Sep 11 1962
From The Space Library
Venus probe MARINER it passed the 2.5-million-mile mark on its 180-million-mile journey to vicinity of Venus. Speed relative to the earth was 6,512 mph. Four of the six scientific experiments aboard were sending data back to earth; the other two experiments would not be activated until spacecraft approached Venus.
President Kennedy toured NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala., and Launch Operations Center, Cape Canaveral, Fla. At MSFC, he inspected a mock-up of the F-1 engine and a Saturn C-1 launch vehicle, and later witnessed 30-sec. static-firing of 1.3-million-lb.-thrust S-I stage for Saturn SA-4 launch vehicle. At Loa, he inspected launch complexes for Mercury-Atlas vehicle, Titan rocket, and Saturn C-1. He then flew to Houston, Tex., to visit NASA Manned Spacecraft Center on September 12. Addressing workers at Cape Canaveral, the President said: "I don't think we can exaggerate the great advantage which the Soviet Union secured in the '50s by being first in space. They were able to give prestige to their system, they were able to give force to their argument that they were an advancing society and that we were on the decline.
"But I believe that we are an advancing society, and I believe that we are on the rise, and I believe that their system is as old as time. . . ." He said that, as long as the American system was to be judged in at least one degree by its achievements in space, the United States "might as well be first, and therefore, this country, both political parties, have determined that the United States shall be first." Reported in the New York Times that new radiation belt created by July 200-mi.-high nuclear explosion in the Pacific was expected to cause cancellation of U.S. planned 500-mi.-high test in the Johnston Island series. Within this new belt, electron intensity was about 100 times greater than usual radiation peak in the outer part of the Van Allen belt; at higher altitudes the electrons could persist for 5 years or more. Before the July test, U.S. had predicted any trapped electrons would disappear "within a few weeks" of the explosion.
U.S. delegate to U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, Francis T. P. Plimpton, replying to Soviet criticism of U.S. high-altitude nuclear explosion, charged that U.S.S.R. had secretly conducted at least one high-altitude nuclear explosion within the last year. "Although the Soviet Union has never announced it, it is a fact that the Soviet Union itself carried out high-altitude nuclear tests during its series which began a year ago this month." September 11: U.S.S.R. delegate to the U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space expressed approval of a subcommittee's recommendation to establish an international sounding rocket launching base on the geomagnetic equator. U.S. delegate Plimpton welcomed the Soviet position.
National Research Corp. had determined that certain micro-organisms may be able to survive such space environment effects as temperature extremes and ultrahigh vacuum, in first phase of study program sponsored by NASA. Five known laboratory strains of micro-organisms were subjected to simulated space conditions for five days, and certain species were found to be "highly resistant" to temperature and ultrahigh vacuum effects. Future studies would consider heat and ultraviolet solar effects and gamma irradiation.
Congressman Victor Anfuso (N.Y.), Speaking before the Pan American Management Club at Cape Canaveral, said: "Recognizing the very significant contrast between our mission in space and that of the Russians, we must do three things:
"1. Convince the world that our venture into space is a peaceful one—to bring back benefits which will create a world of abundance, making war and strife among nations unnecessary. . . .
"2. We must, at all costs, achieve dominance in all phases of space exploration for our own security and that of all peoples of the earth.
"3. We must establish freedom in space and invite all nations of the world, having a contribution to make, to join our efforts.
"To accomplish all these three things requires an all-out effort on our part—a mobilization of all our resources—sacrifices on the part of Government, business, industry, and labor. . . ." AEC reported that KIWI B-113 reactor had been damaged recently during its experimental ground test Series with a static-power run at the Nevada Test Site. Further analysis would be required to determine exact cause and extent of the malfunction.
United Auto Workers and International Association of Machinists unions in Los Angeles announced they had set September 22 as Strike date against 4 aerospace companies—North American Aviation, Inc., [[Lockheed Aircraft]] Corp., General Dynamics Corp., and Ryan Aircraft Co. President Kennedy warned that such a strike, involving nearly 100,000 workers, "would seriously set us back in space exploration and would imperil the Nation's defense." In interview in Yugoslav Government newspaper Borba, Soviet Cosmonaut Gherman S. Titov said U.S.S.R. was planning flight to the moon in 1965. "If some problem arises and a solution is not found immediately, the time is extended." NORAD announced Soviet manned spacecraft VOSTOK III and IV crossed the North American continent 70 times during their double orbital trips August 11-14. NORAD space detection and tracking system tracked the flights for 112 earth orbits.
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