Dec 27 1967
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos CXCVIII into orbit with 281-km (175-mi) apogee, 265-km (165-mi) perigee, 89.8-min period, and 65.1° inclination. Equipment and instruments performed satisfactorily. (CSFC SSR, 12/30/67)
NASA's ATS III, launched from ETR Nov. 5, had successfully met its mission objective of operating for 30 days and obtaining useful data from onboard experiments. Resistojet thruster had experienced valve malfunction, but thrust data were still being obtained. Multicolor Spin-Scan Cloud Camera successfully transmitted 123 photos before it was turned off because of an arcing problem. Omega Position Location Experiment was successfully operated in communications tests with aircraft in flight over the Atlantic Ocean, and all other experiments except Self-contained Navigation System, which was scheduled to be operated in spring 1968, had been successfully operated. (NASA Proj Off)
Apollo/Saturn V 3rd stage was flown from McDonnell Douglas' Sacramento, Calif., plant to KSC via Super Guppy aircraft. Other stages for third Apollo/Saturn V mission had been transported to KSC by barge. Boeing-built 1st stage, aboard NASA barge Poseidon, and NAR-built 2nd stage, aboard Point Barrow, had reached KSC Dec. 26. IBM instrument unit would be flown to KSC from IBM's Huntsville, Ala., plant via Super Guppy Dec. 29. Stages would be assembled in KSC's Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB). (KSC Release 44S-67; MSFC Release 67-245)
ComSatCorp awarded J. W. Bateson Co., Dallas, Tex., a $7.9-million contract for construction of a new research laboratory near route 70-S in Montgomery County, Md., 30 mi from ComSatCorp's Washington, D.C., headquarters. Construction would begin immediately. (ComSatCorp Release 67-56; W Post, 12/28/67, F9)
President Johnson was expected to ask Congress for the smallest civilian space budget in six years for FY 1969, Evert Clark reported in the New York Times. According to his sources, the FY 1969 request would probably be close to $4 billion. DOD's space budget request, however, was expected to be higher than record $2 billion requested for FY 1968, chiefly because USAF's MOL would require more development funds. (Clark, NYT, 12/28/67,6)
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