Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, i%7 October 20
tract award would not be made until NASA’s FY 1968 appropriation and
expenditure levels were established. (NASA Releases 67-269, 67-270,
67-271)
October 22: Molniya Z-7 comsat was launched by U.S.S.R. into orbit with
39,740-km (24,693-mi) apogee; 456-km (283-mi) perigee; 11-hr
54-min period; and 64.7” inclination. Tass said comsat would form part
of new system to relay telephone, television, and telephone signals.
(GSFC SSR, 10/30/67; AP, NYT, 10/%/67, 31; SBD, 10/%/67,287)
NASA Arcas sounding rocket was launched from Barking Sands, Hawaii,
to 36-mi (59-km) altitude, sixth in NOTS series of seven to measure in-
cident solar uv irradiance in support of Ogo ZV’s mission. Excellent
data were obtained. Rocket and payload performed satisfactorily. (NASA
Rpt SRL)
* Informed U.S. military sources said U.S.S.R. had now been convinced the
aircraft carrier would be vital to international conflicts of today, and
was even now building its first aircraft carrier, a “baby flattop,” re-
ported UPI. Adm. Ephraim P. Holmes, Supreme Allied Commander,
Atlantic, and his chief of staff, V/A William E. Ellis, said little was known
of specifications but he believed it would have long-range capabilities.
(Oestreicher, UPI, W Post, 10/23/67, A3)
October 23: NASA announced that primary mission objectives of BiosateUite
ZZ (launched Sept. 7) had been accomplished. Biological experiments
had been conducted to investigate synergistic and antagonistic effects of
weightlessness and controlled gamma radiation aboard attitude-con-
trolled spacecraft. Spacecraft recovery-essential to success-had been
completed as planned. Environmental control of capsule and experiment
packages had kept organisms alive while radiation source was exposed
for flight duration. Dr. Rudolph H. T. Mgttoni, principal investigator
for bacteria experiment, said bacteria had increased 20 to 30% faster
in weightless condition. He concluded “cellular turnover may be higher
in man” during weightlessness and could be harmful to astronauts dur-
ing long-duration space flights. He suggested that if further research
proved growth of human cells to be faster in weightless state, future
spacecraft might have to be equipped with some form of artificial
gravity or astronauts might have to carry drugs to prevent too-rapid
turnover of their body cells. Since the 45-hr experiment with bacteria
equaled many years of human life, this would not be significant on flights
of a few weeks or even a few months. The pepper plant experiment
showed abnormal growth, indicating that plant leaves also depend on
gravity. Other experiments did not show significant change and were still
being analyzed. (NASA Proj Off; AP, NYT, 10/15/67,46)
Rep. Emilio Q. Daddario (D-Conn.), chairman of House Committee on
Science and Astronautics’ Science, Research and Development Sub-
committee, spoke on “A Challenge to the Scientific Community,” at
autumn meeting of NAS, at Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor. He urged
scientists to become more actively involved in helping Government
leaders find effective ways of dealing with national problems, and he
believed that Congress should take an active interest in the “state of
science” because scientific activity “is critical to the deliberations and
the decisions of our political representatives.” In turn, he urged an
understanding by scientists and engineers of “pressures and functioning
of a government which must be responsive to every shade of thought
which our nation harbors.” (Text)
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