Aug 30 1963
From The Space Library
NASA announced its Langley Research Center had issued requests for proposals for instrumented lunar-orbiter probes which would be launched by 1966 to secure topographic data on the moon's surface. Photographic lunar-orbiters would team with Ranger hard-landing spacecraft and Surveyor soft-landing spacecraft in gathering data preparatory to Apollo manned lunar landing. To be launched by Atlas-Agena launch vehicle, lunar orbiter would contain camera system capable of obtaining pictures not closer than 22 mi. above moon's surface. (NASA Release 63-196: LARC Release)
Marvin W. Robinson resigned position as Deputy Director of NASA Office of International Programs to serve United Nations as Scientific Secretary in Secretariat of Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. (NASA Announcement 63-186)
Reporting on experiments with mice in simulated space flights up to 90 days, Chicago researcher Bernard Miezkuc said at annual meeting of American Institute of Biological Sciences that resistance to infection is critically low on first, fourteenth, thirtieth, and possibly sixtieth days of flight. Apparently physical and psychological stress of early flight could account for lowered resistance of the mice on first day, he said. Then, after temporary recovery, mice build up resistance during flight, with lapses occurring at periods of about two weeks, one month, and two months. (Carey, AP, Wash. Post, 8/31/63)
USAF launched Titan I ICBM from Vandenberg AFB in flight some 5,000 mi. down Pacific Missile Range. (UPI, Wash. Post, 8/31/63; M&R, 9/9/63, 13)
Kaj A. Strand, former Chairman of Northwestern Univ. Astronomy Dept., succeeded retiring Gerald M. Clemence as Scientific Director of U.S. Naval Observatory. (Wash. Eve. Star, 8/27/63)
Nike-Zeus antimissile missile, fired from Kwajalein Island in the Pacific, scored its ninth "intercept" of Atlas ICBM target fired from Vandenberg AFB, Calif. (M&R,9/9/63,13)
DOD announced the direct communication link between Washington and Moscow was now operational. (DOD Release)
USN launched Polaris A-3 from land pad at AMR, in successful night flight to gather data on guidance,. propulsion, and thrust vector control and to evaluate re-entry body flight dynamics. (M&R, 9/9/63, 13)
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