January 1964
From The Space Library
President Johnson sent letters to all major space/defense contractors urging them to achieve significant reductions in expenditures. In separate letters from NASA Administrator James E. Webb, contractors were told of three areas offering greatest potential for significant savings: purchasing at lowest price compatible with reliability requirements, placing greater emphasis on incentives, and reducing operating costs. (NAA S&ID Skywriter, 1/10/64, 1)
NASA began installation of aerospace ground equipment at Cape Kennedy's Launch Complex 19 for Project Gemini, work beginning ahead of previously expected date in effort to expedite first Gemini flight. (M&R, 1/13/64, 9)
Snap-10A space nuclear power system completed a record 90-day continuous test operation, in test conducted for AEC by Atomics International. Purpose of the test, conducted with mockup of the Snap-10A, was to check operation of various components as a system under conditions closely simulating space environment. (SBD, 1/27/64, 136)
NASA awarded Martin Co.'s Baltimore Div. a $1,499,111 contract for Part II study of post-Saturn launch vehicles, a one-year study to include overall vehicle definition and preliminary design. (Marshall Star, 1/15/64, 1; M&R, 1/13/64, 9)
Ryan Aeronautical Corp. was awarded contract from RCA to design landing radar for the Project Apollo Lunar Excursion Module. RCA, responsible for major LEM subsystems, would integrate landing radar with LEM'S overall sensor system. (M&R, 1/13/64, 10-11)
Twelfth session of Mexico-US. Commission for Space Observations held in Mexico City to consider report on construction at Guaymas tracking and data acquisition station to modify it for Project Gemini. Guaymas station was one of five being built or updated for Gemini tracking Carnarvon, Australia; Bermuda; Canary Islands; and Cape Kennedy. (SBD, 1/13/64, 59)
W. V. Pangborn and Co., Inc., and Lowery Electric, Inc., submitted joint bid of $1,443,289.20 for NASA-USAF contract to build frequency control and calibration facility at Cape Kennedy's Merritt Island. Facility would become part of AMR tracking network, would be aimed at supporting Titan III and Saturn V. (M&R, 1/20/64, 12)
NASA released to industry its first technology utilization report, entitled "An Improved Precision Height Gage." NASA Ames Research Center developed the report. (NASA SP-5001)
Seth W. Booth, Group Director, Re-entry Feasibility Group, San Bernardino Operations of the Aerospace Corp., was presented AFSC's Outstanding Achievement Award by Maj. Gen. W. Austin Davis, Commander of AFSC Ballistic Systems Div. Booth was cited for his exceptional technical direction to BSD contractors for various re-entry programs from 1956-1963. (A-N-AF J&R, 1/18/64, 10)
120-in. solid-propellant rocket motor being developed by United Technology Center for USAF was static-fired for nearly two minutes, a "completely successful" test. (SBD, 1/30/64, 163)
Reviewing the worth of scientific results gained in the first years of U.S. space exploration, Fortune magazine said: ", .. new knowledge is a dukedom whose great wealth and resources cannot even begin to be estimated or exhausted Already the new knowledge acquired in space exceeds by far the value of funds so far spent. For knowledge, more than guns and butter, is the true power of modern states." (NASA FY 1965 Auth. Hearings, Part I, 3)
- January
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
