Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

June 12 ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1%”
* NASA awarded Aerojet-General Corp. a two-year, $l7-million contract
extension for R&D work on SNAP-8 nuclear reactor electrical power
system. (NASA Release 67-156)
and with
individual aircraft companies on a proposed research program which
would support areas of general aviation, Technology Week reported.
At the request of several users, NASA had identified a number of technical
areas where the application of advanced technology seemed
warranted but emphasized that NASA’s efforts should be with aircraft
* NASA was consulting with Aerospace Industries Assn. (AIA)
designers and it should have no responsibility for the application of
technology. (Tech Wk, 6/12/67, 3)
June 13: NASA Nike-Apache sounding rocket launched from Wallops Station
carried American Science and Engineering experiment to 112-mi (179-
km) altitude to measure neutron flux in vicinity of earth using direc-
tional neutron detector. Once proven, detector was planned for use in
OGO-E program. Rocket and instrumentation performed satisfactorily.
(NASA Rpt SRL)
* Twenty-one US. astronauts began a week of training at USAF’S Tropical
Survival School in Panama. Their first meal was iguana thermidor and
baked armadillo. (W News, 6/13/67; AP, C Trib, 6/14/67)
* Donald L. Mallick, a pilot and engineer at FRC, and L/Col. Emil Sturm-
thal (USAF) , chief of AFFTC’S bomber section, were selected as pilots
in joint NASA-USAF XB-70 research program. (FRC Release 17-67)
NASA test pilot Milton 0. Thompson received AIAA’S 1966 Octave Chanute
Award in Los Angeles for “his contributions both as an engineer and
a pilot in the development and conduct of the manned lifting body
flight test program.” Award was presented annually to the pilot who
had contributed most to the aerospace sciences during the preceding
year. (FRC Release 15-67)
9 Average US. taxpayer would not help finance any space program beyond
manned lunar landing unless he could understand it and identify with
its purpose, M/G John B. Medaris (USA, Ret.) told AAS Symposium in
Huntsville. “Putting a man on the moon was a good objective. People
can see the moon. They can understand communication and weather
information and possible defense benefits from a moon landing.
“But after the astronaut puts an American flag on the moon’s surface
and satisfies the public, what will happen to our program then? We
have to have a steady commitment of great resources to keep this pro-
gram going. We have got to convince the public that there is a link
between them and our next objectives . . . [and] give them some sort
of objective they can identify with their own welfare.”
Noting that “people recoil in fear from the concept of the endlessness
of interstellar space,” General Medaris suggested that public would
approve of an objective such as establishment of a lunar colony. “We
better forget the spectacular and use a public relations approach like
the soap companies do and figure out what the public will pay for.”
(Houtz, B News, 6/14/67)
* ITT had signed contract “involving several million dollars” with Indo-
nesian Government to build Indonesia’s first satellite communications
earth station near Djakarta. Project was subject to obtaining financing
under investment guarantees requested from Agency for International
Development (AID). ITT predicted that station would be operational
within 16 mos. after finances were arranged. (DJNS, W Star, 6/13/67,
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