Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

November 6 ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967
tained funds for future studies for second phase of France’s space
program, according to CNES officials. French fifth financial plan com-
mitted about $408 million in 1965 for the first phase through 1969.
(Fink, Av Wk, 11/6/67,24)
Some US. experts believed Soviets planned further missions : rendezvous
and docking of manned Soyuz-class spacecraft in near-earth orbit for
long-duration flights; circumlunar flight, fully automated, with animal
payload to test reaotion to reentering earth’s atmosphere at trans-
lunar return speeds; manned circumlunar flight; and manned lunar
landing. Aviation Week stated, “Although there is disagreement among
US. government and industry on some details, many feel that the
Soviets have successfully overcome serious gaps in technology which
had slowed their progress. . . .” (Av Wk, 11/6/67,16)
November 6-7: National Academy of Sciences steering committee for Long
Duration Manned Mission Study held first meeting at NAS with UCLA
Prof. Donald B. Lindsley as chairman. Committee would study
psychological and physiological stresses on astronaut crews traveling
in space for up to 700 days. Different parts of overall study would be
investigated by small task groups. One would review what is known
about the dynamics of small groups. Another would review all avail-
able information on psychological, physiological, and performance
effects of isolation, confinement, and other stresses. (NAS-NRC-NAE News
Report, 12/67,1-2)
November 7: NASA’s Surveyor VI ( Surveyor-F) was successfully launched
from ETR by Atlas-Centaur ( AC-14) booster on 64-hr lunar intercept
trajectory. Primary mission for the 2,223-12, (at launch) spacecraft was
to perform a soft-landing on moon and obtain post-landing TV pictures of
the lunar surface. As secondary mission spacecraft would determine
relative abundance of chemical elements in lunar soil with alpha
scattering instrument ; obtain touchdown-dynamics, thermal, and radarreflectivity
data; and conduct vernier engine erosion experiment. NASA’s
Explorer XXXIV, in orbit since May 24, would serve as a “solar watchdog,”
furnishing information on solar radiation for correct interpretation
of Surveyor Vl’s soil analyses.
At 00:04:06 GET Surveyor VZ with two-burn Centaur separated from
Atlas and ignited to reach 100-mi-altitude circular parking orbit where
it coasted for 12 min; Centaur then reignited to escape earth orbit and
boost spacecraft toward moon. Spacecraft separated from Centaur, deployed
its solar panels, and locked on the sun and the star Canopus.
Based on a 56-mi target miss estimate, a 1.2-m midcourse maneuver was
conducted at 00:18:41 GET to assure precise landing on target in Sinus
Medii in center of moon’s front face.
Surveyor VI was sixth in series of seven spacecraft designed to prove
out design, develop technology of lunar soft-landing, obtain post-landing
TV pictures of lunar surface, and provide basic scientific and engineering
data in support of Project Apollo. Surveyor program was directed
by OSSA Lunar and Planetary Programs Div.; project management was
assigned to JPL; Atlas-Centaur launch vehicle was managed to LeRC;
and prime contractor for spacecraft development and design was Hughes
Aircraft Co. (NASA Proj Off; NASA Releases 67-278, 67-287)
USAF successfully launched an Advanced Ballistic Re-Entry System ( ABRES)
module from Vandenberg AFB by Atlas-D booster. ( UPI, W Post, 11/8/67,
A21)
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