Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1967 - NASA's History Office

ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1967 March 16
Mars vehicles which provided, for the first time, a complete day-by-day
listing of the energies necessary for a round trip. Calculations had
been completed for launching during the entire 1970-80 decade. “The
calculated trajectories went from a circular parking orbit about the
Earth to the vicinity of Mars, into a circular parking orbit about
Mars for a stay time of 7 days, out of the circular parking orbit about
Mars to the vicinity of the Earth, and into a circular parking orbit
about the Earth. It was assumed that the one-way flight times for
both the departure and return trajectories are the same.” Dr. Kurzweg
said information was very important for “fast trade-off calculations
. .” (Testimony)
for future advanced Mars missions.
0 The J-2 liquid rocket engine was restarted twice in simulated altitude
tests conducted by MSFC at AEDC. Shut down after an initial 30 sec burn,
the engine was restarted and run for 5 sec, then started and stopped
again. Total burn time was 70 sec. (Tech Wk, 3/27/67, 24)
* Thiokol Chemical Corp. presented to Smithsonian Institution’s National
Air and Space Museum historic liquid-propellant rocket engines made
during World War 11. Gifts included primitive rocket test stand known
as ARS Test Stand No. 2, used by members of original American Rocket
Society (now AIAA) , on Dec. 10, 1938, to test first US. successful, fully
regeneratively cooled rocket engine. Other Thiokol gifts included World
War I1 liquid-propellant jet assist takeoff (JATO) units for aircraft,
and engines for Lark surface-to-air missile, USAF MX-774 missile, and
Viking research rocket. (Smithsonian Institution Release)
Vice President and Mrs. Humphrey, accompanied by NASC Executive Sec-
retary Dr. Edward C. Welsh, would visit MSFC and US. Army Missile
Command (AMC) at Redstone Arsenal March 22-23, MSFC and AMC
announced. Trip was later postponed because Mr. Humphrey felt he
should remain in Washington, D.C., to greet President Johnson on his
return from a Pacific trip. ( MFSC Release; Marshall Star, 3/22/67,1)
* Request for stricter controls to prevent “instrument abuse” at KSC was
made by R. L. Wilkiison, chief of Measurement Systems Div. at KSC,
in memorandum to NASA employees and contractor officials. An increas-
ing number of instruments were requiring repairs because of tamperbC
ing, simple carelessness,” and apparent thievery, Wilkinson noted. He
said he had instructed technicians in his instrument calibration shop to
report all “cases of obvious instrument abuse or missing rechargeable
batteries”; reports would be “reviewed and forwarded. through appro-
priate management channels for corrective action.” (Hines, W Star,
3/27/67, AI, AB)
March 17: Honeysuckle Creek Tracking Station near Canberra, Australia-
newest member of NASA’s 16-station network to support manned Apob
missions-was dedicated in ceremonies attended by Australian Prime
Minister Henry E. Holt, NASA Deputy Administrator Dr. Robert C. Sea-
mans, Jr., and Edmond C. Buckley, NASA Associate Administrator for
Tracking and Data Acquisition. Vice President Hubert H. Humphrey
cabled congratulations to Prime Minister Holt : “The establishment of
this tracking station is another link in the long chain of cooperative
efforts in space between . . . Australia and the United States.
“In its support of the Apollo program, this new station will play
a vital role in communications with our astronauts in preparation for
their landing on the Moon and return to Earth. . . .” (NASA Release
6745)
79