Jan 22 1969
From The Space Library
January 22-29: NASA's OSO V (OSO -F) Orbiting Solar Observatory was successfully launched from ETR by three-stage Thor-Delta (DSV-3C) booster to study the sun and its influence on earth's atmosphere. Orbital parameters: apogee, 353.1 mi (568.2 km) ; perigee, 337.8 mi (543.6 km) ; period, 95.8 min; and inclination, 32.96°. Primary mission objective was to obtain high-resolution spectral data from pointed experiments in 1 A-1,250 A range during one solar rotation and conduct raster scans of solar disc in selected wavelengths. Secondary objective was to obtain useful data from nonpointed and pointed experiments for more than one solar rotation with extended observations of single lines and solar flares. Fifth of eight spacecraft launched in NASA'S OSO program to provide direct observation of sun during most of 11-yr solar cycle, OSO V weighed 636 lbs, carried eight experiments, was designed with six-month lifetime, and had two main sections-wheel (lower) section, which provided stability by gyroscope spinning and housed telemetry-command equipment, batteries, gas-spin control arms, and five experiment packages; and sail (upper) section, which contained solar cells and solar pointing experiments and was oriented toward sun. Experiments, designed to continue and extend work of preceding OSO spacecraft, were provided by University College (London) and Univ. of Leicester, Univ. of Paris, Univ. of Colorado, Univ. of Minnesota, Naval Research Laboratory, and GSFC. Both tape recorders were turned on and were operating satisfactorily and all spacecraft subsystems were operating nominally. NRL wheel x-ray experiment was turned on during 11th orbit and was obtaining good data. By Jan. 29 OSO V had received 707 commands and had completed 102 orbits. All eight experiments had been turned on and obtained good scientific data. All spacecraft systems-including raster scan and both tape recorders-had operated satisfactorily. Data from GSFC x-ray experiment were being used to plot spectrum of sun. Data from NRL UV pointed experiment had been used to obtain OSO V's first Lyman-alpha spectroheliograph. Oso I (launched March 7, 1962) and OSO II (launched Feb. 3, 1965) had surpassed their six-month design lifetimes and, together, provided 6,000 hrs of scientific information. OSO III (launched March 8, 1967) and OSO IV (launched Oct. 18, 1967) continued operating satisfactorily, each providing 71/2 hrs of real-time data daily. OSO program was managed by GSFC under OSSA direction. (NASA Proj Off; NASA Release 69-13)
January 22: USAF launched unidentified satellite on Titan IIIB -Agena D booster from Vandenberg AFB into orbit with 672.5-mi (1,082-km) apogee, 92.0-mi (148-km) perigee, 96.9-min period, and 106.1° inclination. Satellite reentered Feb. 3. (GSFC SSR, 1/31/69; 2/15/69; Pres Rpt 70 [69] )
NASA announced it would conduct 26 major launches from ETR and WTR during 1969. First launch was OSO V Jan. 22. Launches from ETR would include five manned missions: Apollo 9, scheduled for Feb. 28, would place three-man crew in earth orbit for 11 days to flight-test lunar module; Apollo 10 would place three astronauts in lunar orbit and two would fly LM to within 50,000 ft of lunar surface; and Apollo 11 would land two members of three-man crew on lunar surface. Two additional lunar landings would be conducted if first landing was successful. Unmanned launches from ETR would include two Intelsat III comsats, two Mariner-Mars missions, Tiros weather satellite, Biosatellite carrying monkey, Pioneer E interplanetary spacecraft, Applications Technology Satellite (ATS), Orbiting Solar Observatory (OSO ), Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO), and two U.K. comsats. WTR launches would include three Tiros weather satellites, Explorer (IMP-G), Canadian International Satellite for Ionospheric Studies (ISIS), Nimbus weather satellite, and Thor-Agena (OGO-F) mission to test experimental ion-thruster. (KSC Release 19-69; NASA OSSA)
Nike-Cajun sounding rocket was launched by NASA from Churchill Research Range carrying GSFC grenade experiment to obtain data on atmospheric parameters. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily. (NASA Proj Off)
Communist Party General Secretary Leonid I. Brezhnev told Soviet gathering in honor of four Soyuz IV and Soyuz V cosmonauts U.S.S.R. was "fully justified in saying that the successful flight . . . [see Jan. 14-18] is a great achievement of Soviet science and engineering, and a new triumph of the courage, boldness, intellect and labour of the Soviet people. The recent outstanding flight made by the American astronauts round the Moon, the confident start made by the Soviet automatic interplanetary stations 'Venus-5' and 'Venus-6' towards their distant target, and the successful flight made by the . . . [Soyuz] spaceships-all this constitutes man's new, major steps along the road to conquering the mysterious world of outer space. . . ." (Moscow News, 2/8-15/69, Supplement, 3-5)
During day climaxed by shots from what U.S.S.R. Foreign Ministry called "schizophrenic" gunman, Soyuz IV and V Cosmonauts Vladimir Shatalov, Boris Volynov, Yevgeny Khrunov, and Aleksey Yeliseyev flew from Baikonur Space Center, Kazakhstan, to Moscow for Kremlin ceremony honoring success of Soyuz missions. Attack occurred as motorcade escorting cosmonauts approached Kremlin's Borovitsky Gate. Reports said driver of cosmonauts' limousine and security guard had been injured by bullets and that Cosmonaut Beregovoy had been slightly injured by flying glass. Communist Party General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev and Soviet President Nikolai V. Podgorny, riding several cars behind cosmonauts, were not injured. Western newsmen had already been admitted to Congress Hall for ceremony at which cosmonauts received Medal of the Order of Lenin. Reports said gunman had been apprehended. (UPI, W Star, 1/22/69, A13; AP, W Star, 1/23/69, Al; NYT, 1/23/69, 10; Shabad, NYT, 1/24/69, 1; Shub, W Post, 1/24/69, Al)
State Dept. announced U.S.S.R. had accepted U.S. invitation to participate in international conference on communications satellites scheduled Feb. 24 in Washington, D.C. U.S. had notified all U.N. members it would extend "observer" invitations to any nation having "serious interest" in possibility of becoming INTELSAT member. Bulgaria and Yugoslavia also would attend. At least 80 nations were expected to participate. (Finney, NYT, 1/23/69, 1; AP, W Post, 1/24/69, A5)
Sen. Clinton P. Anderson (D-N. Mex.), Chairman of Senate Aeronautical and Space Sciences Committee, introduced S. 539, FY 1970 NASA authorization bill totaling $3.760 billion. (CR, 1/22/69, S659-60)
Saturn V 2nd stage (S-II -7) was successfully captive fired for full flight duration, 369 secs, by North American Rockwell Corp. personnel at Mississippi Test Facility. Stage developed thrust equivalent to 1 million lbs at operating altitude. (MSFC Release 69-25)
AEC announced it had completed and successfully tested world's largest superconducting magnet at Argonne National Laboratory near Chicago. Consisting of 110-ton circular-coil assembly in 1,600-ton steel yoke, magnet formed part of world's largest bubble chamber facility for high-energy physics research. Chamber, holding 6,400 gals of liquid hydrogen, would be placed inside magnet, which was expected to operate at approximately 1/10 cost of equivalent conventional magnet. (AEC Release M-19)
Washington Post editorial said: "The fact that the Russians may be able to complete a floating [space] station substantially before the United States is ready to attempt it should be of no great concern. Although the psychological impact of knowing that men are up there looking down on us constantly is bound to be great, this should be more than offset by the successes of the Apollo Program. The important things are for the American space effort to proceed in a logical fashion designed to reap the largest possible scientific benefits and to remain largely under civilian control." (W Post, 1/22/69, A26)
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