Nov 2 1962
From The Space Library
James E. Webb, NASA Administrator, and the NASA astronauts were honored at Explorers Club's Night of Exploration dinner in New York. Addressing the club on NASA programs and goals, Mr. Webb said: "Curiosity—the driving human thirst for knowledge—is only one reason, of course, for undertaking space exploration on the scale and at the pace which our country has established. . .
"First, we seek for mankind the benefits inherent in the scientific and technological knowledge and dexterity that will emerge from this dynamic effort to conquer the most hostile environment that man has ever entered—and to use that knowledge and technical skill as an important new resource for human progress.
"Second, we seek to maintain our position as leader of the Free World, through continued superiority in science and technology.
"And, finally, we seek space power as a deterrent to any potential adversary who might attempt to exploit space as an avenue of aggression against us . . . ." Transatlantic use of TELSTAR communications satellite was discontinued for about seven weeks. During this period, TELSTAR's orbit brought it too briefly on line of sight with North America and Europe for useful transmission. AT&T said the situation would recur every six months. Domestic transmissions would be suspended only from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2, during which time ground equipment would be "tuned up." Unnamed NASA spokesman said MARINER II was sending "about 90 kinds of information" from interplanetary space, despite power drop of Oct. 31. Officials were "pretty optimistic" Venus-bound probe could renew experiments turned off because of drop in voltage of the spacecraft's power system.
DOD announced ANNA geodetic satellite was functioning properly and its orbit was "near perfect." ANNA’s flashing light system would be tested Nov. 4 with single series of five flashes triggered by onboard command. Full-scale operation of all systems would begin within a week with ANNA's flashing light series triggered by ground command from Johns Hopkins Univ. Applied Physics Laboratory, Md.
Soviet academician M. Sissakian, Presidium member of Soviet Academy of Sciences, was quoted as saying U.S.S.R. hoped to bring MARS I back to earth.
H. Julian Allen, Assistant Director of NASA Ames Research Center, proposed at NASA-University conference in Chicago that interplanetary spacecraft be cone-shaped and that they enter the atmosphere point-end-first. The originator of concept for returning orbital spacecraft blunt-end-first, Allen stated: "Blunt vehicles are desirable when you are dealing with speeds of the sub-orbital range up to speeds required to escape the effects of the earth's gravity. But when entry speeds exceed this range, as they probably will on return to the earth from trips to other planets, radiation heating drives you away from very blunt bodies, such as the Mercury capsule, to bodies with conical noses. . . . Our concepts of aerodynamic flow, in short, must change as the velocities with which we are dealing increase. . . ."
Rep. Charles S. Gubser (Calif.) announced NASA and USN had agreed to convert an old dirigible hangar at Moffett Field, Calif., for production of Rift nuclear vehicle stage. Hangar was located about two mi. from prime Rift contractor, Lockheed Missiles and Space Co., and adjacent to NASA Ames Research Center.
Douglas-built S-IVB stage, originally conceived only as third stage of Saturn C-5 ("Advanced Saturn"), would be modified for use as upper stage of Saturn C-1B, it was reported. "Minor design changes" would be made under initial funding of $2.25 million by NASA.
Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr. (USMC) was awarded the Alfred A. Cunningham Trophy for being selected as the Marine Aviator of the Year. Mercury Astronaut Glenn orbited the earth three times in first U.S. manned orbital flight MA-6, February 20, 1962.
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