Oct 25 1968
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (2MB PDF)
Soyuz II was successfully launched by U.S.S.R. into orbit with 229-km (142.3 mi) apogee, 191-km (118.7-mi) perigee, 88.6-min period, and 51.7° inclination. Satellite later was used in rendezvous maneuvers with manned Soyuz III [See Oct. 26-30] and reentered Oct. 28. (Lannan, W Star, 10/27/68, Al; SBD, 10/28/68, 279; GSFC SSR, 10/31/68)
Secretary of Defense Clark M. Clifford announced decision to proceed with program for turbine electrical drive (quiet) submarine. He had ordered construction of high-speed nuclear-propelled attack submarine July 1. "The close re-examination . . . just completed has convinced me that costly as it is [$150 to $200 million compared with $78 million for new Sturgeon class nuclear attack submarine], there is no cheaper and effective way to achieve in equal time desired progress in noise suppression." (DOD Release 971-68)
NASA announced that H. Julian Allen, who joined NACA in 1936, would retire as Director of Ames Research Center Nov. 15. ARC Associate Director John F. Parsons would serve as Acting Director. Leading authority on supersonic and hypersonic wind-tunnel design, Allen had originated concept of bluntness for reentry shapes-as used in Apollo spacecraft-and had received NACA's Distinguished Service Medal, NASA medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement, AIAA Sylvanus A. Reed Award, and Air Force Assn.'s Air Power Trophy. After his retirement Allen would be available to NASA as a consultant. (NASA Release 68-183; SBD, 10/28/68, 272; NASA Ann)
New York Times editorial commented on failure of swing-wing design for SST: "More than ever now the burden of proof is on those who urge that billions of taxpayers' dollars be spent on an American SST. The fallibility of their judgment has been demonstrated in the loss of the swing-wing gamble. Is there reason to suppose that their optimistic forecasts about the profits to be made from such an airplane are any sounder? The aerodynamics of different wing configurations is not the only thing that needs to be assessed in the current re-examination of the SST." (NYT, 10/25/68, 46)
In Washington Evening Star Carl T. Rowan wrote: "Some disenchanted Americans shake their heads as they note the poverty, the hunger, the sickness, the ignorance that plague the earthlings about them, and they ask what logic provokes our government to ignore critical problems at hand while investing vast sums in space ventures of doubtful value. .. we have become an `either/or' society. . . . Even though our gross national product is now running at a fantastic level of $871 billion a year, it is absolutely inconceivable to most taxpayers that we can have guns and butter, space spectaculars and dramatic domestic change. . . . Well, no man of vision, imagination, or hope can possibly believe that we are wrong to search the darkest reaches of outer space. . . . Who can say that contributions to medicine, to weather control, to science in general, to the problems of feeding man, to national defense, and ultimately to peace may flow from the space program?" Space program was "inherently and intrinsically, justification enough for spending $340 for every man, woman, and child in America. But are we not wise to ask: what is man profited if he harness the universe and yet fail to conquer the meanness . . . the hatreds, that dog those who inhabit the earth? . . . Much of the public is not in a mood to finance anything else. So we shall be stuck with the ordeal of setting priorities where there is scant room for making choices." (W Star, 10/25/68, A15)
MSFC announced Boeing Co. contract modifications totaling $4,652,364 for Saturn V R&D, to: install over 4,000 instrumentation and data acquisition systems in special 2nd stage structural test verification program to confirm design of lighter weight, more powerful 2nd stage for fourth Apollo/Saturn V and subsequent vehicles; perform an abort and alternate mission analysis for Apollo/Saturn vehicles 503 through 510; and perform reliability, quality, and component qualification program, special prelaunch analysis, telemetry systems, and Saturn V/ Apollo operations system safety program. Total value of Boeing Saturn V systems engineering and integration contract was now $213,443,238. (MSFC Release 68-253)
USAF's Space and Missile Systems Organization announced award of initial increments to cost-plus-fixed-fee contracts with McDonnell Douglas Corp.: $5-million increment was awarded to $9,829,177 contract for reentry vehicle developmental flight tests; $756,285 increment was awarded to $1,739,105 contract for reentry vehicle environmental components tests. (DOD Release 974-68)
Edward J. Schmidt, Special Assistant to General Electric Co.'s Vice President for R&D, was sworn in by NASA Acting Administrator, Dr. Thomas O. Paine, as consultant to the Administrator in management operations as affected by scientific and technical information. (NASA Release 68-189)
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