Dec 14 1963
From The Space Library
First anniversary of MARINER II fly-by of planet Venus, providing data that clouds surrounding Venus are cold and dense and that Venus has surface temperature of 800°F. After passing the planet, MARINER II continued in perpetual solar orbit. Since launch Aug. 27, 1962, MARINER II has traveled 754 million mi. in 474 days. It is currently ahead of earth at straight line distance of 76,172,000 mi. Analysis of MARINER II tracking data provided new determinations of the Astronomical Unit, the mass of Venus and the moon, and locations of points on earth. Communications records included sending commands to the spacecraft flying by Venus (36 million mi.), and reception of signal from the spacecraft at distance of nearly 54 million mi. (NASA Release 63-275)
USAF successfully launched Minuteman ICBM from Vandenberg AFB in flight down the Pacific Missile Range. (MR, 12/23/63, 10)
Marie Marvingt, 88-year-old sportswoman and aviatrix, died in Nancy, France. With copilot she flew English Channel in balloon in 1909. First Frenchwoman to hold pilot's license (1910), she participated in many air shows, held women's records for distance and endurance. (AP, NYT , 12/16/63, 35)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
