Aug 9 1968
From The Space Library
U.S.S.R. launched Cosmos CCXXXV from Baikonur Cosmodrome into orbit with 283-km (175.8-mi) apogee, 203-km (126.2-mi) perigee, 89.3-min period, and 51.8° inclination. Satellite performed satisfactorily and reentered Aug. 17. (W Star, 8/9/68, 1; SBD, 8/12/68, 177; GSFC SSR, 8/15/68; 8/31/68)
NASA Nike-Apache sounding rocket launched from NASA Wallops Station carried Univ. of Michigan payload to 90.9-mi (146.3-km) altitude to measure neutral atmospheric density and temperature profile at altitudes of 12.4-74.6 mi (20-120 km), compare night measurements with day measurements by rocket launched Aug. 8, evaluate lunar position sensing device for use in resolving payload altitude, and measure wind velocities. Rocket and instrumentation performed satisfactorily; data were obtained as planned. Launch was to be last of this Pitot static payload configuration. New Pitot probe system would be used in fu- ture. (NASA Rpt SRL)
NASA selected Nortronics Div. of Northrop Corp. and Fecker Div. of Owens-Illinois Co. for competitive negotiations for $2.5 million costplus-incentive-fee contract to design, build, and install 36-in aperture infrared telescope in NASA's high-altitude observatory aircraft. Aircraft, modified Convair 990 jet transport, was operated by ARC as national facility for astronomers and other scientists. Telescope would provide information on planets, comets, asteroids, solar surface, stars, nebulae, and galactic phenomena. Above interference of most of earth's atmosphere, it would gather information in infrared portion of spectrum not available from ground observatories. (NASA Release 68-144)
Naval Research Laboratory scientists Dror Sadeh, Stephen Knowles, and Benjamin Au reported in Science observations made in two experiments in which an apparent decrease in frequency of radio or light waves was detected when optical path was in vicinity of a mass. Radio waves skirting earth and sun appeared to increase in wavelength, leading scientists to reason that all lights crossing portions of universe would be similarly affected by mass of objects along the way. Effect could account for part of "red shift" (shift in spectra of distant galaxies as they receded from earth), chief tool for measuring expansion rate of universe which, in turn, was used to measure age of universe. Thus, if observations by NRL scientists were confirmed, they could necessitate revision of long-standing estimates of age and expansion rate of universe. Experimenters, however, indicated their findings appeared inconsistent with results from "round-trip" experiments, such as those obtained during past year when radar impulses were bounced off Venus and Mercury. (Science, 8/9/68, 567-9; Sullivan, NYT, 8/10/68, 27)
ComSatCorp, on behalf of INTELSAT, announced it had requested proposals for design of 120-in parabolic spacecraft antenna for experiments to evaluate feasibility of deployable, narrow-beam, parabolic antenna for use on spacecraft in synchronous, equatorial orbit in research on communications at 15 ghz. Antenna would be designed to provide 0.5° width beam. (ComSatCorp Release 68-40)
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