Astronautical and Aeronautical Events of 1962 - NASA's History Office

112 ASTRONAUTICAL AND AERONAUTICAL EVENTS OF 19 6 2
During June: NASA reportedly called a “tempest in a teapot” the
U.S.S.R. criticism of U.S. scientists for not crediting Soviets with
discovery of the maximum electron flux in the earth’s outer radi-
ation belt. U.S. scientists freely credit U.S.S.R. for determining
experimentally that maximum flux was lo-’ particles per square
centimeter per second, but Soviet conclusion was based on uncon-
hmed assumption which was not authenticated until U.S.
scientists analyzed definitive measurements from EXPLORER XII.
United Technology Corp. experimented with hypergolic ignition
system, spraying highly reactive fluid into nozzle end of solid-
propellant rocket motor. Fluid immediately ignited the motor,
which developed more than 1OO1OOO-lbs. thrust in the test.
Bell Aerosystems engineers, John N. Cord and Leonard M. Seale,
recommended in paper to the Institute of the Aerospace Sciences
meeting in Los Angeles that a U.S. astronaut be landed upon the
moon with the means of survival, perhaps for as long as three
years, until an Apollo vehicle could be sent to return him to
earth. The astronaut could do valuable scientific work and would
be on “a very hazardous mission but it would be cheaper, faster,
and perhaps the only way to beat Russia.”
Air Force Ofice of Scientific Research (AFOSR) began negotiating a
new type of three-year contracts for basic research with Westing-
house Electric, IBM, and RCA in the solid-state field. This was
the first time that basic research had been contracted on any
other basis than one year at a time, is designed to provide more
continuity and certainty of completion of research projects. As
under the previous system, osn and industry each bear roughly
half of the costs of the research.
An astronautics ship together with a floating drydock has been proposed
as a launching platform for ICBM’s and large space boosters,
including Saturn. LCdr. Burton Edelson (USN), writing for the
Bureau of Ships Journal, contended that a 10,000-ton ship, such
as the seaplane tender Curtiss, could be specially outfitted as an
integrated astronautics ship and could handle all solid-fuel launch-
ings, including Minuteman. An accompanying floating drydock
could handle large liquid-fuel rocket launchings up to and includ-
ing Saturn.
New camera developed for space usc by the National Bureau of
Standards can be operated at a rate of more than one million
frames per second. Camera was developed to record luminous
phenomena of shock waves in the upper atmosphere as they pass
through the so-called “plasma” (highly ionized gases). Such
plasma, said the report, has been produced at the Bureau of
Standards by sending high-velocity shock waves through helium
gas.
NASA Wallops Station awarded contracts over $1 million during the
month for essential services and construction work.
Cost Reduction Task Force of the National Security Industrial As-
sociation concluded that DOD was paying more for its procure-
ment because of “cost-oriented” practices. Undertaken at the
request of the Secretary of Defense, the released report recom-
mended that fixed-price contracts be used more often and earlier