Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967 January 13
ranged from 7” to 20” and sun moved across moon 13” per day, landing
sites ideally should be spaced 26” apart at this longitude to allow for
launch delays. “We . . . need not one site or a couple of sites ideally,
but we would like, in order to make life as simple as possible, to have a
number of sites. Then at the specific time of the launch . . . we will pick
a set of three. . . .”
Dr. Lawrence Rowan, US. Geological Survey, said Lunar Orbiter
photos had shown that moon’s dark mare was smoothest terrain; bright
rays had variable roughness and upland plains appeared very rough.
He said photos indicated that mass movement on the moon modified both
mare and upland.
L~RC Lunar Orbiter Project Manager Dr. Clifford H. Nelson, discussing
future Lunar Orbiter missions, said Lunar Orbiter 3 would be
“site confirmation” flight to photograph areas already determined by
Lunar Orbiter I and II as promising for Apollo landings. Spacecraft
4 and 5 might be used to photograph 400 lunar sites of primary scientific
interest. Capt. Lee R. Scherer, Lunar Orbiter Project Manager, OSSA,
noted that one Lunar Orbiter in polar orbit around the moon could survey
80% of moon’s front face with 10 times resolution of earth-based
photos. “These types of missions would provide a framework upon which
to base major decisions concerning our total lunar exploration program
after these initial manned landings,” Scherer said.
* Display of one Lumr Orbiter I photo-first ever taken of earth from interplanetary
distances-reopened discussion about possibility of life
on Venus. Dr. Homer E. Newell, NASA Associate Administrator for
Space Science and Applications, said that photo, which showed earth
as an indistinctly detailed, cloud-shrouded crescent, bore striking resemblance
to Venus as depicted in earth-based telescopic photos. If
Venus could be photographed as clearly as earth, “We might see holes
in the clouds,’’ Newell suggested. Current prevailing scientific theory
was that solid clouds surrounded Venus trapping infrared radiation
and making planet too hot to support life. (Transcript; Clark, NYT,
1/14/67, 12)
Pilot Joseph Cotton (Col., USAF) and co-pilot Van Shepard, North American
Aviation, Inc., flew XB-70 No. 1 research aircraft to mach 2.57
and 61,OOO-ft altitude in flight at Edwards AFB for national sonic boom
program. (NASA Proj Off)
January 14: USAF launched an unidentified satellite from WTR with Thor-
Agena D booster; satellite reentered Feb. 2. (UPI, NYT, 1/16/67, 18;
Pres Rep 1967; GSFC SSR, 2/15/67)
U.S.S.R. tested first missiles in November 1947 and first multistage ballistic
missile 10 yrs later, Prauda disclosed in tribute to Sergey Korolev,
“chief constructor of space systems for U.S.S.R.,” on first anniversary
of his death. (Reuters, NYT, 1/16/67,20)
* New US. Ambassador to the U.S.S.R. Llewellyn E. Thompson carried
special message from President Johnson to Soviet leaders in MOSCOW,
which reportedly appealed for mutual agreement not to deploy antimissile
systems. Ambassador Thompson’s mission was first diplomatic
followup to President Johnson’s Jan. 10 State of the Union address in
which the President indicated that US. had decided to defer deployment
of such a system and hoped U.S.S.R. would do the same. (NYT,
1/15/67,23)
January 15: Senate Minority Leader Everett M. Dirksen (R-Ill.) suggested
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