1964

From The Space Library

Johnson Space Center Press Releases. (16MB PDF)

The deepening and broadening of the U.S. space program continued at an accelerated pace in 1964. The U.S. orbited a total of 76 payloads, of which four were deep-space probes, while the U.S.S.R. orbited 35, of which two were deep-space probes. Of the U.S. total NASA orbited 23 payloads. Other major NASA launches (not included in orbital total) were one unsuccessful attempt at orbit (Beacon satellite) and 5 suborbital tests of a burgeoning roster of new launch vehicles, spacecraft, and space equipment. DOD's launch program continued to be numerically larger than NASA's, with 53 satellites successfully orbited during the year. NASA's most publicized flight of the year was the RANGER VII flight to the moon with its close-in photography of the moon. Other solid achievements were APT weather photos from TIROS VIII and the much improved clarity and coverage of weather photos from the first advanced research weather satellite, NIMBUS I. The first generation of active communications satellites concluded with SYNCOM III, which was ma-neuvered into the first truly synchronous orbit of the space age and performed beyond design requirements as a communications relay be-tween Asia and the U.S. A significant scientific contribution was made by EXPLORER XVII, which in 1964 mapped the earth's magnetosphere and found it, instead of the sphere it was previously thought, to be a tremendously elongated comet-like shape. In flight tests Gemini and Apollo spacecraft moved nearer to qualifying as man-rated. The Saturn I completed its seventh (out of 7) successful test flight and orbited a new world weight record of 39,000 lbs. The Centaur continued a successful flight-test program to work the bugs out of the first liquid-hydrogen engines in an operational space vehicle. In ground tests the Saturn IB and V launch vehicles took significant strides in testing of new large engines and of complete stages. In advanced research two achievements of high promise were the full-power runs of solid-core nuclear rocket engines that confirmed the engineering feasibility of nuclear rocket engines with their tremendous increases in specific impulse over chemical-fueled engines, and the successful use of laser in satellite tracking, promising a new order of tracking accuracy for geo-detic and other uses. In DOD's launch program, the most publicized flight was that of Titan III-A on Dec. 10, when the big booster for the proposed MOL successfully flight-tested its crucial transtage. Also DOD continued its policy of launch economy with 8 multiple-satellite launchings, including one (Jan. 11) in which a single Thor-Agena D booster launched 5 satellites. The most publicized event of the Soviet space program in 1964 was its orbiting of VOSKHOD I, a new 3-man spacecraft, with 2 of the crew not trained pilots. For both the U.S. and Russia, one major effort in each program re-mained a question mark at the end of the year. Each country had a deep-space probe (MARINER IV and ZOND II.) enroute to Mars, due for flyby in July 1965. Perhaps never in its seven years had the space age offered such a direct confrontation as this promised to be. (HHR-8; HHN-4 8 ; NASA Release 64-321; ABA, 64, passim.)

Soviet scientists P. M. Bayevsky and K. I. Zhukov reported in the U.S.S.R. Academy of Sciences' Journal, Cosmic Research, that two of their cosmonauts had suffered a rhythm instability in their heartbeats while in space. The condition, cardiac arrhythmia, was observed in both Valery Bykovsky, who spent five days aloft, and Valentina Tereshkova, who orbited the globe for 71 hrs. Both flights were made in June 1963. Changes were attributed to "normal" reactions to weightlessness, but the doctors warned that the condition should be watched closely on future lung-duration flights since it could be a clue to more serious "pathologic changes," including a possibly fatal heart attack. Dr. W. Randolph Lovelace, NASA Director of Space Medicine, saw the electrocardiograms while in Russia and said they showed only "varia-tions we'd expect?' NASA doctors agreed that cardiac arrhythmia should be watched as a potential danger signal but said they had seen "nothing dangerous" so far in U.S. astronauts' heart rhythm changes. (TNS, Bylinsky, Huntsville Times, 12/27/64)

The impact of budgetary restraints upon the Nation's research and development programs was marked in industry, Government agencies, and the university scientific community, John Finney claimed in the New York Times. Employment in the aerospace industry dropped from 1,186,000 in August 1963 to 1,112,000 in September 1964, and manufacturers were forced to turn to civilian products to augment sales. Limiting of NASA funds forced postponement of some of the follow-up programs for Apollo, such as a manned orbiting laboratory. Universities whose research programs depended heavily on Federal research support were having difficulty in obtaining funds to complete projects already undertaken and could no longer expect liberal Government support for their research proposals. (Finney, NYT, 1/11/65)

FAA reported record number of applicants for private pilot's licenses 51,548, an increase of 18% over 1963 total of 44,032. FAA Administrator Najeeb E. Halaby attributed increased public interest in flying to "cooperative efforts on the part of Government and industry in making private flying safer, easier, and cheaper." (FAA Release 65-1)

A milestone in ion engine development was achieved when heavy-coated barium oxide filaments operated for up to 5,000 hrs. in bell-shaped vacuum chamber, NASA Lewis Research Center announced on Dec. 31. Until now, filaments for producing ions in electric engines had had a life of only a few hundred hours. (Lewis News, 1/8/65, 2)

Series of six Sandia Corp. Nike-Tomahawk sounding rockets was launched from May to August. The six Nike-Tomahawks, Which reached altitudes of about 300 km. (186 mi.) , were launched from the Island of Kania, as part of U.S. readiness program for use if space testing of nuclear devices was resumed. Experiment instrumentation for the series was provided by Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory scientists. Objective of the experiment was to obtain precise measurements of radiations in the sun's corona. Another purpose was to demonstrate feasibility of using relatively inexpensive, spin-stabilized, ballistically pointed rockets for solar x-ray spectroscopy. Results of this research were later reported at the December meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU) (OAR Review, 12/64, 22)

During the space age: As of the close of 1964, NASA had placed 70 spacecraft into earth orbit, lunar trajectory, or solar orbit since the birth of NASA on Oct. 1, 1958. Of this number 52 were still orbiting as of Dec. 31, 1964, and 21 were still transmitting signals. Some 55 million data points were being received daily at GSFC, recorded, and stored on magnetic tape at the rate of about 100,000 reels per year. Three of the 70 spacecraft impacted on the moon; 15 re-entered the earth's atmosphere and burned up. Of the 31 silent satellites in orbit, 6 were in orbit about the sun, 25 about the earth. Satellites still transmitting meaningful data included one deep-space probe (MARINER IV), 5 communications satellites (plus the beacon on passive communications satellite ECHO III weather satellites, 10 scientific satellites. (NASA Release 65-1)