Aug 14 1963
From The Space Library
New information on solar wind, obtained from analysis of data from MARINER II interplanetary probe, released by National Academy of Sciences. Data showed continuous flow of solar wind from sun due to expansion of solar corona. Velocity of solar wind is between 300 and 800 mi. per sec., indicating great fluctuations in coronal expansion. Temperature of solar wind ranges around 500,000°. On approximately 20 occasions, velocity of solar wind increased from 20 to 100% in periods of a day or two; these fluctuations correlated with magnetic disturbances on earth. (Henry, Wash. Eve. Star, 8/14/63)
At JPL briefing of NASA Hq. scientists, it was reported that Ranger VI would be ready for flight to the moon by about Thanksgiving and Mariner III would be available. for flight past Mars by fourth quarter of 1964. (Hines, Wash. Eve. Star, 8/14/63)
AEC announced discovery of "anti -xi-zero" antiparticle by team of physicists from Yale Univ. and AEC's Brookhaven National Laboratory. AEC said discovery confirmed fundamental theory of physics which states that for every elementary particle there must b e an antiparticle. Anti-xi-zero antiparticle filled in the final gap in family of elementary particles and their antiparticles, AEC said. (Corey, AP, Nashville Tennessean, 8/15/63)
"A Report Covering Evaluation of Areas Considered for Proposed NASA Electronics Research Center," by Robert C. Sellers & Associates, inserted in Congressional Record by Rep. John W. Wydler (R.-N.Y.). Report concluded "1. NASA's statistics on graduate educational capability in the Boston area do not stand up as against that of New York [metropolitan area]: "2. NASA's inference that the industrial complex in the Boston area offers potential benefits does not stand up m light of the current backlogs in that area without expansion of existing organizations, as against New York's Long Island area. "3. In reviewing NASA's statements, the Senate and House committees should also ask: After seeing over expansion's disruptive effects in other areas of the Nation, is it good planning to create a new situation when other areas can support their needs with minimal expansion?" (Seller Report, CR, 8/14/63, 14203-04)
Brig. Gen. Joseph Bleymaier, Titan III program director, quoted as saying SAF planned to fly at least 10 X-20 (Dyna Soar) spacecraft, the first two to be unmanned and remaining eight carrying astronauts. (Space Bus. Daily, 8/14/63, 238)
Reported that a U.S. military satellite, launched by Agena, had established a record 46 days of operation under continued attitude stabilization. (Space Bus. Daily 8/14/63)
President Kennedy named Eugene R. Mack, former president of International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as special adviser on financing development of U.S. supersonic transport airplane. Stanley J. Osborne, chairman of Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp., would assist Black as deputy adviser. (Wall Street Journal, 8/15/63; CTPS, Chic. Trib., 8/15/63)
Missile tests for Project Dazzle, a defense research program to develop antimissile missiles, involving cooperation between the United States, Britain, and Australia, would be conducted at Australia's big Woomera rocket range, using the British-developed Black Knight rocket. Project Dazzle would involve identifying and tracking missiles re-entering the earth's atmosphere from space. The program would include basic research into the physical phenomena associated with the re-entry of objects from space. Australian and British natural scientists would be responsible for analyzing the results recorded by an instrumentation system provided by ARPA. (U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, November, 1963; The Christian Science Monitor, 8/14/63)
Dr. Albert J. Kelley, NASA-Director of Electronics and Control, said in address before Fourth International Electronic Circuit Packaging Symposium "Electronics and its associated disciplines constitute the brain, nerves and senses of flight vehicles. It is estimated that about 40 per cent of our booster costs, 70 per cent of our major spacecraft dollars, and 90 per cent of our tracking and data acquisition funds go into electronics. Unfortunately, in the same context approximately 90 per cent of our flight failures, not to mention flight delays, arise from electronic failures. Success in this area is obviously a major factor in over-all mission accomplishment since a dead or unintelligent vehicle is useless if it cannot measure data and send it back to earth . . . . "NASA electronic research must satisfy the following requirements: "Undertake, under contract and in-house, advances in the electronic art to meet the requirements of future space flight. "Guide industry and university sponsored research, in space electronics, into channels useful to both NASA and the sponsoring industry. "Provide facilities to verify the performance of advanced electronic equipment developed for space use, irrespective of source of funding. "Conceive, develop, ground test, flight test and interpret data for NASA flight experiments designed to prove advanced electronic equipment 'in-use."' Dr. Kelley then described the functions of the proposed Electronics Research Center, which would be "the focal point of our electronics research efforts." (Text)
GSFC scientist reported U.S. nuclear blast above Pacific in 1962 disclosed key data on travel pattern and life of high-energy particles in Van Allen belt with accuracy to a distance of 5,000 mi. (A&AE, Oct. 1963,7)
FAA Administrator Najeeb E. Halaby predicted in news conference that U.S. supersonic transport aircraft "will be in actual air service not more than six months after the [British-French] Concorde starts carrying passengers." Prototype of Concorde was expected to be flying by end of 1966. Mr. Halaby said U.S. should be able to test-fly supersonic transport by 1967 that would be "better, faster and longer-ranged with superior handling and capacity characteristics." (UPI, NYT, 8/15/63,48)
FCC Chairman E. William Henry predicted in address to American Bar Association's Committee on Communications, meeting in Chicago, that a single communications satellite eventually may equal carrying capacity of all telephone cable circuits between U.S. and rest of the world. Last year 5 million telephone calls were made from U.S. to 176 countries. Existing facilities probably will be used to capacity by 1965, he said, and $500-million international communications system will be in operation by 1970. New transistorized cable, with capacity of almost six times present capacity, will be available. (Wolters, Chic. Trib., 8/15/63)
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