May 11 1965
From The Space Library
NASA Administrator James E. Webb, speaking to the Washington Board of Trade, said: "In 1959, when NASA attempted 14 space flights, we had 37 percent success in missions and launch vehicles, Last year we attempted 30 missions, more than twice as many as in 1959, and the percentage of success in missions went up to 83, with 93 percent success in vehicles. So far this year, the percentages are holding close to those of 1964." (Text)
Successful 75-min. test of USAF F-111A supersonic fighter bomber was conducted at Edwards AFB by Lt. Col. James W. Wood (USAF) who flew at 760 mph and to 30,000 ft. (AP, NYT, 5/12/65)
F-111B, USN version of the F-111 multipurpose fighter designed for use by both USAF and USN, was displayed for the first time during a rollout ceremony at the Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp. plant at Peconic, L.I., Secretary of the Navy Paul H. Nitze was the principal speaker. Test pilots demonstrated the variable-sweep wing which could extend almost perpendicular to the fuselage for take-offs, landings, and slow flight, and then pivot back sharply for supersonic flight, In a news conference, Brig, Gen. John L. Zoeckler (USAF), F-111 project manager, acknowledged that F-111B was 500-600 lbs, "overweight," but said that "very substantial strides" had been made in weight reduction. He added that "some compensation" in performance would be achieved in later USN models by addition of high-lift devices. The two-man, all-weather, supersonic aircraft was designed to fly at about 1,600 mph. (DOD Release 285-65; Hudson, NYT, 5/12/65, 18)
A third solid-fuel Pershing ballistic missile unit would be moved to Europe this month, DOD announced. The Pershing could reach 400 mi. with either a nuclear or conventional warhead and would replace the slower-firing liquid-fuel Redstone missile. (Wash. Post, 5/11/65)
NASA announced closing of its Santa Monica and Dallas Area Professional Staffing Offices and moving of its New York office to Boston to assist in recruitment program for new Electronics Research Center in Cambridge. (NASA Release 65-156)
Dr. Raymond L. Bisplinghoff, NASA Associate Administrator for Advanced Research and Technology, announced the appointment of Francis J. Sullivan as Director of the Electronics and Control Div, of NASA's Office of Advanced Research and Technology. Mr. Sullivan had been serving as Acting Director since Sept, 1, 1964. (NASA Release 65-152)
Decision to narrow the choice of type of broadcast satellite it would consider from three to two was announced by ComSatCorp president Joseph V. Charyk at a stockholder's meeting in Washington, D.C. Two of the approaches under consideration involved satellites that would operate about 6,000 mi. above the earth: one would have 18 satellites, orbiting in random positions; the other would have 12 satellites, orbiting at "phased" or controlled positions. The third approach, being tested in EARLY BIRD I, had satellites placed at an altitude of 22,000 mi. in synchronous orbit. In his speech, Charyk revealed that the corporation had decided to drop from consideration the 6,000-mi, random version. It had been discovered, he reported, that a 6,000-mi,-high satellite could be controlled more easily than ComSatCorp had believed when it first started studying random satellites as one alternative approach. Moreover, Charyk said, it now appeared that a satellite could be designed that would operate either at 6,000 mi, in controlled positions or at the 22,000-mi,-high, synchronous position, ComSatCorp therefore would invite satellite designers to offer bids to build this type of satellite. (Denniston, Wash, Eve. Star, 5/11/65, 12)
May 11-2I: 1965 [[Committee on Space Research|COSPAR (Committee on Space Research) meeting was held in Mar del Plata, Argentina, where it was moved from Buenos Aires because of student demonstrations. A new working group was formed, with Morris Tepper (Chief of Meteorological Programs, NASA) as chairman, Called Working Group VI, for Scientific Space Experiments Concerned with Properties and Dynamics of the Troposphere and Stratosphere, it was formed to "further international understanding of, and cooperation in, the use of rocket and satellite systems and techniques for meteorological research, and to promote international discussions involving meteorologists with scientists of other disciplines in order to provide a good climate for the development of imaginative new approaches to the use of rockets and satellites for meteorological research." (NAS-NRC News Report, Vol. XV, 5/6/65, 6)
Dr. O. Z. Gazenko, physiologist and member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, said that cosmonauts had no difficulty knowing the orientation of their bodies and experienced no nervous disorders if they were given visual cues. He based his remarks on experiences of Soviet cosmonauts, especially those of Lt. Col. Aleksei Leonov in VOSKHOD II: "When he saw the spacecraft, he had no problem knowing his orientation, but it was different when he didn't see the spacecraft," During the launch phase, the cosmonauts' pulse and breathing rates were greater than noted during centrifugal tests in ground laboratories. In VOSKHOD II, it took a comparatively long time for the normal levels to be reached, according to Gazenko, Comparison of the data of the Voskhod flights with other space flights showed fewer cardiovascular variations and better responses to stress. He recommended crews of several people since "the feeling of togetherness of cosmonauts is very important." (Text)
Success of the fully stabilized British Skylark rocket in obtaining new astrophysical data was described. Skylark was a single-stage, solid-fuel vehicle designed to carry 150-200-lb. payload to 200 km. (124 mi,) altitude. Using the sun as a reference, Skylark could achieve pointing accuracy of between two and three minutes of arc in pitch and yaw, reported Kenneth Pounds, lecturer at Leicester College, England, and one of its users: "The new Skylark has revolutionized the whole field of rocket research as far as we're concerned," He pointed out that many scientific experiments, such as taking x-ray photographs of the sun, could not be done by an unstabilized rocket: "You need 100 sec, or more exposure time, plus roll stabilization, or the photographs will be blurred." (COSPAR Rpt.)
M. S. V. Rao, reporting on the Thumba, India, experiments conducted on World Days during the 1964-1965 IQSY, said east northeasterly winds with speeds of 60-90 knots were observed in the stratosphere during the monsoon, In the mesosphere, data revealed a region of unusually strong winds with high shear. Rao reported that radar observations of the rate of dispersion of chaff confirmed existence of complex pattern of high shears and pronounced turbulence in the equatorial mesosphere in the monsoon season. (Text)
NASA scientists at Wallops Station, Va, had made a similar rocket launching during the Thumba experiments to get a synoptic picture. Arnold Frutkin, NASA Director of International Programs, said at the COSPAR meeting that "these data were the first relating to the monsoon problem on a global scale. It shows what very important work less advanced countries can do." (M&R, 5/24/65, 17)
Activities in the 1964 U.S. space program were summarized by Dr. Richard W. Porter, National Academy of Sciences delegate to COSPAR: "... Satellite storm warnings, intercontinental television, voice and data transmissions via satellite, all-weather navigational `fixes' for ships at sea, and precise map making by means of satellite observations have become almost commonplace events. Space launchings at frequent intervals are providing a continuous stream of new information of value to science and mankind... In total, the various agencies of the United States carried out sixty-one successful satellite and space probe launchings; however, because of the occasional practice of launching several satellites at a time ... the total number of useful discrete payloads in Earth orbit or escape trajectory was seventy-seven... . "In addition, the United States launched seven large high-altitude rocket probes, in the range from 700 to 1100 km, and well over one hundred other scientific sounding rockets, most of which reached altitudes between 110 and 250 km. Twelve hundred twenty-three small meteorological rockets, having a payload of about 5 kg. and a maximum altitude of about 60 km. were fired on regular schedules by the meteorological rocket network and more than one hundred scientifically instrumented large balloon flights were made during the period. "Technological advances made during this period which will contribute significantly to the space-research capability of the United States include the launching of three SATURN I booster rockets, capable of putting about 7500 kg. of useful weight into Earth orbit, one Titan IIIA booster, and successful tests of the CENTAUR liquid hydrogen rocket. Electrostatic ion accelerator rocket propulsion devices were tested in space during 1964, and more recently a nuclear reactor with thermoelectric energy conversion devices successfully began an endurance run in space which is still continuing. Passive gravity-gradient stabilization techniques have been perfected by means of additional satellite tests to the point where this technique is ready for useful employment in a variety of space applications. The highly directional properties of a laser beam were successfully used in tracking a satellite. Significant improvements were also made in sounding rocket, high altitude balloon design and in data conversion facilities." (Text)
K. Maeda, chief Japanese delegate to the sixth international space symposium of COSPAR, told Missiles and Rockets Japan would launch its own satellite with its own launch vehicle within the next three years. A four-stage, solid-fueled rocket would be used, with the Mu rocket as first stage. The satellite, to be used solely for scientific research, would weigh between 50-100 kgs, and be sent into a 500-1,000-km. (311-621-mi.) orbit. (M&R, 5/17/65, 9)
At a news conference during the COSPAR meeting, A. A. Blagonravov, chief Soviet delegate, said that in view of the difficulties of soft landing on the moon, the Soviet Union would probably try to soft land another Lunik before attempting to land cosmonauts. He said the lunar surface must be known in detail and "should be examined by automatic stations." Because of the problems involved, he added, "it is not possible to set any date for a lunar landing." (M&R, 5/24/65, 17)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
