Mar 18 1966
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (2MB PDF)
Astronauts Armstrong and Scott landed safely in Honolulu after KC-135 jet aircraft carrying them from Okinawa to KSC lost oil pressure in its number two engine about 800 mi. east of Hawaii. Armstrong and Scott had earlier received an enthusiastic reception-with brass band when they disembarked at Okinawa from recovery ship U.S.S. Leonard F. Mason for flight to Honolulu. ‘‘(UPI, Wash. Post, 3/19/66, A4; AP, NYT, 3/18/66, 21)’’
USAF launched two unidentified satellites with Atlas-Agena D booster from WTR. ‘‘(U.S. Aeron. & Space Act., 1966, 149)’’
Dr. Donald F. Hornig, Director of Office of Science and Technology and science adviser to the President, in memorandum to President Johnson said: “In October 1965 I convened an ad hoc Jet Aircraft Noise Panel. . . I am pleased to be able to present to you the report of this Panel entitled ‘Alleviation of Jet Aircraft Noise Near Airports.’ ” Principal recommendations were: (1) initiation of Federally-supported studies of expected scope of noise problem through 1975 and of public and private programs needed to combat the problem; (2) creation of a federal task force to analyze the problem; (3) development of valid, broadly applicable standards of noise measurement; (4) pursuit of definitive technical study to reduce noise levels; (5) establishment of task force to investigate methods for Federal participation in program for compatible land utilization near airports; (6) initiation of program to modify operating procedures and techniques that would reduce engine noise without compromising safety. ‘‘(Pres. Doc., 3/21/66, 404)’’
First anniversary of the VOSKHOD II mission when Soviet Cosmonaut Aleksei A. Leonov became the first man to float in space. Interviewed on Radio Moscow, Leonov said his space walk had caused the spacecraft to begin rotating unexpectedly: “Down on earth we had trained for every emergency, but not for this since we had thought my weight of 176 pounds would have no effect on a six-ton ship. Yet, my weight caused the ship to rotate.” Pravda disclosed that VOSKHOD II, carrying Leonov and Col. Pavel I. Belyayev, had landed outside the target area in a snow bank near the city of Perm in the Ural Mountains: “Searchers took more than 24 hours to reach the cosmonauts and another 24 hours and a 12-mile ski trip before the men could be lifted out of the forest by helicopters.” ‘‘(Tass, 3/18/66; rash. Post, 3/19/66, A4; WI, NYT, 2/21/66)’’
Catalog identifying and locating every known star in the heavens down to the ninth magnitude, providing astronomers with instant reference to the entire sky, was published by GPO. Compiled by Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory under NASA grant, 2,700-page, four-volume catalog unified 50 different sources to provide position, photographic and visual magnitude, spectral type, and other essential data for 250,000 heavenly bodies. ‘‘(Sci. Serv., NYT, 5/5/66, 21)’’
Speaking in Denver at Colorado Women’s College, Dr. Nancy G. Roman, NASA Chief of Astronomy Programs, OSSA, said a primary reason for lack of women in space was that few had the scientific training. Even NASA’s 300 women professionals were few compared to their number in other agencies, she said. Young women interested in a career in space science were advised to concentrate first on the basics of their preferred area “because the fundamentals of the science used in space study are no different from those in more traditional fields. Equally important is to learn how to think, to face and solve problems and how to find the facts we need, not just remember them . . . . Space as a career depends on the individual who’s considering it. It is glamorous and it’s also dirty work.” Dr. Roman said she was sure there would be women astronauts “if manned space flights continue as we expect them to.” ‘‘(von Ende, Denver Post, 3/19/66)’’
Douglas Aircraft Co. conducted successful acceptance test of fourth flight Saturn S-IVB (204) at its Sacramento Test Center. Stage was fired for about 455 sec. ‘‘(Marshall Star, 3/23/66, 7)’’
Click here to listen to a sequence of broadcasts about Gemini 8 recorded on this day.
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