Nov 29 1961
From The Space Library
Mercury -Atlas 5 launch from Cape Canaveral placed Mercury spacecraft carrying chimpanzee "Enos" into orbit; retrorockets were fired on second rather than planned third orbit because of developing malfunction of attitude control system. Mercury capsule was recovered 1 hour and 25 minutes after water landing by the destroyer Stormes, and well-performing "Enos" recovered in excellent condition. Project Mercury officials named John H. Glenn as prime astronaut for the first manned orbital mission with [[M. Scott Carpenter] as backup, and Donald K. Slayton as prime astronaut for second manned orbital mission with Walter Schirra as backup.
President Kennedy, after giving lengthy answer to a question at his regular press conference, was handed a note by his press secretary, which he read and then said: "This chimpanzee who is flying in space took off at 10:08. He reports that everything is perfect and working well." Thomas F. Dixon, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator, in speech before the Greater Los Angeles Press Club, reviewed west coast space projects and said: "All of these projects are part of a unified national program, which was accelerated earlier this year. I want to emphasize that this is a national program. It is not just a NASA program. It is not just a government program. It is a program to mobilize America's manpower and resources to meet the goals we have set for ourselves in space." Soviet Cosmonaut Gagarin in New Delhi said that "we will not have to wait long" for the first manned flight to the Moon. Gagarin was making a 9-day visit to India.
Air Force Office of Aerospace Research (OAR) announced that its Office of Scientific Research had awarded 139 basic research grants and contracts worth almost $8 million so far this fiscal year.
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