Mar 7 1969
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (1MB PDF)
Aerobee 150 sounding rocket was launched by NASA from WSMR carrying Columbia Radiation Laboratories payload to conduct stellar spectra studies. Rocket and instruments functioned Satisfactorily. (NASA Proj Off)
Time magazine said Astronaut Frank Borman had amused audiences during February 1969 European tour by claiming Apollo 8 astronauts deserved overtime pay because they had aged about 300 microseconds more than people on earth during moon mission. At NASA's request, Univ. of Maryland physicist Carroll Alley had calculated effects on astronauts of phenomena described in Einstein's relativity equations-time ran slower for object as its speed increased, and time accelerated for object as it moved away from body exerting gravitational force. Alley found Apollo 8 spacecraft speed was predominant factor when it was within 4,000 mi of earth; time slowed and astronauts actually aged more slowly. Beyond 4,000 mi, effects of earth's gravity lessened as Apollo's time passed 300 microseconds faster than earth's. Despite Alley's calculations, said Time, Borman's claim was valid only for Astronaut William A. Anders, who made his first space flight on Apollo 8. Astronauts Borman and James A. Lovell had been crew-mates on Dec. 4-18, 1965, Gemini VII, when time dilation effect was dominant for entire two weeks. They had aged less than those on earth by 400 microseconds. Lovell's time also had been slowed during four-day Gemini XII mission Nov. 11-15, 1966, by about 100 microseconds. "Thus," said Time, "during all their missions in space, Lovell and Borman respectively spent 200 and 100 microseconds less time than was recorded on earth-which means they were paid for more time than they actually worked." (Time, 3/7/69, 42)
March 7-8: NASA launched series of three Nike-Tomahawk sounding rockets from Dew Line station Pin Main, Cape Parry, Canada, carrying GSFC payloads to analyze electric fields from observed motions of neutral and ionized barium clouds during disturbed magnetic conditions. Four barium clouds on each rocket were released during disturbed magnetic conditions as planned. Good photographic coverage was obtained from all sites. (NASA Rpts SRL)
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