Aug 8 1966
From The Space Library
COSMOS CXXVII was launched into earth orbit by U.S.S.R. to continue exploration of outer space. Orbital parameters: apogee, 279 km. (173 mi.); perigee, 204 km. (127 mi,); period, 89.2 min.; inclination, 51.9ΓΈ. Instruments were functioning normally. (Tass, 8/8/66; Krasnaya Zvezda, 8/10/66, 1, USS-T Trans.)
Senate began consideration of FY 1967 Independent Offices Appropriation bill (H.R. 14921), which included $4,991,600,000 NASA appropriation. Two amendments proposed by Sen. William Proxmire (D-Wis.) to reduce NASA's appropriation-one by $998,320,000, the other by $150,000,000-were defeated. (NASA LAR V/128)
NASA had selected Bendix Corp., Federal Electric Corp., and Philco Corp. for competitive negotiations of a five-year, $60-million contract for operation and maintenance services for Deep Space Network. Contract would be managed by JPL. (NASA Release 66-210)
NASA Pasadena Office (Napo), formerly the NASA Resident Office-JPL, was established "as a component field activity" of the Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA), NASA Hq. In addition to negotiating, executing, and administering NASA contracts with Cal Tech for operation of JPL, new Napo would provide procurement, contract administration, patent and technology utilization, and related services in support of OSSA and other NASA organizational elements. (NASA Hq. Bull.)
Lack of major manned spaceflight goal beyond Apollo Applications (AA) program was causing NASA to delay Saturn booster development for at least two years, reported George Alexander in Aviation Week. Major Saturn contractors, facing end of current production contracts, wondered which derivatives would be chosen for development and when development and production would begin. Although current inventory of Uprated Saturn I (Saturn I-B) and Saturn V vehicles was sufficient for programs through AA, future missions might require a "super booster" with 280,000-lb. payload capacity or an intermediate vehicle with 40,000-lb. payload capacity. (Alexander, Av. Wk., 8/8/66, 59-78)
Atlas F advanced ballistic reentry system ICBM fired from Vandenberg AFB apparently exploded and fell into the Pacific. USAF was investigating causes of the failure. (UPI, NYT, 8/9/66)
FAA was proposing extensive changes in regulations for determining crashworthiness of transport aircraft and for meeting passenger evacuation standards. Proposed changes included: (1) possibility of evacuation of aircraft in 90 sec.-instead of 120 sec.; (2) increase in number. and size of emergency exits and more uniform distribution of exits throughout passenger cabin; (3) improvement of emergency lighting systems; (4) extensive preflight briefing of passengers; (5) increase in number of flight attendants per passenger; and (6) changes in design of landing gear, fuel lines, and electrical cables for greater safety. (Av. Wk., 8/8/66,34)
New method of averting aircraft crashes on landing or takeoff was demonstrated at London's Royal Aircraft Establishment when a jet fighter traveling 80 mph down runway stopped short in three seconds on 400-ft.-long 7-ft.-deep gravel bed. Establishment spokesman estimated that pilots of large passenger aircraft could stop in 10 sec. on long strip of ordinary gravel. (WT , 8/9/66, 62)
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