Oct 3 1968
From The Space Library
Aurorae (Esro I) satellite, designed, developed, and constructed by European Space Research Organization under July 8, 1964, NASA-ESRC agreement, was successfully launched by NASA from WTR by four-stage Scout booster. Orbital parameters: apogee, 952.1 mi (1,532.2 km) ; perigee, 158.9 mi (255.8 km) ; period, 102.8 min; and inclination, 93.8°. Primary NASA mission objectives were to place Aurorae into planned orbit and provide tracking and telemetry support. The 185-lb cylindrical satellite carried eight experiments to study aurora borealis (Northern Lights) and other related phenomena of polar ionosphere, representing six different organizations from U.K., Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. All experiments were operating as planned, and their scientific objectives were being achieved. Aurorae was second successful ESRO satellite launched by NASA. Iris I, launched May 16 to replace ESRO II-A which had failed to achieve orbit May 29, 1967, had entered planned orbit and conducted solar-astronomy and cosmic-ray studies. ESRO was responsible for experiment instrumentation, delivery of spacecraft to launch site, equipment and personnel necessary to mate spacecraft to launch vehicle, and spacecraft testing. NASA provided Scout launch vehicle, conducted launch operations, and supplied data and tracking acquisition support. (NASA Proj Off; NASA Release 68-158; AP, W Star, 10/4/68; GSFC SSR, 10/15/68)
Cosmos CCXLV was launched by U.S.S.R. into orbit with 481-km (298.9-mi) apogee, 272-km (169-mi) perigee, 92-min period, and 70.9° inclination. Satellite reentered Jan. 15, 1969. (GSFC SSR, 10/15/68; 1/31/69)
NASA's HL-10 lifting-body vehicle, flown by NASA test pilot John A. Manke, successfully completed eleventh flight from Edwards AFB. Vehicle with full load of fuel was carried to altitude, where successful jettison test was performed before launch from B-52 aircraft. (NASA Proj Off)
NASA Deputy Administrator, Dr. Thomas 0. Paine, presented NASA FY 1969 interim operating plan to Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences. Although President Johnson had not yet signed appropriations bill, Bureau of the Budget had indicated NASA'S share of $6 billion expenditure reduction might amount to $350 million. This meant limitation of use of FY 1969 appropriations to $3.85 billion, Dr. Paine said. "Our actions also have had to be constrained by our current instructions within the Executive Branch to hold expenditures to a minimum in 1970 as well as in 1969, and to be prepared for the eventuality of budgetary limitations in FY 1970 even more restrictive than those in FY 1969. I am personally convinced that the nation's space program requires an increase in funding in FY 1970 and I am hopeful . . . we will succeed in establishing the need for a significant increase. Until this decision is made .. we have no alternative but to proceed with an interim operating plan . . . which, where possible, holds open options we can exercise in FY 1970 if the budget is higher but which does not overcommit us if the FY 1970 budget is lower" Plan retained $2.025 billion authorized for Apollo program-$14 million below budget request. It reduced authorized $253.2 million for Apollo Applications to $150 million, amount "required to work toward the important but sharply limited and deferred Apollo Applications program we now propose. ' This would include cessation of Saturn IB launch vehicle production after completion of 14th (Saturn 214) and discontinuation of Saturn V at completion of first 15 vehicles. Single Saturn I workshop and single Apollo Telescope Mount (ATM) would be launched in early 1970s. Authorized $5 million for advanced missions would be cut to $2.5 million, for continued studies related to manned earth-orbital and lunar missions. Authorized $136.9 million would be reduced to $132.1 million for physics and astronomy, with level of effort in supporting research and technology and data analysis approximately 10% lower than in FY 1968. The $92.3 million authorized for lunar and planetary exploration would be cut to $75.8 million, with $6.8 million for lunar and $69 million for planetary-to support Mariner-Mars 1969 mission, reacquisition of telemetry from Mariner V, and Mariner-Mars 1971 mission. Plan also supported in FY 1969, at reduced funding level, capability to conduct Mars mission during 1973 opportunity in keeping with NAS recommendation [see Sept. 19]. Overall scope of mission would be reduced and schedule compressed. Operating plan provided for construction of two 210-ft antennas for Mars and other missions during 1970s. Launch vehicle procurement authorization of $115.7 million would be cut to $100.2 million and bioscience from $33 million to $32.7 million, which was $15 million below budget request and required slip of 6-12 mo in 21-day Biosatellite missions. Space applications authorization of $98.7 million would be retained; program change necessitated by May 18 destruction of Nimbus B would result in launch of replacement, Nimbus B2, in spring 1969. Aeronautics R&D budget would remain at authorized $74.9 million, while FY 1969 effort in nuclear rockets would be limited and NERVA development deferred until 1970, when $7.5 million withheld in FY 1969 could be added to allow total of $39.5 million. Interim plan would provide $178.4 million for basic research, space vehicle systems, electronics systems, human factor systems, space power and electric propulsion systems, and chemical propulsion-at reduction of $21.5 million from NASA'S budget request. Work in long-endurance life-support-equipment technologies would proceed as planned but in other areas research and technical development would be reduced, especially efforts in support of advanced space missions. Tracking and data acquisition budget would be reduced from $289.8 million authorized to $280 million, providing full Apollo schedule support but limiting support for spacecraft aloft and on future missions. Construction of facilities funds had been reduced from $39.6 million authorized to $21.8 million appropriated. Operating plan would increase figure to $35.7 million by transferring funds from R&D appropriation. Facility planning and design funds were reduced from $3 million requested to $1 million. Interim operating plan anticipated transfer of $20.1 million from R&D to administrative operations, bringing total to $623.3 million instead of $603.2 million in authorization and appropriations acts and $648.2 million requested by NASA in budget. Dr. Paine emphasized that administrative operations appropriation did not cover only "administrative" expenses, it covered direct costs of operating NASA laboratories, research centers, development centers, and launch centers. NASA Administrator James E. Webb told Committee: ". . . when you use words such as 'Congress consistently has supported the Apollo program,' you must add 'at a minimum level." We have clearly indicated in every budget that the basis on which we were going forward with this support by Congress was one that did not take into account unusual risks and happenings and was, in effect, based on success in all these efforts." Webb said NASA Apollo funding was related to success on various operations and did not include "a return to test flight on the Saturn IB should we not be able to make the shift to the big rocket after this next flight." From 1961 to 1969, Webb said, "we have not had the funds to proceed except in a manner that would permit us, within the total budget, to do this lunar landing within this decade and on an all-up systems test basis. So the excruciatingly painful period of all-up testing on the Saturn V is yet ahead of us." (Testimony; Transcript)
Senate by vote of 55 to 2 passed H.R. 18707, defense appropriations bill containing initial funds for deployment of "thin" missile system, already under construction. (CR, 10/3/68, S11951-79)
Senate, after secret session, defeated by vote of 45 to 25 amendment by Sen. John S. Cooper (R-Ky.) to eliminate from $71.8-billion defense appropriations bill the $387.4 million requested by Administration to start deployment of Sentinel antiballistic missile system. Final action on largest defense appropriations bill in U.S. history was deferred. (CR, 10/2/68, S11872-85; AP, W Star, 10/2/68, A4; Finney, NYT, 10/3/68, 1; Lardner, W Post, 10/5/68, 1)
NASA said spacecraft and parts of Agena 2nd stage of Nimbus B weather satellite launched unsuccessfully May 18, including two SNAP-19 nuclear power generators, had been found Sept. 30 by crew of research submarine four miles south of San Miguel Island off California coast. Pictures taken by submarine indicated three- by six-inch graphic cores of generators were intact; surrounding magnesium-thorium alloy casings were almost completely decayed since they dissolved in sea water almost immediately. Each core contained three pounds of plutonium. AEC had spent $200,000 searching for missing nuclear sources. Nimbus B had been destroyed shortly after launch when it veered off course. (NASA Release 68-171; Lannan, W Star, 10/4/68, A16)
Boeing Co. said it would build one-fifth size thermal models of manned space stations under $156,500 NASA contract to determine their feasibility for predicting temperatures in full-size earth-orbiting station. (Boeing Release S-9840)
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