Jan 15 1966
From The Space Library
Sir Bernard Lovell. director of Jodrell Bank Experimental Station, U.K., announced that Soviet space tracking station in the Crimea would send signals to Jodrell Bank via Venus for an entire 225-day Venusian year. Sir Bernard said that by following Venus during one complete solar revolution, scientists hoped to gain further information on exact distances of planets from each other and the sun; nature of the hidden surface of Venus; changes in the very slow rotation of Venus; and conditions in space between earth and Venus. ‘‘(NYT, 1/16/66,24)’’
Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr., NASA Deputy Administrator, predicted in response to questions in an interview with the Chicago Tribune that there would be at least four Gemini flights during the year: “We may even get off a manned Apollo flight before the end of the year.” Duration of the flight would depend on success of test flights of unmanned Apollos. ‘‘(Chic. Trib., 1/16/66)’’
Second-stage flight prototype of Lockheed Propulsion Co.’s 156-in. solid motor was successfully static-fired at the company’s Potrero, Calif., facility. Burn-time was 72 sec. for total 1-million-lb. thrust. Pressure was 655 psi and thrust vector control system made three complete cycles as programmed. This was Lockheed‘s second and final firing under a $5.5-million USAF contract. ‘‘(M&R, 1/24/66, 10)’’
USAF XB-70 research bomber flew at 45,000-ft. to 47,000-ft. altitudes in test flight from Edwards AFB, to collect data for development of supersonic transports. ‘‘(UPI, NYT, 1/16/66, 60)’’
Sergey Pavlovich Korolev, “chief constructor of space systems for the Soviet Union,” died in Moscow during surgery, Tass reported. Korolev had been active in rocketry since the early 1930’s and had directed gathering of information from captured German rocket scientists after World War II. As head of space system design for the Soviet Union, Korolev’s responsibilities had ranged from SPUTNIK I in 1957 to VOSKHOD II manned spacecraft. He also designed the Luna series of unmanned spacecraft and possibly the Zond series. ‘‘(Tass, 1/15/66; UPI, Wash. Post, 1/16/66, A6; NYT, 1/16/66,82)’’
Boeing Co. announced plans to build and equip an $11-million laboratory at its Vertol Div. facility, Morton, Pa., for R&D of vertical takeoff and landing aircraft. ‘‘(Boeing Co. Release)’’
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