Jun 22 1964
From The Space Library
U.S. Senate passed H.R. 10456, authorizing $5,246,293,250 budget for NASA in FY 1965. Included in this amount was $52,482,750 restored by Senate Space Committee from the $110,189,500 reduction made by the House. The bill would authorize $4,354,150,000 for research and development; $262,880,500 for construction of facilities; and $629, 262,750 for administrative operations. Bill was passed by voice vote, was reintroduced two days later for record vote (see June 24). (CR, 6/22/64, 14069-78)
NASA announced initiating Atlas flox program, involving addition of about 30% fluorine to the rocket's oxidizer to obtain "flox," which would significantly increase booster performance. In first phase of program possible hazards and operation problems of flox would be studied, including component compatibility tests and rocket engine static-firing, at estimated cost of $8 million. Second phase, not yet funded, would conclude with R&D launch of flox Atlas with dummy upper stage in 1966. NASA Lewis Research Center would negotiate contracts with GD/A for work on the Atlas and with Rocketdyne Div. of NAA for work on the engines. (NASA Release 64-150)
First manned Gemini space flight (GT-3) was scheduled for late December, MSC public affairs official Ben Gillespie told reporters at weekly press briefing. (Maloney, Houston Post, 6/23/64)
NASA Wallops Station announced selection of General Electric Co. to negotiate 21-month $1.5-million contract for real-time impact prediction and data processing system. The system would enable Wallops Station to more accurately predict impact points for launch vehicles at any time during flight as well as to process telemetry, radar, and general purpose data in larger quantities and at greater speeds. (NASA Release 64-151; Wallops Release 64-50)
Radiation hazards to Project Apollo astronauts hound for the moon were described at American Medical Association conference by Dr. Hermann J. Schaefer, scientist at U.S. Naval School of Aviation Medicine. Dr. Schaefer predicted that in 1969 proton streams from the sun could range from deadly "downpour" to very light "shower." He calculated chance of lethal-dosage proton stream was three in 10,000; chance of moderate but incapacitating "rain" would be one in 1,000; and chance of light "shower" would be one in 100. Dr. Schaefer emphasized his forecast was based on predictable solar behavior and that the weather of the sun, like that of the earth, could be unpredictable. (Justice, Houston Post, 6/23/64)
Communications Satellite Corp. announced it had filed application with FCC for authority to modify AT&T ground station at Andover, Me, so it could be used with ComSatCorp synchronous satellite scheduled for launch in March 1965. The application requested FCC approval of technical characteristics of the modified station. ComSatCorp also filed proposed agreement with AT&T for modification and operation of the station. (ComSatCorp Release)
NASA Flight Research Center Director Paul Bikle said in Missiles and Rockets that rocket engines to power M-2 and HL-10 lifting bodies would accelerate the manned mockups to mach 2 for investigation of their handling characteristics. "The maximum altitude they reach will not be very high, maybe 70,000 or 80,000 ft." FRC planned to select the engine by mid-July. (M&R, 6/22/64, 20-21)
Dr. Uri Shafrir, head of cosmic dust and hydrodynamics labs of UCLA, conducted drop tests under NASA-NSF grants program. Tests proved Dr. Shafrir's conviction that spherical objects descend in ir-regular corkscrew pattern of spirals rather than straight down. In the three drops at Pt. Arguello, aluminum spheres 16-in. in diameter and 10 lbs. in weight were dropped from USN helicopter at 10,000-ft. altitude. As the spheres descended, plume of red smoke from sphere marked 400-ft. width in the spirals. Two skydivers falling within 40 ft. of the spheres photographed them during descent, and ground observers tracked them with radar, survey instruments, and cameras. (L.A. Times, 6/23/64; AP, Bait. Sun, 6/23/64)
Aviation Week reported that NASA and JPL were seeking a compromise to House subcommittee recommendation that NASA appoint a general manager to act as deputy to the director of JPL. James E. Webb, NASA Administrator, opposed the suggestion that NASA make the appointment. It was reported that JPL was seeking someone mutually acceptable to the committee, NASA, and JPL. (Av. Wk., 6/22/64, 25)
Hearings on S. 2602, to establish a national air and space museum in the Smithsonian Institution, were held by Subcommittee on the Smithsonian Institution of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration. (NASA LAR I11/125)
In letter to New York Times, FAA Administrator Najeeb E. Halaby endorsed suggestion in Times editorial that two or more aircraft manufacturers join together to develop U.S. supersonic transport. Halaby said he would welcome such a partnership and would recommend to Justice Dept that it "interpose no objection on antitrust grounds" be-cause of "the clear national interest factors in the program" (Clark, NYT, 6/23/64, 66)
Based on reports circulated at recent COSPAR meeting, Missiles and Rockets said that U.S.S.R. probably would not attempt another manned space flight for about a year but that flight probably would be an orbital rendezvous mission. (M&R, 6/22/64, 33)
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