May 5 1966
From The Space Library
Independent Offices Appropriations Bill H.R. 14921 for FY 1967 was reported to the House and scheduled for floor action May 10. Appropriations Committee recommended $4,245,000,000 for NASA research and development, compared to $4,248,235,000 authorized by House; $75,000,000 for construction of facilities, compared to $94,419,000 authorized by House; and $630,000,000 for administrative operations, compared to $644,210,150 authorized by House. Total recommendation was $4,950,000,000, compared to $4,986,864,150 authorized by House. (Text, NASA LAR V/75, 5/5/66)
NASA Administrator James E. Webb appointed Dr. John F. Clark as Director of GSFC. Dr. Clark, formerly Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications (Science), had been Acting Director of GSFC since July 1965. (NASA Release 66-105)
May 5: Sen. Milton R. Young (R-N.D.) introduced bill (H.R. 3309) to authorize prototype construction of supersonic transport (SST) financed by Government-guaranteed bonds under Supersonic Transport Authority. Proposed procedure would: (1) eliminate necessity of Government’s appropriating up to $1.5 billion for project; (2) provide management guidelines and sound basis for determining industry’s share in development costs; (3) make use of development-phase assets in production phase; and (4) permit contractors and public to participate as stockholders in corporation to produce and sell SST. (CRY 5/5/66, 9396)
NASA’s first manned Apollo flight might be made in 1966 instead of 1967, as originally scheduled, predicted Dr. Joseph F. Shea, manager of NASA Apollo Spacecraft Office at MSC, in a speech at NAA’s plant in Downey, Calif., to press group touring manufacturing and test sites for Apollo spacecraft and Saturn boosters. “The Apollo program is about on schedule in time, cost and performance. We have found the performance of the hardware some better than we had expected, on the basis of tests. All testing for the first manned flight probably will be completed by the end of June. “I hope we can make the first manned flight this year, although it is not scheduled until next year. I think that the first Lunar Excursion Module will be sent up next year. “I am sure personally that our first lunar landing will be done comfortably before the end of the decade.” C. R. Able, group vice president of Douglas Aircraft Co.’s Missile and Space Systems Div., outlined to the group plan for converting empty hydrogen tank from Saturn V’s 3rd stage into manned space capsule. For conversion, series of metal balloons containing liquid oxygen would be added to original orbited payload, to serve later for breathing and for combination with hydrogen to operate fuel cells for producing electricity. An Apollo or Gemini spacecraft would dock with empty 3rd stage, and astronauts would emerge to remove end cover plate in end of the tank, after purging it of any hydrogen remaining from launch. An airlock, carried aloft as part of original payload or launched later, would be attached to opening left by removal of cover plate and tank would be repressurized with oxygen from metal balloons to provide astronauts with “shirtsleeve environment.” Tank walls would have about 100 shallow threaded holes for mounting work benches, furniture, or other convenient items, presumably launched separately. Able emphasized that purpose of stage conversion-to offer astronauts relief from cramped quarters and extended weightlessness-did not duplicate function of USAF’s Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL). Douglas Aircraft Co., McDonnell Aircraft Corp., and Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp. each had $50,000 NASA contracts to study use of booster cases. (Wallin, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 5/5/66; UPI, Miami Her., 5/6/66)
Technology and automation derived from US. space effort could not raise social, educational, moral, or religious values, Dr. Edward C. Welsh, Executive Secretary of NASC, told Churchman’s Club in Baltimore, but science and technology do increase the opportunity to make improvements. Where there is more leisure, more accumulated knowledge, and greater understanding, there is also increased opportunity to improve character and raise human values. Certainly, the opportunity which such progress gives toward the elimination of war is an impressive justification for the entire space program.” (Text)
May 5: Small hydrogen-oxygen engine originally developed for Saturn S-IV rocket stage was being adapted to serve as heater for expanding helium gas used in repressurizing S-IVB propellant tanks in space. Burner, providing an 800-lb. payload gain through weight reduction, would make it possible to meet pressure requirements by using supercold helium from bottles immersed in liquid hydrogen inside fuel tank, and would serve as possible source of low-thrust ullage control power during weightless flight. (MSFC Release 66-92)
Small semi-pressure weather balloon designed to drift indefinitely entered its fourth orbit of the earth, establishing world’s record for flight duration, reported Walter Sullivan in the New York Times. Balloon was one of a series launched March 30 from Christchurch, New Zealand, as part of Southern Hemisphere experiment to examine feasibility of Global Horizontal Sounding Technique (Ghost). Ghost-plan to use satellites to locate and read out information from approximately 10,000 balloons floating around earth at constant altitudes-would express state of entire earth’s atmosphere in numbers which would then be processed by computer to achieve reliable forecasts for two weeks ahead. Participants in Ghost project were National Center of Atmospheric Research, ESSA, and New Zealand Weather Service. (Sullivan, NYT, 5/5/66, 16)
Bell Aerosystems Co. announced plans to develop 25 ton air-cushion vehicle (Acv) capable of carrying 90 passengers or 12 tons of cargo. Capable of amphibious operations, hovercraft would be 56 ft. long, 16½ ft. high, and have cruising speed of at least 60 mph, and could be available within one and one half to two years. (Bell Aerosystems Release 30)
AFSC Commander Gen. Bernard A. Schriever received Henry H. Arnold Gold Medal for “distinguished service to augment progress and readiness in air and space” and for “distinguished service in defense of our country” at American Ordnance Assn. meeting in Washington, D.C. In his acceptance speech, General Schriever quoted General Arnold’s 1938 prediction: ‘Planes of the future may have telescopic wings, which, once in fight, can be foreshortened, telescoped, or pulled in . . . thus greatly accelerating the forward progress of the vessel of reduced size and decreased air resistance.’ This description . . . anticipated the principle which is employed today on the F-111 sweep wing fighter. . . .” (Text)
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