Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967 September 6
rocket flights, measurements were made simultaneously with those of
Ohservatory’s giant radar-radio telescope, 30 mi
port launch site. World’s largest radar-radio telescope
took ionospheric readings, using its 1,000-ft-dia wire mesh reflector.
(NASA Proj Off; NASA Release 67-230; WS Release 67-28)
* Army contract awards to the Western Electric Company, totaling $231.4
million, for Nike-X work had been announced. Specific totals and contract
purposes: $215.2 million for continued R&D; $13.2 million for
deployment planning activities; and $3.0 million for support facilities.
(DOD Release 837-67)
3eptember 7: Reorganization of the Bureau of the Budget had created the
Economic, Science and Technology Division, headed by John D. Young,
reported Jerry Kluttz, in Washington Post. Young, at one time NASA’s
Assistant Administrator for Administration, had headed the task force
that recommended the shakeup. Reporting to his new division would be
the Departments of Commerce and Transportation, AEC, NASA, NSF,
Small Business Administration, and the regulatory agencies. Both NASA
and AEC were transferred from the Military Division. (Kluttz, W Post,
9/7/67)
Navy contract award had been made to Radio Corporation of America
in letter contract for $2.0 million, for six navigation satellites. The Special
Projects Office, USN would be contracting activity. (DOD Release
846-67)
September 7-9: NASA’s Biosatellite II (Biosatellite-B) was successfully
launched from ETR by a two-stage Thrust-Augmented Improved Delta
launch vehicle into orbit with 202-mi (326-km) apogee, 187-mi (302km)
perigee, 90.8-min period, and 33.5” inclination. The 940-lb research
spacecraft consisted of three main sections : an adapter section which
would remain in orbit; the reentry vehicle carrying the retrorocket and
heat shield for reentry into the earth’s atmosphere; and, within the reentry
vehicle, the experiment capsule containing the scientific experiments,
life support equipment, parachutes, and radio beacon to aid in
recovery. Biosatellite II carried 13 experiments to determine effects of
the space environment on various life processes.
Performance of the spacecraft was satisfactory except for some difficulty
with completely reliable response to command transmission from
the ground stations and out-of-spec accelerations during the first few
orbits. The spacecraft’s temperature, attitude control, and atmospheric
pressure readings were normal, and few additional anomalies were experienced.
Mid-air recovery of NASA’s Biosatellite II experiment capsule,
by aircraft at 3:15 pm EDT Sept. 9, within 15 mi of predicted impact
location of 7’15’N and 162Oi’W, marked a new first. Biosatellite I,
which had remained in orbit for two months after the retrorocket failed,
landed in the ocean near Australia following reentry Feb. 15, but was not
recovered.
The most important single question for Biosatellite II wils whether
the changes produced in organisms by radiation are slowed or hastened
under weightless conditions. Biosatellite scientists had noted that early
recovery had resulted in less risk to the experiments than if recovery
had been delayed beyond the planned three days. Despite the delayed
launch and early recovery, scientists reported only a small decrease in the
expected data return from the experiments. Indications were that all
programmed events in orbit, such as fixation of frog eggs, fixation and
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