Oct 14 1963
From The Space Library
The consensus of a number of visual experts consulted by NASA is that Astronaut Leroy Gordon Cooper did in fact see houses, roads, and vehicles from his orbiting FAITH 7 capsule. Dr. John A. O'Keefe of GSFC dismissed the theory that the atmosphere had acted as a magnifier of the objects. Maximum atmospheric magnification would be 1.00002, or a rise of 8.5 ft. Normal human visual acuity is normally considered to be one minute of are, but under good combinations of illumination and contrast objects of 1/2 minute of are or even smaller can be seen. From 100 miles altitude, this would work out at 30 ft. on the ground. Line or ribbon objects can be seen much more easily, down to one-sixth or less the diameter of circular objects. (M&R, 10/14/63,14)
The lunar landing research facility was nearing completion at Langley Research Center. A gantry structure 400 ft. long and 250 ft. high with a 50 ft. clearance would suspend a model of the Lunar Landing Module (LEM), sustaining 5/6 of the model's weight to simulate the 1/6 lunar gravity and enable astronauts to practice lunar landings. (Av. Wk.,10/14/63, 83)
NASA Hq. had tentatively approved Project Luster, designed to capture lunar dust that was in orbit around the earth, Missiles and Rockets reported. Proposed by Ames Research Center, the project is based on the assumption that meteorite impacts on the moon above a certain velocity should throw out more than the meteorite's own weight in dust. Some of this lunar dust should find its way into earth orbit. Ames would launch an Aerobee 150 sounding rocket to attempt to trap some of the dust. (M&R, 10/14/63,9)
X-15 flight to test a modification of the vertical tail section was postponed. The pilot, Maj. Robert Rushworth (SAF), called off the flight 15 mm. before he was to drop away from the B-52 mother aircraft. A malfunction had developed in the X-15's inertial guidance system. (AP, Wash.. Post,10/15/63)
MSC awarded $100,000 contract to North American Aviation, Inc., for a study of what modifications would be necessary to the Apollo spacecraft to use it as a space science laboratory in orbital flights lasting up to one year. (Houston Post, 10/15/63)
Edward Z. Gray was appointed Director of Advanced Studies, Office of Manned space Flight, NASA Hq, succeeding l. Dr. William A. Lee, who was joining the Apollo Spacecraft Program Office, MSC. Mr. Gray had been with Boeing Aircraft Co. 24 years, most recently as Development Program Manager of Advanced Space Systems, Aero-Space Div. (NASA Release 63-228)
Total manpower working at NASA's Michoud Operations, of which only 244 were NASA employees: 8,463. Contractor employees were Boeing, 4,136; Chrysler, 3,207; Mason-Rust, 769; Rocketdyne, 13; and Telecomputing Services, 94. (Marshall Star, 10/23/63, 4) )
MSC selected Hamilton Standard Div. of United Aircraft Corp. to develop detailed theoretical analysis of mechanics involved m rocket-belt transportation of one man plus a small load of supplies or tools in a zero-gravity or lunar surface environment, including capability to ascend or descend steep lunar crater walls. (Space Bus. Daily, 10/15/63, 81)
FAA exhibited a device intended to detect bombs carried aboard aircraft. The device, displayed at Dulles International Airport, Washington, was based on the principle of the geiger-counter, would depend on the willingness of explosives manufacturers to mix small quantities of radiative material in their products. (FAA Release)
Astronauts on the five-day manned lunar landing trip would not only pilot the Apollo but would make repairs to malfunctioning systems out of a stock of spare parts carried along for that purpose. This would be one means of upgrading the reliability of the entire system and reduce the need for redundancy 22) systems, saving weight and space. (Finney, NYT, 10/15/63, )
Dr. Jerome B. Wiesner, Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology, appeared before a Senate Appropriations subcommittee to request restoration of $245,000 that the House had cut from his office's $1,025,000 budget request. If the cut were not restored, he said, he would have to cut back his 29-member staff just as the one-year-old organization was beginning to "realize some of the potential foreseen for it as a new innovation in the Federal- science structure." (NYT, 10/15/ 63, 25)
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