Aug 3 1965
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. launched COSMOS LXXVII, 13th Soviet spacecraft orbited in the last two months, Initial orbital data: apogee, 300 km. (187 mi.); perigee, 184 km. (114 mi,) ; period, 89.3 min,; inclination to the equator, 51.8°. Tass said the unmanned satellite would gather data to prepare equipment for manned flights; instruments were functioning normally. (Pravda, 8/4/65, 1; UPI, NYT, 8/4/65, 4)
USAF launched two unnamed satellites from the Western Test Range with an Atlas-Agena D booster. (UPI, Wash. Post, 8/4/65; U.S. Aeron. & Space Act, 1965, 149)
X-15 No, 2, piloted by Maj. Robert A. Rushworth (USAF), attained a maximum altitude of 208,700 ft. and a maximum speed of 3,602 mph (mach 5.14) in a flight to obtain data for the reaction augmentation system and to check out ultraviolet photographic experiment, advanced landing dynamics, and to continue pilot altitude build-up. (NASA X-15 Proj. Off,; X-15 Flight Log)
Brazilian Space Commission (CNAE) would cooperate with U.S. and Argentine scientists in a study of hemispheric weather patterns, NASA announced. NASA and CNAE had signed an agreement July 1 providing for the cooperative project, which would be part of the inter-American Experimental Meteorological Sounding Rocket Network (EXAMETNET) . First launchings were scheduled before the end of 1965 from Natal, Brazil, and Wallops Station. (NASA Release 65-258)
First static test firing of European Launcher Development Organization's (ELDO) Europa I booster was conducted at Spadeadam Rocket Establishment in Cumberland, England. The launch vehicle was composed of Blue Streak first stage, French Coralie second stage, West German third stage, and Italian satellite and nose casing. For this test, all but Blue Streak were dummy stages. (Av. Wk., 8/2/65, 35)
NASA still planned to launch an eight-day, 121-orbit, two-man Gemini V flight August 19, but fuel cells were causing some problems. The cells' oxygen and hydrogen tended to evaporate too quickly to keep the Gemini spacecraft electrically "alive" for such a long trip, NASA spokesmen said. (UPI, NYT, 8/3/65, 15; WSJ, 8/3/65, 1)
Reviewing the results of the successfully completed Saturn I rocket program, Bob Ward listed in an article in the Huntsville Times eight major contributions which the work had made to launch-vehicle and other aerospace technology: (1) clustering of large rocket engines-a cluster of eight H-1 engines forming the power plant of the booster's 1,504,000-lb.-thrust first stage; (2) first extensive use of multi-engine power plants and liquid hydrogen fuel for upper stages; (3) advances in the fields of rocket guidance and instrumentation; (4) expansion of facilities and development of new methods of transporting large rocket stages, including special-purpose barges and aircraft; (5) development of fabrication techniques needed for large rockets; (6) orbiting meteoroid technology satellites-the three Pegasus orbiters were the largest instrumented satellites yet launched; (7) proving the aerodynamics of the Apollo spacecraft by orbiting five boilerplate versions of the command and service modules; and (8) developing sufficient launching power to place payloads of almost 20 tons into orbit around the earth-the seventh Saturn launch September 18, 1964, orbiting a 39,200-lb, payload. (Ward, Huntsville Times, 8/3/65)
House Committee on Science and Astronautics began hearings on H.R. 2626, a bill to provide that the National Bureau of Standards conduct investigations to determine the practicability of U.S. adoption of the metric system of weights and measures, J. Herbert Hollomon, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Science and Technology, told the Committee that if the U.S. did not adopt the metric system it would stand alone in this regard in 10 to 15 yrs. (CR, 8/3/65, D740; Transcript)
GEMINI IV spacecraft arrived at the New York World's Fair where it would formally be placed on view in the U.S. Space Park starting August 4. (Dougherty, NYT, 8/4/65, 41)
A bolt of lightning struck and killed Albert J. Treib, a construction superintendent at Kennedy Space Center, NASA, as he and his crew poured concrete during a misty rain. The bolt slightly injured five other workmen. (Schreiber, Miami Her, 8/4/65)
North American Air Defense Command said reported UFO sightings from six states were probably the planet Jupiter or one of the stars Rigel, Capella, Betelgeuse, or Aldebaran. A USAF weather observer in Norman, Okla., taking issue with the Air Force's stand, said: "What we saw was not an aircraft, nor was it a planet or star. It was about 22,000 feet high and pitched at about a 45 degree angle." He said he and a friend had observed the object, which was "moving quite rapidly," for a little less than five minutes through a 40-power telescope. (Wash, Post, 8/3/65)
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