Feb 21 1968
From The Space Library
NASA Nike-Tomahawk sounding rocket was launched from Churchill Research Range carrying GSFC experiment to study auroral activity as it developed and dissipated for comparison with data from similar Nike-Apache launch. Flight was unsuccessful because of undetermined failure related to pitch/roll couple. Radar and loss of telemetry indicated payload breakup. (NASA Rpt SRL)
Sixty-day simulated earth-orbited mission, using Douglas Missile & Space Systems Div.'s 12-ft-dia, 40-ft-long space cabin simulator, had begun for four California college students-Jack G. Angaran, Dennis Giroux, Guy H. King, and Robert B. Zeuschner. NASA OART had awarded $200,000 contract to McDonnell Douglas Corp. to conduct what was believed first test in which crew would subsist in space cabin on "closed water and oxygen loop" for lengthy period. Students would use reclaimed water and oxygen from human waste. Additional missions to evaluation of integrated life support system were evaluation of waste management; crew's ability to maintain, service and repair life support system; and crew's physiological and psychological reactions. Life support system resembled that needed for three-year spacecraft mission. Crew's contact with outside world would be by radio. (DAC Release 67-172; St. Louis G-D, 2/21/68)
Explaining decision to develop flight-rated NERVA engine at 75,000-lb rather than 200,000-lb thrust level, NASA Manager of Space Nuclear Propulsion Milton Klein told House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Advanced Research and Technology Subcommittee that lower level would be suitable for most missions in which nuclear rocket was significantly advantageous. It was "substantially off-optimum for manned planetary landing missions," but with manned exploration delayed, "less emphasis is now properly placed upon that mission, and the 75,000-pound-thrust NERVA class is appropriate. . . . The 75,000-pound-thrust NERVA gives somewhat better payload performance for orbital operations missions which start from low Earth orbit and involve a single Saturn V launch," but its use for manned planetary missions "entails a significant performance penalty." Further development might be required "to extend operating time and to accommodate more extensive clustering and staging if such a mission were to be undertaken." (Testimony)
Within limited budget, NASA was "attempting increased emphasis on Astronomy" using manned spaceflight capabilities, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications, Dr. John E. Naugle, told House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Space Science and Applications Subcommittee. Advanced studies and supporting R&T programs would be expanded in FY 1969 to lay "ground work for a major program in space astronomy." Flight program in space physics was being "supported at reduced levels," primarily because of OGO phaseout, but resources would be needed "to capitalize on analysis of data obtained." Decline in data and experiments, despite output from Explorer and Pioneer programs, might be stemmed, but NASA "considered it much more important to use our requested resources to develop a program which will enable us to fly new experiments, to make new investigations, and to explore new regions of interplanetary space." Development of two new Pioneer spacecraft would be initiated in FY 1969, to reach past Mars and toward Jupiter, with first launch proposed for 1973. (Testimony)
NSF announced award of first nine grants under National Sea Grant College Program Act of 1966 to encourage development of national marine resources. Grants, which totaled nearly $2 million, included three to help higher education institutions develop broadly based major programs for increasing utilization of marine resources and six to support individual sea grant projects. (NSF Release 68-112)
USAF awarded Big Three Industrial Gas and Equipment Co. $1,156,845 fixed-price contract for production of propellant nitrogen to support Project Apollo at KSC. (DOD Release 183-68)
February 21-22: NASA successfully launched six Nike-Apache sounding rockets carrying chemical cloud experiments from NASA Wallops Station between 6:17 pm and 6:02 am EST. Seven launches had been scheduled, but second launch was postponed because of payload problems [see Feb. 26]. Rockets ejected vapor trails during descent between 50- and 90-mi (81- and 145-km) altitudes to measure wind velocities and directions at various altitudes in upper atmosphere. Nike-Apache launched at dawn carried sodium experiment which created reddish-orange trail. Other five payloads consisted of one triethylborane (TEB) and four trimethyl-aluminum (TMA) experiments which formed pale blue and green clouds. Rocket carrying TEB was equipped with photometer to observe airglow in sunlight for vertical profile of atomic oxygen. Other five payloads carried Langmuir probes for measuring electron energy distribution. Data were obtained by photographing continuously motions of trails from five ground-based camera sites. Launches were conducted for GCA Corp. under GSFC contract. (WS Release 68-3; NASA Release 68-32; NASA Rpt Sm.)
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