Apr 16 1962
From The Space Library
Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, NASA’s Deputy Administrator, speaking to the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology in Atlantic City, said : ". . . the air age brought us great supplies of aluminum and the basis for building lightweight structures, not only for airplanes but also for trains, buses, and ships. The nuclear age brought applications of isotopes in medicine and in inspection of materials. Nuclear developments brought remote manipulators and sealed pumps for hazardous liquids and gases. The space age has brought to maturity the concept of systems analysis and optimization of designs involving many branches of science and engineering. In addition the space age has given us high-temperature ceramics, ablating materials for heat protection, pressure-stabilized lightweight tanks, computers handling large amounts of data, and many other developments which are finding application throughout industry."
Senate passed the NASA supplemental appropriations bill, with amendments providing $71,000,000 for construction at AMR but contingent on passage of authorization legislation. Bill would now go to Senate-House conference to iron out differences between the versions passed by the two Houses.
Technical planning and review of the NASA lunar program held with 60 key officials, at MSFC.
Representatives of Australia, Belgium, France, West Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Britain signed an agreement for the establishment of the European Satellite Launcher Development Organization in London.
In a ceremony at the Smithsonian Institution marking the 95th birthday of Wilbur Wright, the Early Birds—an organization of pilots who soloed before December 16, 1916—presented plaques to its members, about 90 of whom were on hand. Also bronze busts were presented to the Smithsonian of Mario Calderara and Umberto Savoia, Italy's first military pilots and taught by Wilbur Wright.
AFSC announced that a small, inexpensive radar capable of showing an airport control tower operator whether any of the runways or taxiways are occupied even under conditions of zero visibility or when obstructed by houses, trees, snowbanks, etc., has been under test and would be the subject of a final report in May 1962. The runway radar is known as ASDE (Airport Surface Detection Equipment).
House of Representatives passed a resolution declaring February 20 to be John Glenn Day, sent it to the Senate.
AEC-Australian research balloon intended to collect dust samples at 105,000 ft. to determine the density of radioactive fallout was launched from Madura, Australia, 350 mi. NW of Melbourne, but burst at 100,000 ft.
Dr. Gerald de Vancouleurs, Professor of Astronomy at the University of Texas, said in NAS Voice of America broadcast that the discovery of clues to the prehistory of the solar system and possible contact with extraterrestrial forms of life "stand out as two of the most challenging and promising goals of space exploration." Dr. de Vancouleurs pointed out that direct sampling and probing of the surface and crusts of the moon and planets may help discover these clues. "Of even greater scientific and philosophic interest," he said, "is the probability that direct exploration of at least one planet—Mars—may place us in contact with extraterrestrial forms of life, whose study may help solve the problems of the origin and evolution of life under different planetary conditions."
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