Jun 19 1968
From The Space Library
U.N. Security Council approved security guarantee by U.S., U.K., and U.S.S.R. to provide immediate assistance to nonnuclear nations facing nuclear attack, completing U.N. action on nonproliferation treaty endorsed by U.N. General Assembly June 12. Ten voted in favor of guarantee; France, India, Brazil, Pakistan, and Algeria abstained. (de Onis, NYT, 6/20/68, 10C)
In letter to Sen. Richard B. Russell (D-Ga.), Chairman of Senate Armed Services Committee, Secretary of Defense Clark M. Clifford said that "it would be a serious mistake to eliminate construction and procurement funds in fiscal year 1969 for the deployment of the Sentinel System." Program represented 12 yr of R&D at cost of $3 billion, he said, and time had come "when we can no longer rely merely on continued research and development but should proceed with actual deployment of an operating system." Congressional decision to eliminate deployment funds would disrupt work under way and lose two years in availability of operating system which was important to U.S. security. Senate coalition responded with letter from Assistant Defense Secretary Paul C. Warnke acknowledging one-year delay in Chinese ICBM program and that Sentinel ballistic missile defense system had "also slipped a little." (Text; Finney, NYT, 6/20/68, 24; Corddry, B Sun, 6/20/68, A8)
June 20: USAF launched two unidentified satellites from Vandenberg AFB by Thor-Agena D booster. One entered orbit with 251-mi (403.9-km) apogee, 113-mi (181.8-km) perigee, 90.3-min period, and 85° inclination and reentered July 16. Second entered orbit with 322-mi (518.2-km) apogee, 273-mi (439.3-km) perigee, 94.1-min period, and 85.1° inclination. (SBD, 6/25/68, 272; Pres Rpt 68)
Analysis of data returned by Pioneer VIII had led ARC scientists to speculate that earth's magnetic tail, extension of its magnetic envelope (magnetosphere) blown out by solar wind to resemble comet's tail, might be shorter than the 200 million mi suggested by certain theoretical calculations. When Pioneer VII flew through tail region at 3.5-million-mi distance from earth after Aug. 17, 1966, launch, it found long period when solar wind was completely or partially blocked out, suggesting spacecraft had observed end of organized tail region. Conditions encountered in tail area by Pioneer VJII at 1.75 million mi from earth after Dec. 13, 1967, launch, were similar. However, instead of smooth cylindrical structure expected at smaller distance, Pioneer VIII found conditions resembling turbulent wake, leading some scientists to conclude tail was shorter. Others, including Pioneer Project Scientist, Dr. John Wolfe, believed tail might include successively turbulent and smooth areas. (ARC Astrogram, 6/20/68; AP, NYT, 6/22/68, 53)
Eastern Air Lines and McDonnell Douglas Corp. announced joint program to evaluate propeller-driven STOL aircraft for use on 300- to 500- mi intercity flights by trial of 64-passenger French Breguet 941 (McDonnell Douglas 188) aircraft. Beginning in September, performance of STOL aircraft, which could take off from 1,000-ft runway and cruise at 250 mph, would be compared with that of conventional jet aircraft on regular commercial air shuttle routes on same schedule to determine time saved by using separate runways and terminal airspace. (Hudson, NYT, 6/21/68; W Post, 6/21/68, A20; WSJ, 6/21/68, 28)
U.K. withdrew from $420-million European Nuclear Research Center project because of financial difficulties resulting from devaluation of pound Nov. 18, 1967. Officials said U.K. could not afford to contribute its $93.6-million share in proposed 300-bev European nuclear accelerator. U.K. withdrawal from European Conference on Satellite Communications had been announced April 16. (W Post, 6/21/68, A16)
NATO planned establishment by early 1970 of comsat network of advanced relay spacecraft in synchronous orbit 21,000 mi over Atlantic for communications between its military units in Europe and U.S. Reportedly $7.9-million contract calling for delivery in autumn 1969 of two spacecraft had already been signed. (AP, W Post, 6/21/68, A7)
Commenting on reductions in NASA authorization bill, Kansas City Times editorial said: "We have supported the space program in the past, not as a window dressing but as an expression-and a catalyst-of the inventiveness and technical energies of the American people. We still support it, and believe it is beneficial. "We recognize, nonetheless, that it is but one of many costly and sometimes competing activities. Congress has decided that in a time of burdensome military expenditure, and of pressing domestic needs, the space budget is one logical place to apply the knife of economy. NASA planners will simply have to find creative ways to live with that decision." (KG Times, 6/20/68)
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