Sep 12 1965
From The Space Library
Weathermen detected Hurricane Betsy early, tracked her accurately, and warned islands and coastal areas of her approach well in advance, reported Evert Clark in the New York Times, He explained: "Two major advances have made this possible in recent years, One is in technology-the satellites, reconnaissance planes, radars, computers and communication networks that have become the forecaster's new set of tools. "The other is in the use of the new knowledge provided by these tools to help the public deal more readily with the violent natural forces unleased by a hurricane... . "A great improvement in advisories, warnings, community planning and evacuation-sponsored by the Weather Bureau--has dramatically cut deaths and destruction from hurricanes in recent years..." Hurricane Betsy was first detected by NASA's TIROS X meteorological satellite Aug, 27, and was followed by TIROS VII, VIII, Ix, and X. (Clark, NYT, 9/12/65, E7)
President Johnson nominated John S. Foster as Director of Defense Research and Engineering. Dr. Foster, formerly director of the Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, would replace Dr. Harold Brown, who would become Secretary of the Air Force on Oct, 1. (White House Release)
Dr. Cyril Ponnamperuma, chief of the chemical evolution branch at NASA Ames Research Center, reported to the American Chemical Society meeting in Atlantic City that he had joined together in a laboratory two subunits (nucleotide molecules) of RNA (ribonucleic acid) under conditions simulating earth as it might have been 3 billion yrs, ago, His successful experiments offered further scientific support that life on earth might have evolved chemically. (Haseltine, Wash. Post, 9/13/65, A6)
Activities of the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and Technical Information, operated by the Commerce Dept, at N. Springfield, Va., to distribute reports on non-classified Government projects to industry, scientists, and engineers, were summarized by Charles Covell in the Washington Sunday Star, Reports acquired, principally the result of research performed in Government laboratories or by contractors for the various defense agencies, NASA, and AEC, were expected to number about 65,000 this fiscal year. (Covell, Wash. Sun. Star, 9/12/65)
A scorpion fish stung aquanaut M. Scott Carpenter as nine of his fellow-aquanauts were preparing to leave USN Sealab II on the bottom of the Pacific. Their departure was delayed until a Navy physician had determined that Carpenter could remain in the Sealab 15 additional days as planned. Nine new crewmen descended to join him. (AP, NYT, 9/14/65, 61M; AP, Balt. Sun., 9/13/65)
High winds from Hurricane Betsy inflicted extensive damage to glass windows, roofing, and metal sheeting on almost all major structures at NASA Michoud Assembly Facility, Winds and rising tides forced the Saturn barge Promise onto the west levy of the Michoud slip. Damage was not expected to delay the production schedules of the Saturn IB and Saturn V boosters, however. At Mississippi Test Facility, only minor damage was incurred and area residents took shelter in MTF's main administration building. (Marshall Star, 9/15/65, 1, 4; Marshall Star, 9/22/65, 7; AP, Wash, Post, 9/7/65, Al)
Kansas City Star editorial: "In the long book of history, the 20th century is likely to have a place alongside the 15th and 16th centuries that saw historic explorations of the surface of the earth. Today, man is on the edge of the conquest of another world-the world of space, He now possesses the capability of leaving this planet and setting foot on the moon or another body of the solar system, "In fact, it now begins to appear that American astronauts will settle gently onto the surface of the moon in 1969. It will be an exploit that knows no counterpart in more than 4 billion years of earth's history... ." (Kansas City Star, 9/12/65)
Washington Post contended in an editorial that long-range achievements of oceanographic research might have a greater impact than the space program on the lives of Americans: The reactions of the aquanauts "to prolonged periods in Sealab's artificial environment and in the ocean depths will provide vital information on man's ability to explore and work on the world's continental shelves. Difficulties that have already occurred indicate that undersea exploration, heretofore granted only limited funds for research and development, is not likely to advance as spectacularly as the space program .. ." (Wash. Post, 9/12/65)
U.S.S.R. made public a statement issued by Soviet Foreign Ministry accusing Britain of using its territory to train West German troops in "handling rocket weapons that can bear nuclear warheads," The British Embassy in Moscow, recipient of the statement, made no comment. (AP, NYT, 9/13/65)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30
