Apr 24 1967
From The Space Library
After successful wheel orientation maneuver ESSA V's No. 1 meteorological camera was turned on for the first time and transmitted "high quality" cloud cover pictures. Photography, originally scheduled to begin April 22, had been delayed until analysis of spacecraft's telemetry system confirmed that spacecraft and subsystems were working satisfactorily. Operation of ESSA V , launched by NASA April 20, would be turned over to ESSA in early May. (NASA Release 67-98)
US. leaders expressed sorrow at the death of Cosmonaut Vladimir M. Komarov. President Johnson: "The death of Vladimir M. Komarov is a tragedy in which all nations share. Like three American astronauts who lost their lives recently, this distinguished space pioneer died in the cause of science and in the eternal spirit of human adventure." -Vice President Humphrey: "It is with great sorrow that we learn of the tragedy involving Vladimir M. Komarov. The loss of a dedicated life is indeed a heavy price. Yet progress and space development is necessary." NASA Administrator James E. Webb: "All of us who have faced the difficulties of understanding and putting to use the forces of nature at the outer edge of Man's knowledge of what is possible in this decade deeply regret the loss of life represented by the death of Cosmonaut Komarov, and extend our sincere sympathy to his family and associates. We feel certain that man will achieve great things in space. Some of these will determine what the men will be able to do on earth. "We also feel that at this dawn of the space age, man has the duty to seek cooperation between nations, such as the USSR and the United States on a realistic basis. We at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration want to make every realistic effort. Could the lives already lost have been saved if we had known each other's hopes, aspirations and plans? Or could they have been saved if full cooperation had been the order of the day?" US. astronauts: "We are very saddened by the loss of Colonel Komarov. We feel comradeship for this test pilot because we have met several of his fellow cosmonauts and we are involved in a pioneering flight effort which is not without hazards." (Text, PD, 5/1/67, 660; AP, NYT, 4/25/67, 21)
Soyuz 1 launch and re-entry tragedy footage
NASA Aerobee 150 sounding rocket launched from WSMR carried GSFC-instrumented payload to 112-mi (181-km) altitude to observe solar spectrum from 3 k to 400 A in conjunction with OSO III spectrometer instrument [see Mar. 8]. Rocket and instrumentation performance were satisfactory. (NASA Rpt SRL)
NASA revised designations for Apollo and AA missions: (1) all Apollo missions would be numbered sequentially in the order flown with the next Apollo mission to be designated Apollo 4, followed by Apollo 5, etc.; (2) AA missions would be designated sequentially as UP-1, UP-2, etc. Number designations would not differentiate between manned or unmanned Uprated Saturn I and Saturn V missions. (Text)
Report on space rescue prepared by RAND Corp. for NASA recommended that all future spacecraft be compartmented with crew spread among separate detachable modules. Each module would carry additional survival equipment for use in space rescue missions in earth orbit, during lunar flights, and manned planetary missions, and would be equipped with a spare Earth Reentry Module (ERM) . Study estimated, however, that even with an emergency system available, rescues would be successful in only 80% of space emergencies. (Taylor, Tech Wk, 4/24/67,16)
MSC awarded MIT a $500,000 contract to study, develop, and test an advanced control guidance and navigation system for long-duration, post-Apollo manned spaceflight missions. (MSC Release 67-17)
Water might have played an important role in shaping the lunar surface, Dr. Harold C. Urey, Univ. of California physicist, told National Academy of Sciences. As evidence to support his theory of the former existence of "lakes" on the lunar surface, Dr. Urey showed spacecraft photos of the moon's surface in which material had filled in depressions as though it were free-flowing. He also cited carbon-rich meteorites which seemed to be fragments of ancient lake beds. Dr. Urey believed many, if not all, the stony meteorites were fragments dislodged from the moon by impacting objects such as iron meteorites. As further evidence of water action, he noted the presence of meteorites within which numerous founded fragments were embedded which appeared to have been shaped by frictional effects within flowing material. A body much smaller than the moon would not have had sufficient gravity for this flow effect, Dr. Urey argued. (Sullivan, NYT, 4/25/67,23)
ComSatCorp selected Holmes & Narver, Inc., to provide architectural and engineering services for three new earth stations under two contracts-$361,600 for West Virginia and California facilities, and $194,200 for Puerto Rico station. (ComSatCorp Release 67-32)
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