second NASA Administrator (1961-4968), was unveiled in anniversary ceremony at Smithsonian Arts and Industries Building. Painted by Gardner Cox, portrait would eventually hang in NASA Hq. (Program; NASA Release 69-140)
Lockheed C-5A Galaxy, world's largest aircraft, took off from Edwards AFB, Calif." with 410,000-lb load-heaviest ever carried by any aircraft, 21,000 lbs heavier than C-5A was expected to lift even under wartime conditions, and 28,100 lbs heavier than record it established June 16. Aircraft, C-5A No. 3, reached 18,800-ft altitude burning 21,000 lbs of fuel during climb. (P Inq, 10/2/69, 3; UPI Service, 10/2/69)
Sud-Aviation chief test pilot Andre Turcat flew Anglo-French Concorde 001 supersonic airliner for about nine minutes at mach 1.05 (693 mph), passing sound barrier for first time. Two outer engines were at full force and two inner engines at less than capacity force during 36,000-ft-altitude flight. Concorde flew from Toulouse-Blagnac Airport. (NYT, 10/1/69, 1)
Vice President Spiro T. Agnew said at press conference following tour of JPL : ". . . the cities may benefit more from what's happening right here at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory than they do from what's happening in some community action agency. Now, I'm not downgrading the need to work closely with people . . . but I think it would be a desperate mistake . .. to adopt an attitude that we do not challenge the unknown, we do not move forward simply because we can't predict what we're going to find." Columbus "didn't find what he went for but he found something even better. Maybe that applies to the situation with regard to the ultimate goal ... about landing a man on Mars. . . . e may do something a lot better." In reply to question, he said: "We will never reach a point where we'll have enough money for . . . the problems of the cities and of the population. . . we could spend every resource we have and forego any scientific exploration and forget the need to research and develop new techniques. . . . I suppose you come down to the final determination that you've got to put some of your effort in the future and not all of it in the present. And I don't think the lack of a focus in the space program would be a benefit at all to the future of the cities and the problems you mention." (Transcript)
NASA launched Boreas, European Space Research Organization satellite, to study the aurora borealis and polar atmosphere. In the photo the spacecraft was prepared for launch on a four-stage Scout booster from the Western Test Range.
Daniel J. Harnett was sworn in as NASA Assistant Administrator for Industry Affairs. He had held executive positions with Northrop Corp. since 1964. (NASA Release 69-139)
Soviet space scientist Dr. Oleg G. Gazenko said at news conference during meeting of International Academy of Astronautics at Cloudcroft, N.Mex., it would be desirable and technically feasible for cosmonaut to be member of future Apollo moon-landing crew. (AP, B Sun, 10/2/69, A15)
Twenty-third anniversary of Naval Missile Center at Point Mugu, Calif." USN's principal facility for testing and evaluating air-launched missiles and other airborne weapons systems. (PMR Missile, 10/3/69, 1)
William Teir, Saturn IB program manager at MSFC, became deputy director for management of Program Management directorate. (MSFC Release 69-225)
Japan inaugurated semiofficial Space Development Corp. to coordinate space activities, including orbiting of two satellites-one in 1972 for ionospheric observation and one in 1974 for communications. Corporation would replace system under which projects were undertaken separately by different ministries. Its 539-million yen ($1.5-million) capital had been raised by government fund of 500 million yen and 39 million yen from private industry. (Reuters, NYT, 10/5/69, L27)
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