May 13 1964
From The Space Library
Space News for this day. (2MB PDF)
Successful test of Apollo escape system was conducted at White Sands Missile Range by NASA Manned Spacecraft Center. Boilerplate model of Apollo spacecraft (command and service modules) was mounted on Little Joe II. At altitude of 17,000 ft. the Little Joe II was exploded. Instantly the rockets in the escape tower ignited and propelled the Apollo command module away from the exploding booster-to maximum altitude of 24,000 ft.; then the escape tower was jettisoned automatically. Drogue parachute opened from nose to stabilize the spacecraft as it descended. Then at about 7,500 ft. three large parachutes were deployed from the nose. First chute broke loose from the spacecraft, but the spacecraft landed safely with two chutes at speed of about 30 fps. The 71/2-min. test was termed successful, with all objectives achieved. (NASA Release 64-108; Freelander, Houston Post, 5/14/64; Witkin, NYT, 5/14/64,18)
Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory successfully operated a Kiwi B-4 reactor, designated the Kiwi B-4D, at near full design power for approximately one minute, at Jackass Flats, Nev. The test used liquid hydrogen as a propellant and coolant with a liquid-hydrogen-cooled nozzle as would be required in a flight system. All principal test objectives were met. Operating time at the power plateau had to be reduced from the planned eight minutes to one minute because of nozzle leaks, but reduced test duration did not compromise the meeting of test objectives. Reactor performance was excellent, and the test was considered a major mile-stone in the NASA-AEC program to develop technology for using nuclear propulsion in space missions. (Finger, 5/29/64; SNPO )
Disclosed at press conference in Florence, Italy, in connection with COSPAR meeting, that U.S.-U.S.S.R. cooperative space negotiations would be held in Geneva within two weeks. Heading U.S. team would be NASA Deputy Administrator Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, meeting with Soviet team led by Anatoli Blagonravov. (Simons, Wash Post, 5/14/64)
Aerospace Medical Association honored Dr. W. Randolph Lovelace II and Col. William K. Douglas at its meeting in Miami. Dr. Lovelace, President of Lovelace Foundation for Medical Education and Research and recently appointed. NASA Director of Space Medicine, received the 1964 Theodore C. Lyster award, and Dr. Douglas, Assistant Deputy for Bioastronautics at AFMTC and formerly personal physician to the original seven Mercury astronauts, received the Louis H. Bauer Founders award. (Wash. Eve. Star, 5/14/64)
NASA and DOD announced Astronaut M. Scott Carpenter (Lt. Cdr., USN) would participate in USN Project Sea Lab I off coast of Bermuda in July. The submerged lab would collect and evaluate scientific data on physiological and psychological reactions to the undersea environment. (NASA Release 64-112; DOD Release 383-64)
Launch of Ranger VII lunar probe was postponed from late June date to third quarter of the year, to ensure most careful possible check and review of the many tests being made on the spacecraft. (NASA Release 64-114)
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