Jun 13 1969
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
In letter to NASA Associate Administrator for Space Science and Applications, Dr. John E. Naugle, ComSatCorp President Joseph V. Charyk offered plan for NASA-ComSatCorp cooperation in demonstrations of TV and other satellite services between U.S. areas, including Alaska, using existing earth stations at Brewster, Wash." and Paumalu, Hawaii, plus two new small stations, and NASA ATS satellite or possibly in-orbit commercial satellite. (ComSatCorp Release 69-33)
Aerobee 150 sounding rocket launched by NASA from Natal, Brazil, carried Brazil-Univ. of California payload to conduct stellar x-ray studies. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily. (NASA Proj Off)
Aerobee 150 MI sounding rocket was launched by NASA from WSMR with VA M-20 booster to 106.6-mi (171.5-km) altitude carrying Univ. of Colorado payload to measure height profile of nitric oxide, nitrogen, and ionized nitrogen and to test Mariner-Mars UV spectrometer. Rocket and instruments functioned satisfactorily. (NASA Rpt SRL)
NASA announced addition of two lunar orbits to Apollo 11 flight plan, which would increase revolutions to 30 and total time in lunar orbit to 59 hrs 30 min. Addition of orbit before LM /CSM undocking would improve communications during critical maneuver by bringing LM within radio sight of 210-ft dish antenna at Goldstone Tracking Station during its descent to lunar surface. Addition of orbit after redocking and before LM jettison would allow astronauts two more hours for decontamination of equipment exposed to lunar environment. (NASA Release 69-83A)
Catastrophic contamination of earth by returning Apollo 11 astronauts and lunar samples was "extremely unlikely," Philip H. Abelson explained in Science. "One argument is that a form of life adapted to the absence of H20, 02, and organic compounds could scarcely be expected to survive on earth, much less infect earth's creatures. The most compelling argument, however, is that the lunar-return experiment has been conducted many times in the past. It has been estimated that millions of tons of unsterilized lunar material have reached the earth as a consequence of meteor impact. . . . Sterile containment of lunar specimens during the journey to Houston is assured. . . . "Procedures involving the astronauts are more controversial. Careful effort to keep to a minimum the amount of adventitious material returned to earth is a substantial factor in the procedures that have been adopted. The astronauts face a difficult and dangerous mission. Were their procedures to be made even more complex because of panicky, last-minute objections, their chances of a safe return could be needlessly jeopardized." (Science, 6/13/69, 1227)
Discovery of approximately 621.4-mi-dia (1,000-km-dia) mascon-mass concentration of gravitational pull-on moon's far side and of fact that Mare Marginis at eastern edge was flooded fraction of mascon basin was reported in Science by Cornell Univ. radiophysicists Dr. Malcolm J. Campbell, Dr. Brian T. O'Leary, and Dr. Carl Sagan. Discoveries were made from study of Lunar Orbiter and Apollo 8 photos and gravitational data. New mascon was 2.8 times heavier than mascons associated with Mares Imbrium and Serenitatis on moon's near side. If mare material was confirmed in basin, discoverers proposed calling it Mare Occulum (Hidden Sea). Dr. Campbell said they believed mascons explained moon's entire "out-of-balance" appearance as seen from spacecraft. While some Apollo mission planners believed moon to be pear-shaped because of its effects on spacecraft, Cornell team believed moon was nearly perfect sphere. Mascons explained unexpected variations in lunar gravity which, according to MSC officials, had dragged Apollo 10 off course. With mascons, scientists were close to answering question of origin of lunar seas, Dr. Campbell said, "But we haven't quite gotten the whole story." (Science, 6/13/69, 1273-5; Cohn, W Post, 6/14/69, Al)
President Nixon submitted following nominations to Senate: Gen. John D. Ryan (USAF) to be USAF Chief of Staff, Adm. Thomas H. Moorer (USN) to be Chief of Naval Operations for additional two-year period, and Gen. Earle G. Wheeler (USA) for reappointment as Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, for additional one-year term. (PD, 6/16/69, 845)
Disruption of circadian rhythms-cycles in life processes dependent on biological mechanism operating like internal clock-placed stress on long-distance air traveler, said FAA medical officials Dr. Peter V. Siegel, Dr. Siegfried J. Gerathewohl, and Dr. Stanley R. Mohler in Science. In modern aviation environment man was exposed abruptly to disruptions, particularly during long east-to-west and west-to-east flights. (Science, 6/13/69, 1249-55)
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