Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967 June 16
* NASA, in cooperation with West Germany’s Ministry for Scientific Research
(BMWF) and Brazilian Space Activities Commission ( CNAE) , success-
fully launched an Argo D-4 (Javelin) sounding rocket from Barreira
do Inferno range near Natal, Brazil, on ballistic trajectory through
Van Allen radiation belts to 650-mi (1,000-km) altitude. Purpose of
mission was to flight-test instruments being developed for West German
research satellite, scheduled for launch in 1969 to investigate earth’s
radiation belts. Several German organizations provided scientific experi-
ments; CNAE provided range and launching services; NASA provided
sounding rocket, downrange telemetry, and radar. (WS Release 67-23)
e NASA had completed post-launch evaluation of Essa V meteorological satel-
lite and adjudged the mission a success. Launched by NASA from WTR
April 20, satellite had been turned over to ESSA for operation May 8.
(NASAP~~~ Off)
* NASA and Boeing Co. signed a $20-million letter contract extending the
scope of Boeing’s work with NASA to include integration of Apollo
spacecraft’s three modules with Saturn V launch vehicle [see May 91.
Boeing would: (1) assist and support NASA and its three manned spaceflight
centers-MSC, MSFC, and KSC-in performance of certain technical
tasks for Apollo missions AS-501 through AS-515; and (2) be respon-
sible for supporting Apollo Program Office in integrating Saturn V
booster with Apollo Command Module ( CM) , Service Module (SM) ,
and Lunar Module (LM) . Work would be performed under overall
direction of OMSF Apollo Program Office. Boeing CO.’S currently con-
tracted Saturn work included engineering, cons;ruction, and testing of
Saturn V 1st stage; support of assembly and system integration of
Saturn V 2nd and 3rd stages with the 1st; and design engineering
support of certain ground support equipment at KSC. (NASA Release
67-161)
* NASA approved Phase I1 of a Dec. 14,1966, contract and awarded Goodyear
Aerospace Corp. $650,000 to design, fabricate, and test a full-scale model
of a 30-ft-dia parabolic antenna. Antenna, planned as part of experi-
mental package on proposed second-generation Applications Technology
Satellites (ATS F and G), would be used for advanced communications
research. ( GSFC Release G32-67)
The use of ammonia as a fuel for central power plants, turbine-driven
buses, trucks, and trains, and possibly private cars, would solve the
problem of air and water pollution, Lockheed Aircraft Corp. executive
Leon Green, Jr., wrote in Science. He suggested that fossil fuels such as
gasoline, oil, coal, and natural gas be converted into ammonia rather
than burned diractly. Heat for the conversion could be provided by
nuclear power plants. The economic feasibility of the process would
depend on “the economic value of the byproducts of sulfur, carbon
dioxide, water and possibly nitrogen,” Green said, “and upon the price
we are willing to pay for a clean environment.” (Green, Science,
6/16/67, 144s50; AP, NYT, 6/17/67, 15)
June 17: Cosmos CLXVII was successfully launched by U.S.S.R. into
orbit with 286-km (178-mi) apogee, 201-km (125-mi) perigee, 89.2-min
period, and 51.8” inclination. Satellite reentered June 25. (SBD, 6/20/
67,280; GSFC SSR, 6/30/67)
* Nation’s most powerful 260-in solid-propellant rocket motor, SL-3,
developed 5.7 million lbs thrust and burned 1.6 million lbs of pro-
pellant in 80-sec test-firing conducted for NASA by Aerojet General at
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