May 9 1965
From The Space Library
LUNA V, a 3,254-lb. instrumented moon probe, was successfully launched by U.S.S.R, on an undisclosed mission. According to Tass announcement, the probe was launched by multi-stage rocket into a parking orbit and then fired toward the moon. All onboard equipment was said to be functioning normally and a U.S.S.R. station tracking the probe was receiving "scientific information," Tass reported that LUNA V was "moving along a trajectory close to the planned one," At 10:00 p.m. Moscow time, the probe was 110,000 km. (68,323 mi,) from earth. (Tass, 5/9/65)
Sir Bernard Lovell, director of the radiotelescope facility at Jodrell Bank, England, said that the telescope would try to track Soviet lunar probe LUNA V on May 10. "We have been expecting the Russians to make an attempt to achieve a soft landing of an instrumented package on the moon for some time now," he said. "This may possibly be the attempt." (NYT, 5/10/65)
Studies on flight handling qualities of a manned lifting body reentry vehicle during the later stages of reentry and during the landing approach were being jointly conducted by NASA and Cornell Aeronautical Laboratory at NASA's Flight Research Center using a T-33 jet aircraft specifically modified for AF Systems Command by Cornell, Cornell was working under a NASA-funded $231,000 contract which also included human transfer-function studies and ground simulation of the lifting body. (FRC Release 12-65)
Recently released photograph of the recoverable capsule of the U.S.S.R. Vostok spacecraft revealed that the craft was spherical and that one third of it was covered with an unidentified material marked by concentric rings, In a New York Times article, Frederic Appel said that the U.S. had rejected a spherical design for U.S. spacecraft because of its lack of dynamic stability and because, during reentry, too much surface was exposed to hot gases deflected by the heat shield raising the internal temperature above allowable limits. Appel speculated that the Soviets might have solved the problem with greater heat insulation or a more powerful cooling system and that the material marked by concentric rings could be the remains of a heat shield that had burned away. (Appel, NYT, 5/9/65, 14)
U.S.S,R displayed some of its newest, most powerful missiles during a parade across Red Square in Moscow commemorating 20th anniversary of victory over Hitler's Army. Missiles never before displayed included two three-stage missiles about 110 ft, long and 10 ft, in diameter which Tass described as of "unlimited" range and as similar to the rockets that orbited the Vostok and Voskhod spacecraft; two missiles of similar construction-about 65 ft. long-described by Tass as "intercontinental rockets" using solid fuel; a massive self-propelled missile consisting of a tracked carrier topped by a stubby rocket resting as if in a pod and described by Tass as a solid-fuel medium-range missile of "tremendous destructive power." This was the first time the Soviet Union had officially reported it possessed a solid-fuel rocket of the intercontinental, or orbital, type. Also in the parade were a Polaris-type missile used by submarines and what Tass described as an "antimissile missile," These types of weapons had been displayed before. (Tanner, NYT, 5/10/65)
Dr. Richard L. Lesher, consultant to NASA since June 1964 and a special assistant to Breene M. Kerr, NASA Assistant Administrator for Technology Utilization since Nov, 1964, became NASA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Technology Utilization. (NASA Release 65-161)
Sixty college science and engineering students selected in a nationwide competition were awarded NASA grants to participate in a summer space science program at Columbia Univ. (NYT, 5/9/65, 34)
May 9-12: During NASA Conference on Aircraft Operating Problems, NASA scientists reported to Government and industry technical experts on research accomplishments leading to improved aircraft usefulness and safety. Held at NASA Langley Research Center, the technical sessions were under the sponsorship of NASA's Office of Advanced Research and Technology and included 34 papers. (NASA Release 65-160; NASA SP-83,)
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