May 3 1965
From The Space Library
Nike-Cajun sounding rocket was launched from Wallops Station, Va, to obtain temperature, wind, density, and pressure at a time of minimum zonal wind flow by exploding twelve grenades during the ascent of the rocket. Two grenades did not eject and a third exploded before complete ejection, causing complete failure of experiment, Coordinated firings did not occur simultaneously at Ft, Churchill or Pt. Barrow due to weather conditions and payload problems. (NASA Rpt. SRL)
FAA announced one-month extensions, through May 1965, of design contracts with Boeing Co, and Lockheed Aircraft Corp, airframe contractors; and General Electric Co. and Pratt & Whitney Div. of United Aircraft Corp, engine contractors, for U.S. supersonic transport program. Extensions applied to design contracts awarded to four companies for period Jan. 1 through Feb, 28, 1965, with provisions for one-month extensions from Feb, 28 through June 30, Dollar amount of each one-month airframe contract extension was $1 million ($750,000 Government, $250,000 contractor) ; dollar amount of each one-month engine contract extension was $835,000 ($626,250 Government, $208,750 contractor). (FAA Release 65-40)
Gemini Astronaut John W. Young (LCdr. USN) was presented the Navy's astronaut wings by Secretary of the Navy Paul H. Nitze. (AP, Wash, Post, 5/4/65)
EARLY BIRD I transmitted clear pictures and sound of live television programs between Europe and North America for 14 hrs, demonstrating its usefulness in regularly scheduled television. For three weeks, television's use of EARLY BIRD I would be restricted to Mondays; daily commercial use would not begin until fall when rates had been fixed. The satellite would be used on other days for telephone purposes and transmission of recorded information. (ComSatCorp; Gould, NYT, 5/4/65, 75)
A GEMINI III experiment in which blood cells subjected to a known dosage of radiation were allowed to float around weightless in a container showed that weightlessness had no effect on irradiated human blood cells, according to Charles W. Mathews, Gemini program manager, He also explained why GEMINI III landed about 60 mi. short of predicted spot: The pilots were instructed to fly a bank angle based on wind-tunnel data of Gemini spacecraft's lift characteristics, But in actual reentry, the spacecraft's "lift was only about 2/3 of what we had expected it to be." Onboard instrumentation showed the discrepancy, but the command pilot followed ground instructions, When he ultimately changed the angle, based on the onboard display, it was too late to achieve the spacecraft target. (Transcript)
Editorializing in Aviation Week and Space Technology, Robert Hotz said that during the Eurospace meeting in Philadelphia. European members had made significant points of interest: "Europe needs a technically strong, economically beneficial and politically imaginative space program of its own if it is to remain a powerful economic entity and maintain its present standard of general prosperity . . Europe must organize its technical and political resources on an over-all European level to be successful in space technology. . . . European industry faces a formidable task in selling the economic and political benefits of space technology to its people and governments... European industry must develop its own space technology and cannot remain technically dependent on the U.S. regardless of how much support this country is willing to provide." Hotz concluded that "the fact that the discussions were so blunt and realistic proved the value of an organization such as Eurospace where these admittedly knotty problems can be aired... " (Hotz, Av, Wk, 5/3/65, 11)
Discussions at last week's Eurospace meeting in Philadelphia indicated that "Europeans are eagerly seeking means to acquire U.S. technical know-how and systems management capability without buying hardware," wrote William J. Coughlin in a Missiles and Rockets editorial, He continued: "This was recognized in a blunt statement by Lockheed vice president Elmer P. Wheaton: " 'As we see the situation, the real reason today for joint U.S.-European industrial cooperation is to acquisition by Europe of the technical capability the United States has been fortunate enough to develop, If we objectively appraise the existing circumstances, we all recognize that U.S. cooperation will often simply strengthen the European ability to compete more effectively with U.S. firms, With these facts in mind, it is obvious that the purchase of U.S. hardware does not best fulfill Europe's aims'... "As Lord Caldecote, managing director of the guided weapons division of British Aircraft Corp., put it: 'I cannot believe European taxpayers will be prepared to put forward money for programs on which American firms are prime contractors'... "The most hopeful route to European space collaboration probably lies in the proposals put forward for navigation, meteorological and television satellites." (Coughlin, M&R, 5/3/65, 46)
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