Feb 27 1964
From The Space Library
USSR orbited COSMOS XXV scientific earth satellite from unidentified site in Soviet Union. Initial orbital data, according to Tass: 526-km. (320.6-mi.) apogee, 272-km. (169-mi.) perigee, 92.27-min. period, and 49° angle of inclination to equator. Scientific equipment and communication systems onboard the satellite were said to be functioning normally. (Tass, Pravda, 2/28/64, 1, ATSS-T Trans.)
Senate passed H.R. 9637, authorizing $17,040,140,000 FY 1965 funds for DOD procurement of aircraft, missiles, and naval vessels, and R&D. The McGovern amendment to reduce by $52 million the funds for development of new manned bomber was defeated. Bill Would go to Senate-House conference committee for compromise with $16,914,800,000 House-passed bill. (NASA LAR 111/35; Raymond, NYT, 2/28/64, 1)
At NASA's request, DOD had declassified two of its experiments for Project Gemini, New York Herald Tribune reported. The previously classified experiments involved "visual definition of objects in near proximity in space" and "radiometric observations of objects in space." (Loory, N.Y . Her. Trib., 2/27/64)
In NASA Hq. ceremony, NASA Deputy Administrator Dr. Hugh L. Dryden presented cash awards to 10 inventors in recognition of their outstanding contributions to space science technology. Awards under the Space Act: $1,000 to Conrad Josias of JPL for invention of "bipolar logarithmic current-to-voltage transducer" which made possible the discovery of interplanetary plasma; $1,000 to James D. Acord and Howard C. Vivian of JPL for invention of "space vehicle attitude control" employed in Ranger and Mariner spacecraft; $2,000 to Robert C. Baumann and Leopold Winkler of GSFC for invention of "spin adjusting mechanism" used on OSO SYNCOM II, and Aerobee sounding rockets; and $4,000 to Harold R. Kaufman of LRC for invention of "ion rocket engine," representing great step forward in ion propulsion R&D-the engine will be used in first Space Electric Rocket Test flight (Sert 1). Awards under the Incentive Awards Act: $1,000 to Pleasant T. Cole, GSFC, for invention of "system for recording and reproducing pulse code modulated data," capable of achieving significantly larger packing density on magnetic tape to reduce weight requirements; and $1,400 to William C. Morgan, Jack B. Esgar, and Richard H. Kemp of LRC for invention of "thin-walled pressure vessel" for use in testing materials subjected to cryogenic temperatures. (Hootman Memo, 2/18/64; NASA Release 64-45; LRC Release 64-16)
Senator Mike Monroney (D.-0ka.) said in interview that aircraft manufacturers must bear the 25% share of supersonic transport development cost, rejecting the 10% formula advocated by Eugene R. Black in recently reported study. Senator Monroney said USAF should be assigned task of developing SST's engine and the airframe manufacturers should join together to build the SST body. He said the builder of the aircraft would "have the greatest property ever owned in aviation, a superplane good for at least 20 years. They've got to take some risk." (Steif, Wash. Daily News, 2/27/64)
Harold B. Finger, Manager of AEC-NASA Space Nuclear Propulsion Office and Director of NASA Nuclear Systems and Space Power, discussed nuclear rockets before Subcommittee on Advanced Research and Tracking, House Committee on Science and Astronautics: ". . . our major effort is in the reactor area. It includes analysis and experimental work on all of the components and subsystems of our reactors with sufficient evaluation and testing to give the greatest possible confidence in the successful operation of the graphite reactors that will form the basis for the first nuclear rocket engines to be developed in the world. We are, however, not overlooking the potential advantages provided by the metallic tungsten reactors. We are, therefore, conducting a program to evaluate the feasibility and advantages of these systems. "Our NERVA engine and non-nuclear component technology work has made substantial progress in those difficult areas of engine technology that require extension of presently available information so that system development can eventually be undertaken rapidly and with a high degree of confidence. "Sufficient facilities are available or are being constructed for the conduct of our presently planned program. Tests to be conducted in our reactor facilities during this year should clearly demonstrate the success of the solutions we have designed to avoid the mechanical problems that have been encountered in the past and should demonstrate the operating capabilities of graphite reactors. Our advanced concept work is fundamental in nature; it is long term; but it is being pursued because of the high, theoretical performance potential of these advanced ideas for nuclear rocketry. "Out of this overall nuclear rocket program, I am convinced, will come a new family of rockets that will open the way to more extensive space travel than is possible with the chemical combustion rocket systems upon which we are now completely dependent. Although new in capability, the nuclear rockets we are now developing are logical follow-ons to the chemical rocket systems and, therefore, do not involve basically new test, development, and system technology or scientific breakthroughs. These nuclear rocket developments must be actively pursued to ensure that this country is not prevented from undertaking missions involving higher velocities, energies, and payloads than are required for the early Apollo manned lunar landing mission." (Testimony)
Harlan Cleveland, Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs, addressed the Conference of U.S. National Organizations of the U.N.: "The technological imperative-the impulse to build worldwide technical agencies-comes of course from the headlong pace of scientific discovery. A world technical community is in the making because international communications, international transport, and international economics demand international organizations-and because you can't deal with world health or world weather or radio frequencies and a lot of other things except on a world basis. . . "Taken together, three new kinds of technology-weather satellites, communications satellites, and computer technology-now make it technically possible to work out a global weather reporting and forecasting system, a prospect too valuable to all nations to leave unexploited. The United States is now engaged in a very large program of research and development in this field that will involve the cooperation of more than 100 other countries. This, together with What other countries are doing, will fit into an overall plan for a World Weather Watch being worked out by the World Meteorological Organization, a specialized agency of the U.N. "In just 2 years our first Tiros satellites discovered 20 hurricanes, typhoons, and tropical storms and observed the behavior of 62 others. And world data centers to process these and other reports and issue warnings have been established in Washington and Moscow...." (Text, CR, 3/18/64, 5462-64)
USAF fired Minuteman ICBM from Cape Kennedy on successful routine 5,000-mi. flight down Atlantic Missile Range. (M&R, 3/9/64, 8)
Sen. J. William Fulbright (D.-Ark.) inserted in Congressional Record a Wall Street Journal article on the "declining demand" for engineers, and said: "According to the Wall Street Journal article, the current slump in demand for engineers results primarily from uncertainty about future spending on defense and space programs. Although the defense budget for the next fiscal year calls for a reduction of only $1.3 billion, the space budget is $200 million above last year's appropriation. If this minute shift in defense spending is sufficient to bring about a severe curtailment in the demand for engineers and other skilled technicians, it makes one wonder what will happen to our economy when there is more than a token cutback in defense outlays. ..." (CR, 2/27/64, 3666-67)
USN disclosed it was developing seagoing tracking system for its ships and submarines to "avoid those areas of the oceans covered at intervals by spy satellites. Submarines would stay submerged, surfacing only when the sky above is clear." ( Wash. Post, 2/28/64)
Visiting Oklahoma City, where FAA sonic-boom study was being conducted, FAA Administrator Najeeb Halaby Was placed under police guard after anonymous telephone caller threatened his life. (AP, Balt. Sun, 2/28/64)
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