Mar 20 1963
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (2MB PDF)
Joint U.S.-U.S.S.R. press conference in Rome, Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, chief U.S. negotiator, and Anatoli A. Blagonravov of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, announced signing of an ac cord for a joint weather satellite program and called for broader American-Russian cooperation in space activities. Agreements were reached under space cooperation accord signed by the U.S. and the U.S.S.R. last June, and after ten days of closed-door negotiations by teams of specialists. Agreement would become effective after a 60-day waiting period pending possible changes by either Government. Under the joint weather satellite program, each nation would launch a satellite on a different orbit to collect meteorological data, while a 24-hr. cable and radio communications network would be established for exchange of information and cloud-cover pictures, such data to be made public throughout the world. Launching of Echo II later in 1963 would provide basis for communications experiments which could lead to a global communications network, including the exchange of radio and TV programs. Both NASA Deputy Administrator Dryden and Blagonravov expressed hope that the accord just negotiated would lead to broader agreements. Blagonravov was quoted as saying that "the first step is always the hardest," Dryden was quoted regarding the Warsaw meetings later this year on probes of Mars and Venus as saying : "I hope there will be future coordination to avoid duplication." (Text; AP, Wash,. Post, 3/21/63,1)
Dr. Abe Silverstein Director of Lewis Research Center, said in testimony before subcommittee on Space Sciences and Advanced Research and Technology of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics that Centaur liquid-hydrogen vehicle could lift 250 additional pounds of payload because of design improvements in the vehicle. Dr. Silverstein described design changes and testing program undertaken by Lewis, and said that the second and third of the planned 15 Centaur vehicles were scheduled to be launched in last half of 1963. (M&R, 3/25/63, 17)
John A. Hornbeck, president of Bellcomm, Inc., testified before House Committee on Science and Astronautics' Subcommittee on Manned Space Flight. that safety was paramount factor in deciding on lunar landing site for Project Apollo. "Preliminary studies of this kind suggest that the characteristics of a good site for early exploration might be on a lunar sea, 10 miles from a continent and 10 miles from a post-marial crater." (UPI, Wash. Post, 3/21/63, A2)
NASA Manned Spacecraft Center announced it had initiated a comparison study with Hughes Aircraft Company to determine feasibility of optical laser communications system in deep space, com paring the laser to microwave. Study, which would "outline the design of an ultimate deep space communication system, will investigate three cases: beaming the laser between the spacecraft and the earth; between the spacecraft and an earth-orbiting satellite, then relaying to earth by microwave; and beaming the laser between a spacecraft and a lunar-based laser station, then relaying the signal to earth by microwave.." Study project was art of broad investigation by MSC of laser applications. (MSC Release 63-52)
Reported that Lear Siegler, Inc., delivered to NASA the slow-scan television camera systems and receiving equipment intended for use on the forthcoming flight of Astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper. (Space News Roundup, 1/8/64, 2 )
Komsomolskaya Pravda reported sport aircraft Yak-18P piloted by Boris Porfirov was flown to record altitude of 7,358 meters, new All-Union record for aircraft of third weight category. Former All-Union record, set 1954, was 6,311 meters. (Komsomolskaya Pravda, 3/20/63,3, AFSS-T Trans.)
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