Jan 9 1970
From The Space Library
U.S.S..R. launched Cosmos CCCXVIII from Baikonur into orbit with 276-km (171.5-mi) apogee, 203-km (126.1-mi) perigee, 89.2-min period, and 64.9° inclination. Satellite reentered Jan. 21. (GSFC SSR, 1/15/70,1130/70; SBD, 1/12170,38)
NASA announced appointment of Philip E. Culbertson, Director of Project Integration for Apollo Applications program, as NASA Director of Advanced Manned Missions Program, OMSF. (NASA Release 70-6)
GSFC announced award of $2,831,670 contract to Hughes Aircraft Co. to develop millimeter-wave communications experiment for NASA's ATS-F satellite, scheduled for launch in 1972. Millimeter-wave frequencies would offer relief for saturated lower frequency bands and provide large bandwidth channels for transmission of TV and high density data-relay traffic. (GSFC Release 1-70)
Bronzite chondrite meteorite weighing 10 kg (22 lbs) was found by Gunther Schwartz, field manager of Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory's Prairie Network, near Lost City, Okla., 73 km (45 mi) east of Tulsa, six days after it had been photographed by network's automatic cameras [see Jan. 31. Schwartz found meteorite less than three fourths kilometer (half mile) from impact point predicted by Smithsonian Observatory scientist Dr. Richard E. McCrosky. (SAO Release 70-01)
Importance of studying asteroids was cited in Science by Dr. Hannes O. Alfven of Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and Univ. of California at San Diego and Dr. Gustaf O. S. Arrhenius of Scripps Institution of Oceanography: "There are now good reasons to believe that the asteroidal belt represents an intermediate stage in the formation of the planets. This links the present conditions in the asteroidal region with the epoch in which the earth and the other planets were accreting from interplanetary grains. Hence, in order to understand how the solar system originated it may be essential to explore the asteroids." Since manned Mars landing would take place after 1980, "it is of interest to discuss whether a sample of an asteroid may be obtained in an easier way, at an earlier time, and as a technologically intermediate step." Asteroid sample could be obtained by landing spacecraft on asteroid or by capturing small asteroid and landing it on earth's surface or storing it in earth orbit for later investigation. (Science, 1/9/70, 139-41)
Apollo 11 Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong received honorary Doctor of Engineering degree from Purdue Univ. Later he told students and press he had no political ambitions but did not criticize astronauts who did. "After all, politics should have something more than lawyers representing the people." (AP, W Post, 1/10/70; KC Times, 1/ 10/70).
Don announced allotment of $100,000,000 to Lockheed-Georgia Co. under USAF contract for production of C-5A aircraft, bringing total obligated to $2,026,229,928. Contract would be managed by Aeronautical Systems Div. (DOD Release 24-70)
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