Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

May 25 ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1%7
reestablish contact with its predecessor Surveyor 1. (UPI, NYT,
5/21/67, 2)
May 26-31: 27th Paris International Air and Space Show at Le Bourget
Airport was opened ;by French President Charles de Gaulle, who toured
the French, British, US., and U.S.S.R. exhibits. More than 450 aerospace
companies representing 16 countries participated in the show.
Exhibits in US. pavilion traced the progress of aviation during the
40 yrs since May 20-21, 1927, when Charles A. Lindbergh flew from
New York to Paris, becoming the first man to fly the Atlantic non-stop
alone. Included were: (1) a replica of Lindbergh’s aircraft, “The Spirit
of St. Louis”; (2) Douglas Aircraft Co.’s DC-8 Super 63, world’s largest
commercial jet aircraft; (3) SV-5J, first manned jet lifting body vehicle;
(4) USAF F-111A swingwing jet fighter; and (5) models of
NASA’s Lunar Orbiter, Gemini, and Apollo spacecraft. Soviet exhibit
featured first public display of Vostok booster, similar to the one used
to launch Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin on world’s first manned space flight
April 12,1961.
On May 29, Cosmonaut Pave1 Belyayev entered the Apollo spacecraft
during a visit to the US. pavilion and discussed the instruments,
levers, and buttons inside the spacecraft with Astronaut David Scott.
Belyayev was first Soviet cosmonaut ever to have entered a US. spacecraft.
On May 31, it was announced that two USAF rescue and recovery
helicopters had left New York enroute to Paris, attempting to achieve
the first nonstop helicopter crossing of the Atlantic. Helicopters would
refuel in flight about eight times during flight, which was expected to
take 28-32 hrs. USAF said purpose of the crossing was to demonstrate
“the long-range capability of the HH-3E [helicopter] for employment
in long range recovery of personnel who may be forced down at sea
a great distance from land.” Helicopters landed safely at Le Bourget
Airport hne 1. (Long, NYT, 5/21/67, 88; UPI, NYT, 5/27/67, 50M;
W Post, 5/27/67, D20; W Post, 5/30/67, Al)
May 27: Venus is devoid of water and, therefore, of life, Dr. Gerard P.
Kuiper, Univ. of Arizona Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, told New
York Times reporter Richard D. Lyons in a telephone interview. ‘We
now know that Venus is a dead planet. The astronomical literature is
full of references to water clouds and ice crystals. These two things
are definitely wrong. The complete absence of water means that the
chemistry of Venus is gotally different from the chemistry here.” Practical
absence of water in the Venus atmosphere provided new information
on the constitution of the planet, Dr. Kuiper said: “It is probable
now that the Venus clouds are dust and that a substantial fraction of
the high surface temperature must be attributed to internal heat reaching
the planet’s surface through a thin solid crust.” Dr. Kuiper’s conclusions
were based on astronomical observations made May 13 from a
specially fitted NASA-owned Convair 990 jet aircraft which flew at
37,OOO-ft altitude over Canada. His theory conflicted with one set
forth in 1966 by Johns Hopkins Univ. astrophysicists Drs. William
Plummer and John Strong that surface temperatures of Venus were
low enough to support life in certain areas. (Lyons, NYT, 5/28/67,21)
The frontier of space is limited only by man’s “ability to maintain
individual freedom and yet join many minds in concerted action,”
NASA Administrator James E. Webb said at the Celebration of The
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