Oct 3 1964
From The Space Library
President Lyndon B. Johnson said in his news conference that Federal non-defense agencies had reported savings of "more than $178 million on an annual basis" as result of management improvements and cost reductions initiated in July and August "These savings are in addition to the $100 million reported last April, and to the $140 million reported in July." He listed NASA with the second-largest amount saved in July and August: $44 million. (Transcript, Wash. Post, 10/4/64)
USAF successfully flew Athena re-entry test rocket from Green River, Utah, to target area at White Sands Missile Range, N. Mex. USAF said that "some test objectives were achieved." Launch was said to be second time in five launches that the four-stage missile completed the 357-mi. course. (AP, Phil. Inq., 10/4/64)
NASA Administrator James E. Webb addressed Young Presidents' Organization Eastern Area Conference in White Sulphur Springs, W. Va.: "As the national space program moves into its seventh year, the United States has reached the halfway point in the broad-based accelerated program for the present decade, a program that was planned and has been carried forward by the three Administrations. "The National Space Program is creating for the United States new resources for whatever use the national interest may require, whether that interest is in maintaining national security, international relations, stimulating education, or implementing scientific and technological progress.. . "In writing the Space Act of 1958, Congress stressed that the scientific and technical knowledge acquired as the national program moved ahead should be shared promptly with all who could use it. . "To be of most use this information must be identified and repackaged to meet the special needs of nonaerospace industries. This is the purpose of the NASA's Technology Utilization Program, the first national undertaking of its scope. . He detailed how the program works and enumerated outstanding examples, then concluded: "NASA's major contribution here has been to provide a vital communications link between activities where information is developing and areas where it may be utilized. "We are convinced that NASA's Technology Utilization Program will be of increasing benefit to the American economy. It is the mechanism through which the discoveries made in space science and technology can pay substantial dividends to American business and industry. (Text)
Col. Martin L. Raines (USA, Ret.) was named manager of NASA MSC's facility at White Sands Missile Range, Director Dr. Robert R. Gilruth announced. (AP, Tulsa Daily World, 10/4/64)
Rep. F. Bradford Morse (R.-Lowell) of Massachusetts said he had written letter to NASA Administrator James E. Webb recommending NASA abandon plans to locate Electronics Research Center in Cambridge and, instead, select another site in a nearby community. In his letter, he said: "It is difficult to understand why the administration [NASA] persists in locating in Cambridge when there is such intense opposition. . . ." (Boston Sun. Globe, 10/4/64)
James J. Haggerty, Jr., space editor of Journal of the Armed Forces, discussed the Agena rocket stage, calling it "a highly reliable, extremely versatile piece of hardware which serves triple duty as an orbital injection vehicle for satellites, as an upper stage booster for lunar and planetary probes, and as a spacecraft. From the standpoint of frequency of usage, Agena is far ahead of the field. In the seven years since Sputnik I went up, there have been about 290 spacecraft sent into earth orbit or deep space trajectory; Agena, in various versions, has been in on 142 of them-almost half. It is currently being employed at the rate of about 30 shoots a year and it will figure in some very important upcoming projects. . . ." Haggerty described Agena contributions, notably its remarkable accuracy in sending RANGER VII on its course to the moon. (J/Armed Forces, 10/3/64, 8)
Hand-held, photoelectric sensor that vibrates when it senses changes in environmental terrain had potential as an aid to the blind, AFSC announced. Developed by Santa Rita Technology under USAF contract, the environmental sensor detects changes in light values, feeds the data to photo resistor which changes value according to amount of light, then passes it to oscillator, which creates pulse vibrations against the user's hand. AFSC said research also was underway on device transmitting speech through tactile transducer. (AP, NYT, 10/4/64, 46)
The 84th Congress adjourned without acting on S. 1278, bill instructing National Bureau of Standards to study practicability of U.S. adoption of the metric system. (Library of Congress)
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