Aug 18 1962
From The Space Library
Massive celebration in the Kremlin on Soviet Air Force Day as the new Russian space heroes, Cosmonauts Major Andrian Nikolayev and Lt. Colonel Pavel Popovich, were feted. In round of speech making, Premier Nikita Khrushchev welcomed the cosmonauts and their families, awarded them "Hero of the Soviet Union" medals, and said: "We are gathering new strength to surprise the world with our discoveries and victories." He also demanded that the Western Allies get out of Berlin.
U.S.S.R. launched COSMOS VIII into orbit. Reported preliminary orbital data: perigee, 159 mi.; apogee, 375 mi.; inclination, 49° to Equator; period, 92.9 min.
Norway, in cooperation with Denmark and the U.S., launched its first ionosphere probe from Andoeya, Norway, the probe reaching altitude of about 100 km. to measure electron density and collision frequency in the ionosphere. Under arrangements between the Norwegian Committee for Space Research, NASA, and the Royal Technical University of Copenhagen, Denmark, the Norwegian Defense Research Establishment designed and fabricated the instrument equipment. For this and future launchings, Norway was assembling and launching Nike-Cajun rockets, purchased in U.S. under NASA sponsorship. NASA personnel and equipment supported telemetry operations. Results of flight would be compared with data obtained from past and future probes launched at NASA Wallops Station in Norway-U.S. cooperative program.
Reported that Secretary of Defense McNamara was not surprised by the Soviet double-orbiting of VOSTOK III and IV, and that he did not consider the flights as cause for changing the U.S. military space program.
Senator Wiley of Wisconsin urged that Congress before adjournment conduct hearings on the military implications of U.S.S.R. two-man orbital space flights.
Dr. Carl E. Sagan, University of California, astronomer, warned scientists at the Lunar Exploration Conference, Blacksburg, Va., of the need for sterilization of lunar spacecraft and decontamination of Apollo crewmen, pointing out that LUNIK II and RANGER IV probably had deposited a million terrestrial micro-organisms on the moon, possibly contaminating areas around the impact points. Even more serious, he said, was the possibility that lunar microorganisms might be brought to earth where they could multiply explosively.
Washington Evening Star reported that USAF had orbited or attempted to orbit 24 unmanned, unidentified satellites since autumn 1961 when DOD adopted its policy of not issuing details of satellite launchings.
“Flight of Vostok III” article in the Illustrated London News
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