March 1962
From The Space Library
NASA completed work on its first major launching facility on the West Coast, a Thor-Agena pad at Vandenberg AFB, Calif. A used gantry was shipped from MSFC and installed at a $1 million saving over cost of new construction. Pad would be used for NASA polar-orbit launches, such as Echo II, Nimbus, and Pogo (Polar Orbiting Geophysical Observatory).
USAF announced selection of four USAF and two NASA pilots as "pilot-engineering consultants" for the Dyna-Soar program. A decision would be made later whether the men would actually fly the spacecraft. USAF officers selected were: Maj. James W. Wood, Capt. Henry C. Gordon, Capt. Russell L. Rogers, and Capt. William J. Knight. NASA pilots selected were: Neil A. Armstrong and Milton O. Thompson.
White House panel headed by Dr. Paul Beeson of Yale University, assisted by Dr. James Hartgering, special assistant in the President's Scientific Adviser's office, recommended that NA SA make greater use of USAF capabilities in bioastronautics.
Specific use of the fuel cell as source of auxiliary power was confirmed when North American Aviation, Inc., prime contractor for NASA’s Apollo vehicle, awarded two fuel-cell development contracts to Pratt Whitney Aircraft Div. of United Aircraft Corp. and Tapco Div. of Thompson Ramo Wooldridge.
- March
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