Sep 4 1962
From The Space Library
Radio signals to Venus probe MARINER II, nearly 1.5 million mi. from earth, repositioned the craft and fired an onboard rocket to send the probe on desired trajectory toward Venus. Launched August 27, the 447-lb. interplanetary probe would have missed Venus by 233,000 mi. if the mid-course maneuver had not corrected its path. Signals from JPL's Goldstone Tracking Station were sent after 24-hr. delay for scientists to determine that the spacecraft's antenna was pointing to earth and not the moon. Assuming that its corrected course was nominal, it was estimated that MARINER II would come within 9,000 mi. of Venus December 14, covering about 180,200,000 mi. through space and relaying scientific data on interplanetary space and Venusian atmosphere.
In joint letter to NASA Administrator James E. Webb, Chairman of Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences Robert S. Kerr and Chairman of House Committee on Science and Astronautics George P. Miller said: "The world must of necessity admire the remarkable achievements of the Soviet Union in the field of space. A shadow is thrown over the entire space effort through their refusal to admit to failures. . . .
"We feel it is important that if the U.S. Government, possesses any information relative to unsuccessful attempts by the Soviet Union to launch a spacecraft to Venus, or other planetary probes, that this information should be made available to our committees and to the American people." John Rubel, Director of DOD Office of Research and Development, testified before subcommittee of House Committee on Science and Astronautics that it was "highly doubtful that DOD would undertake a new weather satellite program at this time," and stated the military interest in weather satellite development was adequately protected by existing NASA and Weather Bureau programs.
Dr. S. Fred Singer, director of National Weather Satellite Center, said he was recommending an operational Tiros went her satellite system by next June because of Tiros' "quite astounding" ability. TIROS V was first to spot five of the ten major tropical storms around the world in August. He added that scheduled launch of sixth Tiros satellite, would not be delayed by the man-made radiation belt.
U.S.S.R. formally protested "provocative flight" of a U.S. U-2 reconnaissance airplane over Sakhalin Island in the Pacific. Replying to the U.S.S.R., U.S. stated that the pilot of the August 31 flight "has reported lie was flying a directed course well outside the Soviet territorial limits but encountered severe winds during this nighttime flight and may, therefore, have unintentionally overflown the southern tip of Sakhalin." The note reaffirmed U.S. policy of not permitting reconnaissance flights over Soviet territory, established after U-2 piloted by Francis Gary Powers was brought down in U.S.S.R. May 1, 1960.
British physicist Dr. Eric Mendoza of University of Manchester explained superconductivity principle at British Association for the Advancement of Science meeting. He stated the problem as why several superconducting metals (such as lead and aluminum) at extremely low temperatures suddenly lose all traces of electrical resistance and are able to conduct currents without producing heat. Normal electrical resistance is produced when electrons are knocked out of their paths by collision with heavy metallic atoms. In superconductors, he said, the electrons get past the atoms without being deflected, because "electrons, instead of moving as individuals, move in pairs." Vibrations of the metallic atoms in superconductors are so slowed down by extremely low temperature (minus 273° C) that they are unable to break the pairs, so current flows without friction.
Reported that U.S.S.R. had invited Dr. Bernard M. Wagner of the U.S. to visit U.S.S.R. for cooperative exchange of space medicine data, including information obtained from VOSTOK III and IV manned orbital flights. Dr. Wagner, chairman of Department of Pathology, New York Medical College, would leave for Moscow October 5.
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