Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967 November 7
* Explorer XXVZZ and Vanguard II had been among the 3 0 artificial
satellites to be photographed on a typical night by the three-ton light-
gatherer camera at Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory’s D&re Zeit
tracking station in Ethiopia. Robert Citron, station manager, described
the operation as an “extremely accurate way of measuring distances
with the use of geodetic satellites,” in a planned program extending into
1972. Debre Zeit, functioning as hub of 12 similar stations in India,
Japan, Patagonia, Sgain, Brazil, and South Africa, measured earth’s
size and shape, gravitational pull variations, and atmospheric density
changes. Planned progress would include measuring shape of world
“down to 33 feet,” according to Citron. He explained: “There is a widely
accepted theory that the earth’s land masses are drifting. In particular,
the African continent is said to be drifting away from the Asian land
masses.” By using planned measuring methods with geodetic satellites,
Citron hoped to explore the truth of the theory and measure the drift
should the theory be true. (Reuters, NYT, 11/7/67, 36)
President Johnson signed Public Broadcasting Act of 1967 (P.L. 90-129)
which would provide new funds for broadcast facilities to give “a wider
and . . . stronger voice to educational radio and TV; launch major
study of TV’s use in Nation’s classrooms and potential use throughout
the world; and create Corporation of Public Broadcasting to assist
stations and producers who aim for the best in broadcasting good
music, . . . exciting plays, and . . . reports on the whole fascinating
range of human activity.” He indicated that he had asked Dr. Milton
Eisenhower, Johns Hopkins Univ., and Dr. James Killian, MIT, to serve
as members of Corporation’s board of directors. He explained that the
Corporation would get partial support from Government but “it will be
carefully guarded from . . . control.”
The President said: “I believe the time has come to stake another
claim in the name of all the people, stake a claim based upon the com-
bined resources of communications. I believe the time Bas come to
enlist the computer and the satellite, as well as television and radio and to
enlist them in the cause of education. So I think we must consider new
ways to build a great network for knowledge-not just a broadcast sys-
tem, but one that employs every means of sending and of storing informa-
tion that the individual can use.” (PD, 11/13/67,1530-2)
* Joint Committee on Atomic Energy’s Military Applications Subcommittee
heard testimony on missile defense from Columibia Univ.’~ Professor
Philip E. Mosely and RAND c01-p.’~ senior staff member Thomas W. Wolfe.
Mosely stated, on subject of nuclear weapons, this philosophy: “In
any future period [of U.S.S.R. nuclear equality or superiority over
US.] . . . we would be prudent to assume that Soviet policy would
be tempted to undertake a more extensive, more acute, and more dan-
gerous range of risks [in pursuing] its declared long-range ambition
to reshape the world according to its own dogma.”
Wolfe discussed Soviet ABM program, Soviet attitude toward ABM
limitation, Soviet ABM activities which relate to overall strategic posture,
and political implications of a changing US.-Soviet military balance.
He saw Soviet leadership seeking “wider options for global intervention,”
and, for this goal, he looked for a buildup of defensive and offensive nu-
clear power and extension of the reach of their conventional military
power. (Testimony)
At MSC the TRW Systems Group had received $10.7-million NASA contract
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