Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

May 1-3 ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967
nologies . . . so vital to our national well-being and survival that [we]
must, to the greatest extent of our ability, use imagination, good judg-
ment, and energy in their planning and execution.” (Text)
TRW Systems Group President Dr. Ruben F. Mettler suggested that
space environmental characteristics could be useful and, in some ways,
unique for certain manufacturing operations. He stated: “An environ-
ment so widely different from that to which we are accustomed suggests
we [determine] whether the new features can be used for making con-
ventional products of improved quality or performance or at lower
cost, whether they can support new processes previously considered
impractical, or if they can lead to new products of such characteristics
that they create new and currently unidentified markets.” Mettler sug-
gested these environmental characteristics for space operations which
would be of interest to “possible specialized manufacturing operations”:
low temperatures, approaching absolute zero with use of space cryostat;
high temperatures with use of solar concentrator ; near-perfect vacuum
of infinite extent; weightlessness in orbit; low gravitational forces on
moon; and radiation environment. (Text)
Awards for achievement in 1966 presented at convention included:
(1) AAS Space Flight Award to MSC Director Dr. Robert R. Gilruth for
Cb distinguished contributions to aeronautical and space research . . .
direction of continuing investigation of man’s capabilities in space,
and . . . active participation in the scientific community for the public
good”; (2) AAS Flight Achievement Award to Astronauts Charles Con-
rad and Richard F. Gordon for “their new space flight altitude record
and the world’s first one-orbit rendezvous on Gemini XI”; (3) Mel-
bourne Boynton Award to Col. William K. Douglas (USAF), Assistant
Deputy Chief of Staff, Bioastronautics and Medicine, AFSC, for excep-
tional accomplishments as the first flight surgeon in charge of astronaut
medical operations; (4) W. Randolph Lovelace I1 Award to Dr. Robert
M. Page, former Director of Research, Naval Research Laboratory, for
pioneering work in rocket astronomy and contributions to radar de-
velopment; and (5) AAS Fellowships to MSC Director of Medical Re-
search and Operations Dr. Charles A. Berry “for providing exceptional
medical support for the NASA manned spacecraft programs,” and to
MSC Director of Engineering and Development Maxime A. Faget for
“contributions to the basic conceptual design of the Mercury space-
craft and . . . subsequent engineering efforts” on Mercury, Gemini,
and Apollo Projects. (MSC Release 67-15)
North American Aviation, he. (NAA) , NASA’s prime Apollo spacecraft con-
tractor, announced major management changes: (1) William B. Ber-
gen, former President of Martin Marietta Co., who joined NAA April 7,
replaced Harrison A. Storms, Jr., as President of Space Div.-formerly
Space and Information Systems Div.; (2) Ralph H. Ruud, corporate
vice president in charge of manufacturing, replaced William Snelling
as executive vice president of Space Div. Snelling assumed new post of
assistant vice president ; (3) Bastian Hello, former Martin Marietta
co. executive, assumed new post of vice president in charge of Space
Div.’s launch operations at KSC; and (4) Paul R. Vogt, former vice
president of engineering at NAA’S Rocketdyne Div., assumed new post
of assistant to President of Space Div. in charge of quality control.
(Clark, NYT, 5/2/67,1,53; UPI, W Star, 5/2/67, A13; O’Toole, W Post,
5/2/67, A4; Wilford, NYT, 5/4/67,9)
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