Oct 31 1963
From The Space Library
In Presidential news conference, the question was asked whether the President construed Premier Khrushchev's statement of Oct. 26 as talon Soviet Union out of the moon race. The President replied: " didn't read that into his statement.. I thought his statement was rather cautiously worded . . . . "I think it is remarkable that some people who were so unwilling to accept our test ban treaty, where there was a very adequate area of verification of whatever the Soviet Union was doing, were perfectly ready to accept Mr. Khrushchev's very guarded and cautious remark that he was taking himself out of the space race, and use that as an excuse for us to abandon our efforts. "The fact of the matter is that the Soviets have made an intensive effort in space, and there is every indication that they are continuing and that they have the potential to continue. I would read Mr. Khrushchev's remarks very carefully. I think that he said before anyone went to the moon there should be adequate preparation. We agree with that. "In my opinion, the space program we have is essential to the security of the United States, use, as I have said many times before, it is not a question of going to the moon. It is a question of having the competence to master this environment. I would not make any bets on Soviet intentions." (Transcript, Wash.. Post, 11/1/63)
Addressing the Southwest Conference on Arms Control at the University of Oklahoma., William C. Foster, Director, U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency, discussed the complex relationship between national strategy, military security, and arms control in a thermonuclear world. " . certain types of weapons which could be developed in the future might be extremely difficult to make comparably safe. T am thinking in particular of weapons of mass destruction which might be stationed in outer space. Present analysis indicates that such weapons would be both more expensive and less effective than conventional ICBM delivery systems. Moreover, once placed in space such weapons would constitute a permanent risk. There would always be a possibility that normal mechanical failure, collision with a meteorite, or interaction with unforeseen solar radiations might trigger it by accident. "In our agency we have long believed that it would be desirable if we could reach an understanding that such weapons would not be placed in space. Without such an understanding we believe there would a greater risk that an arms race in space might develop simply for prestige reasons rather than because of any real military utility." (This Changing World, 1/1/64)
A second Aerobee-Hi research rocket in the NASA-French joint program investigating propagation of very low frequency waves in the ionosphere was launched from Wallops Station. The 193-1b. payload went to an altitude of 115 mi. and yielded seven minutes of telemetry data before impact.. The first experiment in this series was conducted on Oct. 17, 1963. (Wallops Release 63-98)
NASA launched a Nike-Apache sounding rocket from Wallops Station, Payload was a 77-lb. package sent to 84-mi. altitude to measure mechanical and thermal stresses on a scientific payload during launch, (Wallops Release 63-99)
NASA Director of Plans and Program Evaluation Abraham Hyatt resigned, effective this date, His office would be absorbed on Nov. 1 into the office of the Assistant Administrator for Technology Utilization and Policy Planning as part of the Headquarters reorganization, (Space Bus. Daily, 10/17/63, 100)
Development testing of the supersonic 500-mile-range Hound Dog at low altitudes was successfully concluded with a launch over the Eglin Test Range, Fla. (AFSC Release 313-R-114, 1/1/64, 4)
Three ruby-colored spots appeared on the surface of the moon on the night of Oct. 29, 1963, and might have been volcanic eruptions, Dr, John Hall, Director of Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, Ariz., announced, Hall said that James Greenacre found the spots while Studying the moon through a 24-in. refracting telescope. The spots stood out against the yellow-white surface of the moon, Greenacre Said that in three years of studying the moon's surface he had never Seen spots similar to these, although a Russian astronomer had reported sighting a similar phenomenon in Nov. 1958 or 1959, (UPI, San Diego Union, 11/1/63; Christian Science Monitor, 11/2/63)
Gordon Bain, FAA Deputy Administrator for Supersonic Transport Development, issued statement rejecting Oct. 1 proposal by Continental Airlines President Robert F, Six that U.S. join with U.K. and France in supersonic transport development, Regarding U.S. participation in U.K.-French Concorde development, Bain said that "at the present stage in the development program of the Concorde, there is little, if anything that United States manufacturers could contribute, except possibly money," and monetary contribution would aggravate U.S. balance-of-payments problem, Regarding U.K.-French-U.S. joint development of mach 3 airliner, Barn said: "At no time have the British French indicated any interest in Such a project, (Wash,. Post, 10/4/63)
During October: Centaur AC-2 vehicle completed its last two major tests prior to launch. At Lewis Research Center the new stage separation system underwent successful test. At General Dynamics/Astronautics Sycamore Canon test site in Calif., - two RL-10 engines underwent full duration, full power test (380 sec, at 30,000 lbs. thrust), (Av. Wk,, 10/14/63 32)
Tests continued at Pacific Missile Range to select and qualify one of five sounding rockets for use in more than 200 solar experiments planned for the forthcoming IQSY, Rockets being tested were Canadian Bristol Aerojet, Ltd, Black Brant III; Douglas Aircraft Co. DAC-Roc; British Aircraft Corp. Thunderbird; the Seagull; and Atlantic Research Corp. Archer, (M&R, 10/28/63, 16)
NASA had decided not to begin development of the Multi-Mission Module (MMM) at this time, The module would use two RL-10 engines with tanks configured for different missions. Serving as the third stage of the Saturn I-B or the fourth stage of the Saturn V, it would give the big boosters the flexibility needed for planetary and other missions. Present decision was based on the fact that the stage is not necessary for the Apollo program. (Av. Wk., 10/14/63, 23)
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
