Jul 2 1962
From The Space Library
NASA signed three letter contracts with NAA’s Rocketdyne Division for further development and production of the F-1 and J-2 rocket engines. The contracts provided: (1) $1 million for long lead-time items in F-1 engine R&D; (2) $3.4 million for early production effort on 55 F-1 engines; and (3) $1.7 million for early production work on 59 J-2 engines. Ultimate value of the final contracts, extending through 1965, would be about $289 million.
House Committee on Science and Astronautics issued report based on NASA’s authorization hearings and two days of specific testimony on the Centaur program.
NAA announced that the 1961 Robert J. Collier Trophy, U.S. aviation's highest honor, was awarded to four test pilots of the X-15 rocket research airplane: Scott Crossfield (NAA), Joseph Walker (NASA), Major Robert M. White (USAF), and Cdr. Forrest S. Petersen (USN). Co-sponsors of the annual award, National Aeronautic Association and Look magazine, said the Collier Trophy was awarded to the pilots "for invaluable technological contributions to the advancement of flight and for great skill and courage as test pilots of the X-15." House of Representatives passed a bill (H.R. 9485) to amend the Space Act of 1958 to designate March 16 as National Goddard Day, commemorating the date in 1926 when Dr. Robert H.
Goddard launched the first successful liquid-fuel rocket. The bill was then referred to the Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences.
Lt. Col. John A. Powers, addressing the Texas Associated Press Broadcasters Association, said that the next manned space flight (MA-8) might be as many as Seven orbits. "We'll go for the full seven if all systems work perfectly," the Project Mercury spokesman stated.
Reported that the Air Force Logistics Command (AFLC) civilian retraining program begun in October 1957 has proved to be highly successful. According to AFLC program director Eric W. Jordan, 80,000 civilian employees, whose skills have become obsolete in today's rapidly changing technology, will have been retrained and placed in new jobs by the end of 1962.
July 2-5: Spacecraft FRIENDSHIP 7 was publicly displayed in Rangoon, Burma; it left Rangoon on July 5 for Thailand.
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