Feb 28 1967
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. launched the meteorological satellite Cosmos CXLIV into orbit with 635-km (395-mi) apogee, 585-km (364 mi) perigee, 96.9-min period, and 81.20ΓΈ inclination. All equipment was functioning normally. (Tech Wk, 3/6/67, 15; Ten Years of Space Research in the U.S.S.R., USS-T Trans, vol. 5, No. 5,1967)
President Johnson sent $149.8-million FY 1968 budget amendment to Congress which included $91 million for development of Rover nuclear-powered rocket engine. In his message, the President stated: "Government scientists and engineers have now concluded that a much more powerful nuclear engine would have distinct advantages over rockets now in use. I am recommending that . . . [US.] move ahead with the development of a nuclear engine having a potential of 200,000 to 250,000 pounds of thrust. Such an engine could be used for a new and much more powerful third stage for our Saturn V launch vehicle. Because of its high efficiency, it could: [1] permit us almost to double the weight of the present payload of the Saturn V vehicle, [2] increase our ability to maneuver spacecraft, and [3] be used in future manned landings and explorations of far distant planets. . . ." (PD, 3/6/67,33&5)
President Johnson's FY 1968 budget recommendations marked "a turning point in the Nation's space program," NASA Administrator James E. Webb testified before the House Committee on Science and Astronautics. Webb said President Johnson had "placed before the Congress a program which says that this Nation must go forward in space and not call it quits at the end of this decade." He summarized recommendations for (1) completion of Apollo program; (2) development of capabilities for long-duration manned space flight in Apollo Applications (AA) program; (3) development of "practical applications of our space know-how" using capabilities of AA program and "advanced unmanned systems like the AT&T; (4) planetary exploration through Voyager program; (5) development of NERVA II nuclear rocket engine; and (6) increase in aeronautical research efforts to deal with "emerging problems of civil as well as military aviation" [see Jan. 25]. Webb announced that NASA had established Voyager program management responsibilities "designed to make the best possible utilization of the proved capabilities" of JPL "and of our field centers and laboratories." Voyager program, since 1 9 a under NASA Hq. Division of Lunar and Planetary Programs, would become a separate division in OSSA with Oran W. Nicks as Director and Donald P. Hearth, Deputy Director. JPL would be responsible for surface laboratory, tracking, and mission operations systems; MSFC, for orbiting spacecraft and Saturn V launch vehicle systems; and LaRC, for landing capsule bus system. Discussing the NASA program, Webb said: "I should be very clear on the subject of risks. In moving ahead to utilize the resources made available to us, we have had to take technical risks in the development of our equipment and in establishing our schedules. These have included risks that a particular design or line of development would not succeed in meeting the specifications; risks that schedules might not be met; and that we could not recover from a serious setback because we did not have parallel or back-up developments. But we have not knowingly accepted a higher level of risks in order to meet our manned flight schedules. In our specifications, trade-off studies, test criteria, or mission plans, we have taken no risks to the lives or safety of the astronauts that we could find a way to avoid." Webb urged that decisions on Voyager and AA programs and on NERVA II be made this year to avoid acceleration of the "dispersal of the know-how that we have built up in government, industry, and universities that has already begun. . . ." Questioned by Rep. James G. Fulton (R-Pa.) on whether US. or U.S.S.R. led in space technology, Webb replied that U.S.S.R. would be ahead in large spacecraft until "we get the NERVA as a third stage for the Saturn V which will roughly double the capability of the Saturn V for Earth-escape missions." While U.S.S.R. may lead in planetary exploration, he said, US. was superior in "the very sophisticated use of microminiaturization and many new techniques of handling data." (Testimony; Transcript, 14-15, 28-9, 34; NASA Release 6740; NYT, 3/1/67, 29)
NASA awarded Carco Electronics Co. a $692,000 contract to design, fabricate, install, and check out a dynamic test stand for prototype Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) control moment gyro system. Installation at LaRC was scheduled for completion by spring 1968. (NASA Release 67-41)
NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications Dr. Homer E. Newell stressed importance of rocketsonde in speech at AIAA Sounding Rocket Vehicle Technology Specialist Conference in Williamsburg, Va. "There is still a lot of important research to be done between the maximum heights of balloons and the minimum heights of satellites. The sounding rocket gives us the means for carrying out such investigations. [It] is valuable for checking out equipment, testing the design of an experiment, conducting an exploratory survey, probing for early discoveries, and in general providing an inexpensive means to lay the groundwork for more expensive satellite and space probe experiments to follow." Important uses for sounding rockets included: detection of x-ray soums; generation of artificial plasma clouds in space; solar observations; investigation of eclipses; study of atmospheric and ionospheric phenomena; and collection of micrometeoroids. Dr. Newell concluded: "We at NASA regard the sounding rocket program as a vital part of our total national space effort. It will continue to receive our strong support." (Text)
NASA had presented monetary awards totaling $4,200 to six inventors, all employed by industrial contractors, for advancements in space technology: Charles R. Peek and Lewis E. Boodley, RCA-$1,000 for new type of interconnector for satellite solar cells; G. Richard Blair, Hughes Aircraft Co.-$1,000 for passive heat protective coating used on Surveyor spacecraft; Kenneth A. Ruddock and Robert G. Rempel, Spectra-Physics, Inc.-$1,000 for magnetometer to measure earth`s magnetic field more precisely; and Paul A. Jensen, Hughes-$1,200 for low-noise antenna feed system used in all NASA Deep Space Network stations. (NASA Release 67-42)
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