Jan 19 1968
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (2MB PDF)
U.S.S.R. successfully launched Cosmos CC. Orbital parameters: apogee, 538 km (334 mi) ; perigee, 518 km (322 mi) ; period, 95.1 min; inclination, 74°. (Pravda, 1/21/68; GSFC SSR, 1/31/68)
Fiftieth anniversary of USAF School of Aerospace Medicine, dedicated to ensuring that man could perform efficiently and safely in air and in space. Established in 1918 at Hazelhurst Field near Mineola, N.Y., school was currently headquartered at Brooks AFB, Tex., under command of Col. George E. Schafer. (AFHF Newsletter, 2/68)
Holder of world manned aircraft speed record, X-15 pilot Maj. William J. Knight (USAF), received senior astronaut wings and Distinguished Flying Cross from M/G Hugh B. Manson, Commander of AFFTC. Maj. Knight set 4,534-mph speed record Oct. 3, 1967, in special ablative-coated X-15; two weeks later he reached 277,000-ft altitude to qualify as an astronaut. On June 29, 1967, after experiencing complete engine and power failure, he had piloted X-15 to safe landing to earn DFC. (AFFTC Release 68-1-9)
President Johnson named Clark M. Clifford, lawyer and intimate adviser to three Democratic Presidents, to succeed Robert S. McNamara as Secretary of Defense. President praised Clifford as "a counselor on most of the important decisions made in many of the international fields from defense to strength to weapons to actions." (Frankel, NYT, 1/20/68, 1; PD, 1/22/68, 84-5)
NASA announced award of $8.5-million contract to Bendix Field Engineering Corp. to provide logistics support services for NASA's consolidated worldwide spacecraft tracking networks, which included 50 worldwide sites, ships, instrumental aircraft, communications switching centers, spacecraft control centers, mobile units, and a training center. Bendix would establish consolidated logistics support system by combining certain functions previously performed separately for each network. Both networks were operational responsibility of GSFC, under NASA's Office of Tracking and Data Acquisition. (NASA Release 68-10)
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