May 25 1964
From The Space Library
Third anniversary of President Kennedy's address to Congress on urgent national needs in which he said: ". . . I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of land-ing a man on the moon and returning him safely to earth." Douglas Aircraft Co. Missile and Space Systems Div. summarized study on Manned Orbital Research Laboratory ( MORL, ) made for NASA Langley Research Center. Douglas said -it would be possible for U.S. to have a six-man operational space station within the next five years. MORL would be launched with Saturn IB, would remain in orbit just over one year. (Houston Post, 5/25/64)
Major improvements in performance of supersonic transport shapes had come from aerodynamic refinements at NASA Langley Research Center, NASA announced. Applied to the wing design of supersonic trans-port concept known as "Scat 15," the refinements achieved much better flight characteristics and more than 15 per cent increase in range. The improved concept-Scat 15F-was now regarded more favorably in comparison with the two established concepts, Scat 16 and 17. (NASA Release 64-120)
Compilation by NASA Procurement Office showed that two thirds of the $1 billion in subcontract work assigned by NASA's 12 largest contractors during 1962 and 1963 went to 2,697 different subcontractors in 46 states. (NASA Release 64-118)
Delegates from U.S., Canada, Australia, and Japan met with the European Conference on Satellite Communications-a body representing 15 European nations-to further negotiate formation of a world-wide com-munications satellite system. Francis Trew, secretary of the European Conference, said at the London meeting he was hopeful an agreement "would be ready for ratification in the "near future.' " (Farnsworth, NYT, 5/26/64, 11)
NASA announced it would negotiate with Douglas Aircraft Co. for S-IVB stage mockup to be used with Saturn V launch vehicle simulator at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Expected to cost about $5 million, the mockup would be used in study of prelaunch, launch, and orbital check-out of third stage. (NASA Release 64-123)
United Technology Center (UTC) had developed hybrid rocket com-bining best features of solid and liquid propellants and 20% more powerful than any solid-propulsion rocket operational today. Rocket used solid fuel-butadiene rubber-and liquid oxidizer-liquid oxygen. UTC Assistant Manager of Advanced Technology Douglas D. Ordahl said the rocket also was safer than solid-fueled rocket motors and was simpler and more reliable than liquid-fueled rockets. (WSJ, 5/26/64)
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