Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

August 21 ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967
for a high-capacity, multipurpose satellite [see March 231. (Electronics,
8/21/67)
* A space rescue blanket for campers and sportsmen was being manufactured
by National Research Cop., using a superinsulation material it had
developed to store cryogenic materials in spacecraft, Douglas W. Cray
reported in the New York Times. Made of a plastic base one half of one
thousandth of one inch thick with an aluminum coating one millionth
inch thick, blanket weighed two ounces, measured 56 by 84 in, and
could be folded into a cigarette-pack size. It was waterproof and wind-
proof, remained flexible at temperatures as low as -60” F, and could
reflect 80% of user’s natural body heat. (Cray, NYT, 8/21/67,45,48)
Layis Research Center’s Quiet Engine Program should produce a sig-
nificant reduction in jet-engine noise and reverse the rising noise levels
which had created serious problems at major airports, Michael L. Yaffee
reported in Aviation Week. Expected to cost $50 million, program was
seeking to develop a new turbofan demonstrator engine that would show
a reduction of 15 PNdb (perceived noise in decibels) on takeoff and
20 PNdb on landing, below noise of current transport engines. Definition
phase of Quiet Engine Program began under $458,000 contract LeRc
awarded United Aircraft Corp.’s Pratt & Whitney Div., July 13. Re-
maining $750,000 allotted to program for FY 1967 was being used to
purchase supporting services and hardware. (Yaffee, Av Wk, 8/21/67,
38-9)
August 22: House voted 312-92 in favor of $4.6-billion NASA FY 1968 a p
propriation bill (H.R. 12474) -NASA’s lowest in five years. This was the
sum recommended by the House Appropriations Committee [see Aug.
181. Two amendments by Rep. William F. Ryan (D-N.Y.)-one to
reduce R&D funds by $100 million, one to reduce administrative opera-
tions’ funds by $37 million-were defeated by voice vote. (NASA LAR
VI/93; CR, 8/22/67, H10909-30)
Leonard Rawicz, former patent counsel for CSFC, had been appointed
NASA Assistant General Counsel for Patent Matters, succeeding Robert
F. Allnutt, who was named NASA Assistant Administrator for Legislative
Affairs June 15. (NASA Release 67-226)
Tass announced that U.S.S.R. would build more than 20 relay stations
during 1%7 so that Moscow telecasts could be transmitted via Molniya
comsats to Siberia, the Soviet Far East, and the “extreme north.” (Reu-
ters, W Post, 8]24/67; Clark, NYT, 8/25/67)
0 USAF announced it was sending teletype messagea between two aircraft
flying 10,OOO mi apart via a satellite in 20,000.mi-altitude earth orbit.
Scheduled over six-month period, communications tests were being con-
dwted over Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, North and South America, the
polar regions, and Europe. ( AFSC Release 144.67)
* A college which would train 2,000 pilots and technicians annually for
the expanding aviation industry was proposed in report by a study
group sponsored by the Economic Development Administration. Report
recommended that various segments of the aviation industry join to
form a nonprofit organization to operate flight training portion of the
college. Academic side would be handled by Arizona State Univ. Report
estimated college would cost $13-million and could be opened by 1969.
(UPI, NYT, 8/23/67,73)
August 22-31 : International Astronomical Union (IAU) met in Prague.
Dr. Robert B. Leighton of Cal Tech reported that there were about
250