Nov 18 1968
From The Space Library
Bullet fragment in brain of holdup victim Joseph Barrios was successfully repositioned into brain membrane by whirling patient in ARC centrifuge, subjecting him to force of 6 g. Fragment had moved from critical central ventricle to lateral ventricle when doctors at O'Connor Hospital in San Jose, Calif., somersaulted Barrios on rotating chair, but fragment could move again. Force of centrifuge normally used by NASA for space research-imbedded fragment in membrane of left ventricle, where it was expected to remain safely encapsulated by scar tissue. Dec. 16 x-rays showed fragment had not moved since centrifuge treatment. Barrios was sent home from hospital Dec. 17. (Brody, NYT, 11/21/68, 37; AP, W Post, 11/21/68, A3; ARC Astrogram, 12/8/68, 1; ARC Medical Services Branch)
Astronaut Walter M. Schirra was announced winner of Kitty Hawk Memorial Trophy for distinguished achievement in aeronautics. Trophy would be presented at annual Wright Brothers memorial banquet in Beverly Hills, Calif., Dec. 6. (UPI, W Star, 11/19/68, A2)
NASA submitted reclama to Bureau of the Budget's tentative FY 1970 budget allowance, for total $4.074 billion. Subsequently, Acting Administrator Thomas 0. Paine met with BOB Director Charles J. Zwick. (NASA Off of Admin)
USAF denied decision had been made to cut back or cancel FB-111 production [see Nov. 15], Wall Street Journal said, but reports persisted that fewer than 253 would be purchased because of their high cost and indifferent performance. Aerospace Daily said its sources reported recommended cutback of more than 50% was "essentially accurate" and put figure at "about 100" to give USAF Unit Equipment force of 90 aircraft. (WSJ, 11/18/68, 12; Aero Daily, 11/18/68)
November 18-19: Conference on Pavement Grooving and Traction Studies was held at LaRC on results of NASA research program into hydroplaning and effectiveness of runway and highway grooving in minimizing accidents on wet pavement. Among papers presented, joint NASA-British Ministry of Technology study of tests at Wallops Station showed 1- by 1/4- by 1/4-inch grooving "at least doubled the friction coefficient" of aircraft runway surfaces. Studies by LaRC, California Div. of Highways, and other state highway departments showed grooving of highway pavement was effective in preventing wet-weather accidents. (NASA SP-5073)
Air Transport Assn. of America reported that 15- to 19-mo use at three major airports had convinced airlines that runway surface grooving was "an effective aid in overcoming hydroplaning" during wet landings. Airline operation evaluation had "dispelled earlier fears that grooving might damage runways or aircraft." (Text; NYT, 11/24/68, 84)
November 18-21: During Geneva conference of IAF on Basic Environmental Problems of Man in Space, Dr. Boris B. Yegorov, only physician to travel in space (launched in U.S.S.R.'s Voskhod 1 Oct. 12, 1964) , told press conference he believed planetary flights would be achieved by 1987. U.S.S.R. was experimenting with 8- to 10-volt electrical shocks administered to improve circulation and stimulate muscles of cosmonauts to enable them to endure strain of returning to earth after prolonged period in confined space capsule. He claimed problem of weightlessness was same for short or long flights and urged immediate planning for flights to galaxies outside solar system. Dr. Walton W. Jones, NASA Director of Biotechnology and Human Research, told conference U.S. could keep astronauts in earth orbit a year within 10 yr if U.S. would allocate sufficient resources to project. ARC experiments had shown rats subjected to gravitational pull 4.7 times above normal had increased life expectancy. He said after meet- ing that NASA planned experiments with rats at zero gravitation to determine if aging process was suspended while man was free from gravitational pull. Dr. J. F. Kubis of Fordham Univ. emphasized importance of psychological factors in selecting space crews. On long flight, "lack of privacy, crowding, and continuous exposure to interaction will become sources of aggravating stress." He recommended no more than one in crew with dominant personality. Soviet scientist Dr. N. N. Gurovsky said condition of two dogs after 22-day orbital flight (in Cosmos CX Feb. 22-March 16, 1966) had aroused forebodings on effect of year-long flights on astronauts. Loss of calcium in bones would make them prone to breaking. Both dogs had .developed liver and intestinal ailments including edemas. Human beings could expect same effects. Earlier reports had noted dogs suffered muscular reduction, dehydration, and confusion in adjusting to walking. Cal Tech Prof. Fritz Zwicky said some apparently unexplained deaths on earth each year could be due to blows from meteors or heavy nucleons in cosmic rays. (Hamilton, NYT, 11/20/68, 31; 11/21/68, 18; AP, B Sun, 11/22/68, 1)
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