Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

May 3
ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967
broad ranges of temperature, pressure, and density; and (6) com-
ponents and technology which could operate reliably for long periods
of time despite extremes in radiation and temperature. (Text; NASA
Release 67-103)
* Charles W. Harper, Director of OART’S Aeronautics Div., was appointed to
new position of NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Aeronautics.
Aeronautics Div., renamed Aeronautical Vehicles Div., would be directed
by A. J. Evans. (NASA Release 67-108)
4 Confidential report submitted to NASA by General Electric Co. cited numer-
ous serious workmanship flaws in Apollo spacecraft No. 17, scheduled
to be launched by Saturn V booster on an unmanned mission no earlier
than August, New York Times reported. Flaws included damaged parts,
corroded valves, leaky pipes, three small holes in heat shield that “could
have catastrophic implications” during reentry, and more than 1,300
“discrepanciesyy in the 20 mi of electrical wiring. Report was prepared
by GE’s Apollo Support Dept. under terms of a 1962 contract with
NASA to conduct computer-assisted checks of all systems in Apollo space-
craft prior to launch. George C. White, Jr., NASA Director of Reliability
and Quality, OMSF, told New York Times reporter John Wilford in a
telephone interview that report was “a working document that, in effect,
summarizes known problems” for KSC supervisors and should not be
taken as “an alert of really big problems.’’ NASA officials said many of
the flaws cited in the report had already been corrected; others had
yet to be changed. (Wilford, NYT, 5/3/67, 1, 2)
May 4: NASA% Lunar Orbiter IV (Lunar Orbiter D) unmanned spacecraft was
successfully launched by Atlas-Agena D booster from ETR on mission
to photograph lunar surface [see May %June 11.
Agena 2nd stage fired to boost 850-lb spacecraft into 100-mi (161-
km) -altitude parking orbit, reignited after 21-min coast period, injecting
spacecraft on 89-hr translunar trajectory, and separated. On schedule
Luw Orbiter IV deployed its four solar panels and two antennas,
locked its five sensors on the sun, and fixed its star tracker on Canopus.
At 16:G GMT midcourse maneuver with 53.8-sec engine burn was
successfully conducted to slow spacecraft’s speed and alter its aim point
slightly.
Primary objectives of NASA’s Lunar Orbiter IV mission, fourth in
series of five, were (1) to place three-axis stabilized spacecraft into
high-inclination lunar orbit; (2) to obtain broad systematic photographic
survey of lunar surface; (3) to improve knowledge of the moon;
and (4) to provide basis for selecting sites for more detailed scientific
study by subsequent orbital and landing missions. Full photographic
flight plan would require mme than 200 camera-pointing maneuvers,
compared to 50 for Lunar Orbiter 111. Photos would cover more than
80% of the moon’s front face and more than 90% of the hidden side.
Spacecraft would also monitor micrometeoroids and radiation intensity
in the lunar environment, refine definition of moon’s gravitational field,
and serve as a target for tracking operations by Manned Space Flight
Network stations. Lunar Orbiter program was managed by LaRc under
OSSA direction. Tracking and communications were the responsibility
of JPL-operated Deep Space Network. (NASA Proj Off; NASA Release
67-101)
North American Aviation, Inc., President J. Leland Atwood assured the
Senate Committee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences that NAA was
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