Jun 27 1968
From The Space Library
NASA successfully launched four-stage Pacemaker rocket carrying 5-2-lb spacecraft from NASA Wallops Station to test performance of phenolic nylon charring ablation material, foamed quartz material, MOD V ablation material, and foamed Teflon material. Spacecraft reached 7,200 mph and was lowered into Atlantic by parachute after four-minute flight. Recovery helicopter retrieved payload, which would be evaluated at LaRC. (WS Release 68-12)
House Appropriations Committee struck all funds for SST development from Administration's FY 1969 budget and asked return of $30-million carryover to Treasury. President Johnson had requested authorization of $223 million. Cut was unlikely to postpone development of project, which would be continued during FY 1969 entirely with carryover funds. First flight had been scheduled for first quarter, 1972. (CR, 6/27/68, H5766-7; Hoffman, W Post, 6/28/68, A3)
NASA awarded one-year $1,250,000 cost-plus-award-fee contract with two one-year renewal options to LTV Service Technology Corp. for computer support services at ERC. (ERC Release 68-9)
MSC engineers Edwin Samfield and William C. Huber were granted patent No. 3,389,877 for inflatable tether to connect orbiting spacecraft or to connect astronauts and spacecraft. Tether, which became semirigid when inflated to avoid problems of flexible tether, consisted of nylon tube with aluminum end pieces and shock-absorbing struts for attachment to spacecraft. It could be folded and stowed in end piece and expanded with compressed gas when needed. Prototypes were being constructed at MSC. (Patent Off PIO; Jones, NYT, 6/29/68, 37)
Jet flying belt designed to propel wearer for minutes over multimile range at speeds from hovering to 70 mph and at varying altitudes was described by manufacturer, Bell Aerosystems Co., at Washington, D.C., press briefing. Miniature turbojet engine using kerosene fuel was designed by Williams Research Corp. for DOD Advanced Research Projects Agency. (Schmeck, NYT, 6/28/68, 18)
Westinghouse Defense and Space Center engineer Paul J. Kiefer had received AIAA annual award for "outstanding contribution to aerospace sciences or technology" for overall mechanical design and development of Gemini rendezvous radar system and for development of lunar TV camera for use in Apollo series. (Westinghouse Release; AP, W Star, 7/5/68, A3)
Soviet Foreign Minister Andrey A. Gromyko announced at Supreme Soviet meeting in Moscow that U.S.S.R. was ready to open discussions with U.S. on mutual limitation of antiballistic missile defense systems. U.S.S.R., he said, was anxious to sign immediately international document prohibiting use of nuclear weapons and to reach agreement on mutual restriction and subsequent reduction of strategic nuclear vehicles. (UPI, W News, 6/27/68, 3; Anderson, NYT, 6/28/68, 1)
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