Aug 31 1962
From The Space Library
NASA launched four-stage Scout from Wallops Station with re-entry heat-shield experiment, two stages carrying payload to near 80-mi. altitude while other two stages fired payload back to earth near speeds of 18,000 mph.
President Kennedy signed into law the communications satellite bill, which would establish a private corporation in charge of U.S. portion of future global communications satellite network. Satellite corporation board of directors would include six named by communications industry, six elected by public stockholders, and three selected by the President.
James E. Webb, NASA Administrator, was awarded the McCurdy Medal, honoring NASA for "outstanding contributions to the world in the field of science," at the Canadian International Air Show, Toronto.
Senate passed FY 1063 appropriations bill (RR. 12711) as amended, giving NASA $3,704,115,000 for FY 1963. This amount represented $60,115,000 restoration of funds cut by House in its appropriation of $3,644,115,000 for NASA in FY 1963.
Soviet Cosmonauts Andrian G. Nikolayev and Pavel R. Popovich described their re-entry in VOSTOK III and IV, in Pravda article. Their experience was "probably one of the most tremendous impressions in life. . . . Our antennas chaired, the [radio] connection between the earth and the spaceships stopped. We did not close the shields over the portholes and watched with curiosity, from behind the heat-proof glass, flames that raged in different colors alternating from blue to dark red." NASA-supplied Nike-Cajun sounding rocket launched by Swedish Committee of Space Research at Kronogard, Sweden, in experiment to study auroral event in progress, the rocket performing as predicted but payload failing to separate.
Levitt Luzern Custer, pioneer balloonist and member of the Early Bird Club, died at 74 in Dayton, Ohio. In 1909, Custer's first balloon flight set record for longest flight of free balloon in an hour's time, from Dayton to Middletown, Ohio.
Vincent Johnson, NASA Centaur program manager, reportedly said NASA would spend an additional $33 million to accelerate slipping Centaur launch vehicle development. NASA would divert funds from other programs rather than request supplement from Congress.
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