Jan 31 1968
From The Space Library
Tenth anniversary of first U.S. satellite, Explorer I, launched by ABMA-JPL team with Jupiter C booster. In defiance of original prediction of three-year lifespan, 30.8-lb stovepipe-shaped spacecraft had traveled 11/2 billion miles and was expected to continue orbiting through 1968, though silent. Explorer I, currently in orbit with 771- mi (1,241-km) apogee, 215-mi (346-km) perigee, and 100-min period, had stopped transmitting data May 23, 1958, after supplying data on cosmic rays, micrometeoroids, and temperature and discovering one of earth's radiation belts later named after Dr. James A. Van Allen, designer of satellite's radiation-detection experiment. At National Press Club Ceremony in Washington, D.C., commemorating anniversary, Dr. William H. Pickering, JPL Director, reviewed American and Soviet space statistics: "The U.S. has placed about 500 vehicles in Earth orbit to 250 for the USSR. We have had 15 successful missions to the Moon, the USSR 8. Our reconnaissance spacecraft have obtained about 100,000 high-resolution photographs of the Moon; USSR craft have returned about 100. The U.S. has had three successful missions to the near planets in five attempts. Russia has successfully landed an instrumented package on Venus after an estimated 19 planetary attempts. We have accumulated nearly 2,000 hours of manned space flight time, compared with about 530 for the USSR. Our astronauts have performed multiple rendezvous and docking operations; the Soviets have demonstrated one automatic docking. We have logged over 12 hours of extravehicular activity; the USSR shows 20 minutes."
Dr. Wernher von Braun, MSFC Director, critical of cuts in NASA budget, noted: "NASA has not been able to plan for post-Apollo projects with any degree of certainty. NASA has attempted production of the Saturn IB and Saturn V at the rate of two each per year. Frankly, this rate is too low to maintain the progress and momentum so painstakingly acquired in the space program over the past decade. "The dismantling of the high competence built up over the years at JPL and [MSFC] has already begun. Both organizations are already losing valuable, highly trained people because of the insecurity and the lack of challenging work for them to do. And we face the grim reality of even further reductions and cutbacks. . . . The exploration of space has proven its worth, and has become deeply ingrained into the everyday fabric of our society. . . ." Space program would be examined closely by Congress, Dr. von Braun said, but "NASA's record of accomplishments and the ability of its management will bear up well under the scrutiny. In determining what our space program should be during the coming years . . . members of Congress . . . [should] give careful consideration to where we are today in space, at the end of our first decade, and where we could be ten years from now, by building on the accomplishments of the past." (EH; Texts; MSFC Release 68-14; Clark, NYT, 2/1/68, 15)
NASA announced end of Lunar Orbiter project. Lunar Orbiter V, launched Aug. 1, 1967, had obeyed spacecraft controllers and crashed on lunar surface after 1,200 orbits. Final operation of spacecraft had consisted of 18.9-sec burn of velocity control engine at apolune to decrease speed by 64 mph for orbit decay. Impact occurred at 2:58.5 am, EST, near equator on moon's western limb. Destruction of Lunar Orbiter V had become necessary because its supply of attitude control gas was nearly depleted. In concentrating on 36 areas of moon's face, spacecraft had completed coverage necessary for full photographic survey of moon's hidden side, photographing and transmitting 212 telephoto and 212 wide-angle pictures of lunar surface. Spacecraft had also been used to provide tracking target to MSFN stations and for crew training and computer program verification. Lunar Orbiters I, II, and III had been crashed on Oct. 29, 1966, Oct. 11, 1967, and Oct. 9, 1967, as their control gas became exhausted. Communications were lost with Lunar Orbiter IV, and it had apparently crashed on lunar surface. During Lunar Orbiter project, since first launch Aug. 10, 1966, 6,034 orbits of moon had been completed and more than 99% of lunar surface had been photographed by orbiting cameras to provide data for selection of eight candidate landing sites for Apollo project. Lunar Orbiter program was directed by OSSA and managed by LaRC. Boeing Co. was prime spacecraft contractor. (NASA Proj Off; NASA Release 68-23)
Apollo 204 accident was reviewed in Senate Report No. 956, issued by Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences: "The thorough investigation by the Apollo 204 Review Board ... determined that the test conditions at the time of the accident were extremely hazardous. However, the test was not recognized as being hazardous by either NASA or the contractor prior to the accident. The committee can only conclude that NASA's long history of successes in testing and launching space vehicles . . . led to overconfidence and complacency." Committee recommended that "safety . . . be considered of paramount importance in the manned space flight program even at the expense of target dates" and urged NASA to keep "appropriate Congressional committees informed on significant problems arising in its programs." Individually, three Committee members-Sen. Walter F. Mondale (D-Minn.), Sen. Edward W. Brooke (R-Mass.), and Sen. Charles H. Percy (R-Ill.)-filed more critical separate reports. Sen. Brooke and Sen. Percy stated: ". . . NASA's curious reticence to supply these facts and figures [Phillips Report] relevant to a thorough evaluation of Apollo program management brought the credibility of NASA and its top management into sharp question [and] this initial lack of candor as to the existence and then the status of the Phillips report threatened one of the essential assets of the space program-the confidence of the American public and their elected representatives." Sen. Mondale said NASA "has an unfortunate habit of swamping Congress with engineering details and starving it for policy and management information. . . . Congress should be able to count on frank answers to pertinent, responsible, and legitimate inquiries." Criticizing Committee's report, Rep. William F. Ryan (P-N.Y.) said in news release later, "Although the Senate Committee does charge NASA with such misdemeanors as overconfidence and complacency, the report remains a whitewash and an evasion of the real issues involved." (Texts)
Senate Report No. 957, Aeronautical Research and Development Policy, sponsored by Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences, concluded NASA should increase its aeronautical effort, particularly in the development phase, and carry it on to "proof-of-concept testing as a means of providing a larger variety of options to aircraft designers and systems engineers." Report called for NASC to act as focal point for development of more comprehensive and better coordinated aeronautical R&D policy and recommended that NASA'S aeronautical activity be upgraded to major office level and directed by an Associate Administrator. (Text)
In Annual Report to Congress of the Atomic Energy Commission for 1967, AEC announced fifth launch of twin Vela nuclear detection satellites was planned, with increased detection capabilities. Earth-oriented spacecraft would be launched by Titan III-C booster. Among other programs, large heat source for power system for space applications in mid-1970s was being studied at NASA'S request, with scheduled July 1971 delivery of 25-kw heat-source subsystem consisting of high-temperature fuel capsules integrated into safe flight package. Second Phoebus test reactor, Phoebus-2A, was being assembled at Nuclear Rocket Development Station in Nevada; testing was scheduled to begin in second quarter of year. Work on XE cold-flow engine and testing of first "hot" (uranium-fueled) ground experimental engine were scheduled for second quarter. Power testing of second-generation SNAP-8 reactor was planned and more advanced reactor systems for space use were being examined, including thermionic fuel elements. For treatment of "heart block," AEC was developing plutonium-fueled cardiac pacemaker. Studies were also under contract on isotopic "engine" for pumps to assist or replace functions of damaged heart. (Text; InteraviaAirLetter, 2/1/68, 11)
Fifth anniversary of ComSatCorp was noted by Sen. Warren G. Magnuson (D-Wash.), Chairman of Senate Committee on Commerce, on floor of Senate: "Intelsat has grown from its original membership of 11 nations to a total of 61, including 40 which qualify as among the less developed countries. . . . The commercial utilization of space for communications purposes-a dream for the future when the Congress passed the Satellite Act-is today a reality." (NASA LAR VII/7; CR, 1/31/68, S676)
President Johnson announced his intention to nominate Dr. Thomas O. Paine, manager of General Electric Co.'s Technical Military Planning Operation (TEMPO) , as NASA Deputy Administrator to succeed Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., who resigned Jan. 5. (PD, 2/5/68, 176)
NASA announced award of $1,769,200 contract to Lockheed Missiles & Space Co. for "adapting the Agena second stage rocket for use on the SERT II mission to test ion engines in earth orbit." SERT H (Space Electric Rocket Test) for at least six months of flight would evaluate "in-flight performance of electron bombardment ion engines .. . and analyze the possible effects of the electric thrustors and their associated electric fields on other spacecraft components." Entire Agena 2nd stage would be used in 1969 launch as bed of spacecraft SERT H; Agena would be equipped with 11/2-kw solar cell array to provide power for ion engines and other systems. LeRC had management responsibility for launch vehicle and spacecraft in SERT II mission. (LeRC Release 68-8)
NASA personnel changes: Thomas B. Shillito of LeRC's Office of Development Evaluation and Management Review was appointed Supersonic Transport Program Coordinator for NASA in Washington, D.C. He would have offices at FAA and would "stay abreast of technical progress in the SST program [and] inform NASA . . . of any impending requirements." Shillito would report to NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Advanced Research and Technology (Aeronautics) Charles W. Harper. Harvey Sherman and James M. Beggs were named consultants to NASA Administrator James E. Webb. Sherman, Port of New York Authority's Director of Organizations and Procedures Dept., would be member of senior group of advisors on management matters. Beggs, Westinghouse Electric Corp.'s Assistant Director of Purchases and Traffic, would advise on management concepts and policies. (LeRC Release 68-7; NASA Release 68-22)
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