Feb 8 1967
From The Space Library
Third French satellite, Diademe I (D-IC) , was launched from Hammaguir Range with three-stage Diamant booster. Orbital parameters were 1,341-km (833-mi) apogee, 418 km (260-mi) lower than nominal; 584km (363-mi) perigee; 104-min period; and 40ø inclination. Reason for low apogee had not yet been determined. Designed to reflect laser beams fired simultaneously from ground stations in France, Greece, and Algeria, 50-lb satellite would make geodetic measurements. It also carried ultrastable oscillator for Doppler effect experiment. First French satellite, A-1, was launched from Hammaguir Range Nov. 26,1965; second, Diapason I (D-1A) , was launched Feb. 17,1966. Fourth and last satellite in Diamant series was scheduled for launch Feb. 19. (Hess, NYT, 2/9/67,15; SBD, 2/9/67,218; Av Wk, 2/13/67)
Cosmos CXLI was launched by U.S.S.R. into orbit with 345-km (214-mi) apogee; 210-km (130-mi) perigee; 89.8-min period; and 72.9' inclination. All equipment functioned normally. Satellite reentered Feb. 16. (UPI, NYT, 2/9/67; GSFC SSR, 2/28/67)
USAF launched unidentified satellite employing Thor-Burner II combination from Vandenberg AFB. (UPI, W News, 2/8/67)
Explorer XXIX (CEOS-A) spacecraft, launched Nov. 6,1965, was rendered useless as a geodetic instrument because of failure of range transponder (SECOR) . These geodetic investigations had produced important results : for the first time, side-by-side intercomparisons had been made between different tracking systems to show that no significant "hidden" errors existed; improved calibrations had been obtained for NASA Range and Range Rate and MOTS-Minitrack tracking networks; laser tracking systems had been perfected and were ready for operational use; and gravity field definition had been improved to allow more accurate orbit determinations and the computation of orbits of any given accuracy with a smaller amount of tracking data. (NASA Proj Off)
NASA turned ESSA IV meteorological satellite over to ESSA for operation in accordance with NASA-Dept. of Commerce agreement. ESSA IV was launched by NASA Jan. 26 from WTR. (NASA Release 67-10)
The Washington Post praised space law treaty transmitted to Senate by President Johnson Feb. 7: "The new treaty is an eminently sensible limitation on the military exploitation of outer space. The great powers must continue. their efforts until the problems of proliferation also have been met. And then they must go on to search for a means of thermo-nuclear disarmament that will rescue mankind from the threat of annihilation." (W Post, 2/8/67)
White House had received a letter from an unnamed scientist suggesting that it conduct its own investigation into Jan. 27 accident at KSC which killed three Apollo astronauts, Karl Abraham reported in Philadelphia Evening Bulletin. Scientist, who was not identified, felt NASA had not sufficiently heeded warnings of fire hazards presented by use of pure oxygen atmosphere. (Abraham, P EB, 2/8/67)
February 8-28: NASA's Lunar Orbiter III, launched from ETR Feb. 4, became third US. spacecraft to enter lunar orbit; four days later it was successfully transferred to final close-in orbit for photography. Orbital parameters: apolune, 1,145 mi (1,847 km); perilune, 34 mi (55 km); inclination, 20.93ø; and period, 3 hrs 29 min. Spacecraft performed 357 attitude changes, responded to 2,866 commands, and recorded no micrometeoroid hits. A total of 211 medium-and high-resolution photos were taken before mission's photo acquisition phase was terminated Feb. 24 because of a malfunction in the priority readout system. Readout would be completed March 6. Among photos transmitted, described by JPL officials as of "excellent quality," was a picture of Hygius Rille, a deep gorge similar to the Grand Canyon. The rille-not considered by NASA as a potential landing site could not be seen distinctly through earth-based telescopes, but through Lunar Orbiter III's cameras it appeared clearly as a deep steep-walled ditch with one large central crater and numerous smaller ones. Pictures taken of the Sea of Tranquility confirmed that the site was probably smooth enough for manned landings: they showed a thin scattering of craters, some as small as three feet in diameter, and only a few ridges steep enough to upset a landing spacecraft. (NASA Proj Off; AP, NYT, 2/16/67; W Star, 2/21/67, A4; UPI, W Post, 2/23/67, A3)
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