Oct 4 1966
From The Space Library
Ninth anniversary of orbiting of SPUTNIK I by U.S.S.R.
U.S.S.R.'s LUNA XI spacecraft, which entered lunar orbit Aug. 27, stopped transmitting at 2:30 GMT Oct. 1 when its batteries were exhausted, Tass reported. Spacecraft had completed 277 orbits around moon and had sent 137 transmissions of scientific information and trajectory data to monitoring stations on earth. Results would be published later. (Tass, 10/4/66; Tass, Pravda, 10/5/66, 1, USS-T Trans.)
NASA announced plans to launch two ion engines into polar orbit in late 1968 satellite mission to advance development of ion engines as propulsion units for future long-duration space missions. Second part of LRC's Space Electric Rocket Test (Sert) program, mission would evaluate inflight performance of electron-bombardment ion engines for six months or more and analyze effects of thrusters and their electric fields on other satellite components. LRC conducted first successful operation of ion engine in space July 20, 1964, in 50-min. Sert I ballistic flight from NASA Wallops Station. (NASA Release 66-262)
Dr. Rene Dubos, microbiologist and pathologist at Rockefeller Univ., was selected to receive Pacific Science Center's 1966 Arches of Science Award for his "outstanding contribution to the public understanding of the meaning of science to contemporary man." (Wash. Eve. Star, 10/5/66, A8)
France exploded last nuclear device in its test series at Mururoa Atoll in the South Pacific. There was no official estimate on size of the explosion. Test series began July 2. (Reuters, Wash. Post, 10/5/66, A21; AP, Wash. Eve. Star, 10/5/66, A9)
October 4-7: NASA-Lewis inspection held at LRC to commemorate 25th year of operation as aeronautical and space propulsion research laboratory; Lewis-managed launch vehicles and the GEMINI VII spacecraft were on display for congressional, Government, university, and industrial leaders touring facility. (LRC Release 66-60)
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