Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

December 6 ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967
Flight Safety Foundation’s Distinguished Service Award for distin-
guished service in achieving aircraft uses under safer conditions. (NASA
Hq WB, 50)
December 7: Javelin sounding rocket launched by NASA from Churchill Re-
search Range reached 500-mi (805-km) altitude in GSFC-Southwest
Center for Advanced Studies experiment to study “ionosphere-protono-
sphere transition region at L values beyond the plasma pause.” Rocket
and instrumentation, including a magnetic mass spectrometer, two Lang-
muir probes, a magnetometer, and a Lunar Aspect Sensor, performed
satisfactorily. (NASA Rpt SRL)
* NASA reported that RAM C-1 spacecraft had met all mission objectives
and officially classified the mission a success. Spacecraft was launched
Oct. 19 to assess the effectiveness of water addition technique in alle-
viating spacecraft reentry blackout. Effects of water injection in reduc-
ing RF attenuation and blackout were observed during 50% of total VHF
blackout period (approximately two thirds of total water-addition time).
During last one-third of water injection period, no signal recovery was
observed. NASA concluded that water addition was effective in reducing
attenuation of the X-band signal down to 130,000-ft altitude and that
reentry communications problem could be significantly reduced by utili-
zation of higher transmission frequencies. ( NASA Proj Off)
* NASA established Aerospace Safety Advisory Panel to review safety studies
and operations plans, report on them to the NASA Administrator and
advise him of any hazard in facilities and proposed operations, and
perform other duties. Panel of chairman, vice chairman, and seven
other members would review, evaluate, and advise on all elements of
NASA’s safety program. ( NMI-1156.14)
* GSFC scientist Dr. Norman F. Ness reported new findings on moon’s nature
and environment. Data obtained from Explorer XXXV in lunar orbit
indicated that: (1) no supersonic shock front preceded moon to impede
flow of solar wind toward the lunar surface; (2) a sizable empty cavity
or solar wind void existed behind the moon away from the sun; (3)
moon had practically no magnetic field, and therefore no complex mag
netosphere, surrounding radiation belts, or lunar ionosphere; and (4)
moon’s average electrical conductivity was low (under 1,800” F) . Findings
did not appear to create any additional hazards to Apollo manned
lunar landing program. Explorer XXXV, launched into lunar orbit from
ETR July 22, to study interaction of solar wind with the moon and investigate
the lunar environment, was first satellite to orbit the moon without
having a midcourse maneuver capability and the only operating satellite
currently in lunar orbit. (NASA Release 67-295)
* Four students from UCLA would spend 60 days in simulated space cabin at
McDonnell Douglas Corp.’s Santa Monica, Calif., plant in early 1968
under $200,o(bo NASA contract for research in biotechnology and human
factors. Test, which would take place in a closed system using recirculated
water and oxygen, would be longest ever attempted with crew subsisting
in long-duration flight conditions. Crew members, currently undergoing
training for test, would have only radio contact with outside
but would be under close observation by medical personnel at all times.
(NASA Release 67-296)
* NASA contract activity:
Negotiations were initiated with McDonnell Douglas Corp. on a $21-
million contract for Improved Delta launch support services. Contract
370