Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967 October 11
* U.S.S.R. successfully launched Cosmos CLXXXI into orbit with 863-km
(536-mi) apogee, 668-km (415-mi) perigee, 101.1-min period, and
99.16’ inclination. Satellite reentered Oct. 18. ( GSFC SSR, 10/31/67)
USAF launched unidentified satellite from Vandenberg AFB employing a
ThorBurner I1 booster. (UPI, P EB, 10/11/67,2; Pres Rep 1967)
* NASA announced organizational changes in preparation for changes that
would occur when Deputy Administrator Dr. Robert C. Seamans, Jr.,
left NASA Jan. 1 : (1) General Counsel Paul G. Dembling and Executive
Secretary John R. Biggs would report directly to NASA Administrator
James E. Webb; (2) Assistant General Counsel for Procurement Matters
S. Neil Hosenball would fill new post of Deputy General Counsel; and (3)
OMSF Secretariat representative Frank J. Magliato would serve as Spe-
cial Assistant to the Administrator and direct organization of a Head-
quarters Communications Center. ( NASA Release 67-263)
* Executive Order 11374, abolishing Missile Sites Labor Commission, and
transferring its functions and responsibilities to Federal Mediation and
Conciliation Service, was signed by President. (PD, 10/16/67,1430-1)
Sen. Henry n/l. Jackson (D-Wash.) expressed concern about US. de-
fense policy in speech to the Hoover Institution on War, Revolution,
and Peace meeting at Stanford Univ. He cited three specific ideas with
which he disagreed: (1) exaggerated picture of US. as catalyst in Soviet
desire to “possess a first-rate military establishment,” (2) theory that
military technology had reached a plateau and stabilized, and (3) seem
ing trend toward nuclear parity. Some scientists and defense planners, he
said, had “a mirror image interpretation of Moscow’s decisions . . .
seeing them as reflex actions” and believed that if U.S. did not act
U.S.S.R. would not act. He also argued, “Ordinary economic technology
is always finding better ways to do things and there is no reason to sup-
pose that military technology will cease in this effort.” Sen. Jackson be-
lieved that “international peace and security depend not on a parity of
power but on a preponderance of power in the peacekeepers over the
peace-upsetters. Our aim is not . . . an unlimited accumulation of weap-
ons . . . [but] to create and maintain . . . a relationship of forces
favorable to the deterrent of adventurism and aggression.” (Text)
“The ceremonies in Washington, Moscow and London putting the space
treaty into effect mark not only the first major East-West agreement
since the nuclear test ban treaty of 1963 but a potential starting point
for an even more momentous accord,” New York Times commented on
space law treaty which went into effect Oct. 10. It added that “recent
statements by the Soviet Union’s leading space scientist, Professor
Leonid Sedov, indicate that the Russians too may be coming around
to the conclusion that the costs of going it alone to the moon and beyond
outweigh the dimming propaganda magic.” (NYT, 10/11/67)
* Jonathan Spivak in Wall Street Journal commented on congressional cuts
in NASA’s Fy 1968 budget: “Plans to launch unmanned satellites to
Mars or Venus in 1971 and 1973 and conduct extended exploration of
the moon by astronauts face probable abandonment because of a lack
of funds. There will also be sharp curtailment of proposals for longduration
manned flights in orbit about the earth to enhance the nation’s
space technology and exploit practical and scientific applications of
space. Thus, say space officials, the present outlook is that only a limited
national space program will continue in the 1970s after the lunar landing.’’
(Spivak, WSJ, 10/11/67, 24)
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