Nov 18 1968

From The Space Library

Bullet fragment in brain of holdup victim Joseph Barrios was successfully repositioned into brain membrane by whirling patient in ARC centrifuge, subjecting him to force of 6 g. Fragment had moved from critical central ventricle to lateral ventricle when doctors at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose, Calif., somersaulted Barrios on rotat­ing chair, but fragment could move again. Force of centrifuge normally used by NASA for space research-imbedded fragment in mem­brane of left ventricle, where it was expected to remain safely encapsu­lated by scar tissue. Dec. 16 x-rays showed fragment had not moved since centrifuge treatment. Barrios was sent home from hospital Dec. 17. (Brody, NYT, 11/21/68, 37; AP, W Post, 11/21/68, A3; ARC As­trogram, 12/8/68, 1; ARC Medical Services Branch)

Astronaut Walter M. Schirra was announced winner of Kitty Hawk Me­morial Trophy for distinguished achievement in aeronautics. Trophy would be presented at annual Wright Brothers memorial banquet in Beverly Hills, Calif., Dec. 6. (UPI, W Star, 11/19/68, A2)

NASA submitted reclama to Bureau of the Budget's tentative FY 1970 budget allowance, for total $4.074 billion. Subsequently, Acting Admin­istrator Thomas 0. Paine met with BOB Director Charles J. Zwick. (NASA Off of Admin)

USAF denied decision had been made to cut back or cancel FB-111 production [see Nov. 15], Wall Street Journal said, but reports per­sisted that fewer than 253 would be purchased because of their high cost and indifferent performance. Aerospace Daily said its sources re­ported recommended cutback of more than 50% was "essentially accu­rate" and put figure at "about 100" to give USAF Unit Equipment force of 90 aircraft. (WSJ, 11/18/68, 12; Aero Daily, 11/18/68)

November 18-19: Conference on Pavement Grooving and Traction Studies was held at LaRC on results of NASA research program into hydroplan­ing and effectiveness of runway and highway grooving in minimizing accidents on wet pavement. Among papers presented, joint NASA-British Ministry of Technology study of tests at Wallops Station showed 1- by 1/4- by 1/4-inch grooving "at least doubled the friction coefficient" of aircraft runway surfaces. Studies by LaRC, California Div. of High­ways, and other state highway departments showed grooving of high­way pavement was effective in preventing wet-weather accidents. (NASA SP-5073)

Air Transport Assn. of America reported that 15- to 19-mo use at three major airports had convinced airlines that runway surface groov­ing was "an effective aid in overcoming hydroplaning" during wet landings. Airline operation evaluation had "dispelled earlier fears that grooving might damage runways or aircraft." (Text; NYT, 11/24/68, 84)

November 18-21: During Geneva conference of IAF on Basic Environmen­tal Problems of Man in Space, Dr. Boris B. Yegorov, only physician to travel in space (launched in U.S.S.R.'s Voskhod 1 Oct. 12, 1964) , told press conference he believed planetary flights would be achieved by 1987. U.S.S.R. was experimenting with 8- to 10-volt electrical shocks administered to improve circulation and stimulate muscles of cosmo­nauts to enable them to endure strain of returning to earth after pro­longed period in confined space capsule. He claimed problem of weightlessness was same for short or long flights and urged immediate planning for flights to galaxies outside solar system. Dr. Walton W. Jones, NASA Director of Biotechnology and Human Research, told conference U.S. could keep astronauts in earth orbit a year within 10 yr if U.S. would allocate sufficient resources to project. ARC experiments had shown rats subjected to gravitational pull 4.7 times above normal had increased life expectancy. He said after meet- ing that NASA planned experiments with rats at zero gravitation to de­termine if aging process was suspended while man was free from gravi­tational pull. Dr. J. F. Kubis of Fordham Univ. emphasized importance of psy­chological factors in selecting space crews. On long flight, "lack of pri­vacy, crowding, and continuous exposure to interaction will become sources of aggravating stress." He recommended no more than one in crew with dominant personality. Soviet scientist Dr. N. N. Gurovsky said condition of two dogs after 22-day orbital flight (in Cosmos CX Feb. 22-March 16, 1966) had aroused forebodings on effect of year-long flights on astronauts. Loss of calcium in bones would make them prone to breaking. Both dogs had .developed liver and intestinal ailments including edemas. Human beings could expect same effects. Earlier reports had noted dogs suf­fered muscular reduction, dehydration, and confusion in adjusting to walking. Cal Tech Prof. Fritz Zwicky said some apparently unexplained deaths on earth each year could be due to blows from meteors or heavy nucleons in cosmic rays. (Hamilton, NYT, 11/20/68, 31; 11/21/68, 18; AP, B Sun, 11/22/68, 1)

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