Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

March 14-15 ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967
tific data from the planets, JPL Director Dr. William H. Pickering pre-
dicted. He noted launch opportunities during 1970’s in which Mariner-
type spacecraft could be flown to more than one planet in series of
gravity-assist missions and said 1970-6 period offered several favor-
able opportunities for closeup study of the comets by Mariner-type space-
craft carrying up to 150 lbs of scientific instruments. (Text)
GSFC Director Dr. John F. Clark, discussing possible first mission
configuration for a Galactic Jupiter probe, said an initial flight could
probably be launched during a 20-day launch window centered on first
week of March 1972. Planetary encounter would occur between 17 and
20 mos after launch. (Text)
Sterilization of lander and surface laboratory constituted “the most
difficult technological task” of NASA’s Voyager program to explore Mars
and Venus with automated spacecraft during 1970’s, Edgar M. Cort-
right, NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for Space Science and
Applications, told the meeting. The most difficult scientific task M as
developing an effective integrated set of biological experiments. (Text)
Exploration of the planets would contribute to, not detract from,
man’s ability to meet problems on earth, Dr. Charles Sheldon 11, Library
of Congress, suggested. “Also one has the right to hope that even if
elements of past history repeat in new forms, mankind with a shrinking
world and shrinking solar system, and with a greater awareness of his
place within the scheme of things will divert his restless energies and
struggles to overcoming the space frontiers rather than wasting his
talents and his treasures in fratricidal war. . . .” (Text)
US. had achieved world leadership in the technology of space explora-
tion, but that leadership was relative and by no means conclusive, Rep.
George P. Miller (D-Calif.) asserted. “The challenge is no less great
now than it was in 1957 when Sputnik I jolted us out of the narcosis of
complacency. To our peril, we cannot allow the transient pressures and
strains of American life to vitiate our determination to maintain that
leadership. At the same time we cannot ignore or overlook any oppor-
tunity to reach a rapport and an understanding with Russia that will
be of material assistance in making the exploration of space for peace-
ful purposes truly a monumental achievement of all mankind.” (Text)
March 15: NASA and West Germany’s Federal Ministry for Scientific Re-
search (BMWF) signed Memorandum of Understanding for study of
electric fields in the upper atmosphere. NASA would furnish five Nike-
Apache sounding rockets for launch from ESRO facilities at Kiruna,
Sweden, beginning in April. Rockets would release barium clouds,
particularly in the auroras, to be observed from the ground. BMWF
would provide chemical payloads and ground observation equipment
and would conduct launchings in cooperation with ESRO and Swedish
Space Research Committee (SSRC)
. Both NASA and BMWF would bear cost
of their respective responsibilities. Results would be made available to
world scientific community. (NASA Release 67-57)
0 NASA and USAF announced agreement to transfer overall management of
XB-70 supersonic aircraft research program to NASA Flight Research
Center-effective March 25-and to utilize XB-70 “at a reduced rate.”
Under new arrangement, which updated May 1965 agreement, XB-70
research program would continue as joint NASA-USAF effort, with AFFTC
mission support and DOD pilot participation, aircraft support, and research
and test projects. Next flight of XB-70, which had been under-
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