Feb 20 1969
From The Space Library
NASA announced appointment of Dr. Hans M. Mark, Chairman of Dept. of Nuclear Engineering, Univ. of California at Berkeley, as Director of Ames Research Center. He would succeed H. Julian Allen, who had announced retirement Oct. 25, 1968, but had remained as Acting Director. Dr. Mark, expert in nuclear and atomic physics, was also Reactor Administrator of Univ.'s Berkeley Research Reactor, research physicist at Univ.'s Lawrence Radiation Laboratory, and consultant to USA and NSF. Clarence A. Syvertson, Director of Astronautics at ARC, was appointed to newly created position of ARC Deputy Director. Both appointments were effective Feb. 28. Because of prior commitments, Dr. Mark would spend one-fifth of his time at ARC until July 1969. (NASA Release 69-32; ARC Astrogram, 2/24/69, 1)
Secretary of Defense Melvin R. Laird told Senate Foreign Relations Committee during hearings on nuclear nonproliferation treaty that U.S. should go forward with Sentinel system if DOD review found it "practical" and "effective," since U.S.S.R. was working on "sophisticated new ABM system." Curtailment in Soviet missile construction during past few months, Laird said, was due to R&D testing on more sophisticated system. U.S.S.R. had been outspending U.S. three to one in missile defense and "substantial" network around Moscow was halfway complete. (Transcript, 419-20)
Apollo 8 Astronaut Frank Borman and family ended official goodwill tour of Western Europe with lecture and luncheon in Lisbon. During final European news conference previous day, he had predicted U.S. would put man on moon in summer 1969 "if everything goes well." (UPI, W Star, 2/20/69, A8)
NASA launched Nike-Apache sounding rocket from Churchill Research Range carrying Southwest Center for Advanced Studies payload to investigate auroral disturbances. Mission was unsuccessful. (NASA Proj Off)
At annual dinner of Washington Academy of Sciences, GSFC engineer Charles R. Gunn received Academy's award for "noteworthy discovery, accomplishment, or publication" in engineering field for his work as technical director of Thor-Delta launch vehicle. (GSFC Delta Proj Mgr; AP, W Star, 2/21/69, C10)
First International Aviation Service Award, financed by contributions from FAA employees and established in June 1968 by retiring FAA executive Alfred Hand, was presented in Washington to Theodore C. Uebel, International Liaison Officer for FAA, for "outstanding accomplishments in furthering the interests of the United States in international aviation." (FAA Release 69-17)
Eugene Luther Vidal, who as Director of Air Commerce of Dept. of Commerce (1933-1937) promoted growth of U.S. civil aviation, died. at age 73 in Palos Verdes, Calif. He had furthered construction of airports and beacons, encouraged private flying and manufacture of small aircraft, advanced commercial aviation, and reorganized Government control of commercial flights. After leaving Commerce Dept. he had established research laboratory near Camden, N.J., where he developed process for making airframe parts from molded plywood. (NYT, 2/21/69, 43)
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