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

ASTRONAUTICAL AND AERONAUTICAL EVENTS OF 1962 173
US. policy of not permitting reconnaissance flights over Soviet
territory, established after U-2 piloted by Francis Gary Powers
was brought down in U.S.S.R. May 1, 1960.
September 4: British physicist Dr. Eric Mendoza of University of
Manchester explained superconductivity principle at British
Association for the Advancement of Science meeting. He stated
the problem as why several superconducting metals (such as lead
and aluminum) at extremely low temperatures suddenly lose all
traces of electrical resistance and are able to conduct currents
without producing heat. Normal electrical resistance is produced
when electrons are knocked out of their paths by collision with
heavy metallic atoms. In superconductors, he said, the electrons
get past the atoms without being deflected, because “electrons,
instead of moving as individuals, move in pairs.” Vibrations of
the metallic atoms in superconductors are so slowed down by
extremely low temperature (minus 273’ C) that they are unable
to break the pairs, so current flows without friction.
0 Reported that U.S.S.R. had invited Dr. Bernard M. Wagner of the
US. to visit U.S.S.R. for cooperative exchange of space medicine
data, including information obtained from VOSTOK III and IV
manned orbital fights. Dr. Wa,gmer, chairman of Department
of Pathology, New York Medical College, would leave for Moscow
October 5.
September 5: NASA Administrator Webb reported that the U.S.S.R.
had tried to send four probes to Venus and two to Mars since
October 10,1958. In letter to chairmen of the Senate Committee
on Aeronautical and Space Sciences and the House Committee on
Science and Astronautics, Mr. Webb said Venus attempts were
made on February 4, 1961; August 25, 1962; and September 1,
1962; and each time the launch vehicle achieved parking orbit
but failed to send probes on escape trajectory. The one partially
successful Venus probe, launched February 12, 1961, achieved
proper flight path but its radio transmission failed when probe
was 4.5 million miles from earth. Mars attempts were made
October 10 and 14, 1960, and each time the launch vehicle failed
to achieve parking orbit.
Agreement establishing US.-Italy coo erative space program,
signed in May, was confirmed in Rome i y Vice President Lyndon
B. Johnson and Italian Foreign Minister Attilio Piccioni. The
Memorandum of Understanding between NASA and the Italian
Space Commission provided for three-phase program, expected
to culminate in launching of a scientific satellite into equatorial
orbit. Generally, NASA would provide the Scout rockets and
personnel training; Italians would launch the vehicle with its
Italian payload and would be responsible for data acquisition as
well as for towable launch platform located in equatorial waters.
NASA announced it would negotiate with three companies to conduct
three-month studies of a lunar logistics system. Negotiations
with Space Technology Laboratories, Inc., related to $150,000
study of types of spacecraft which could carry supplies to manned
Apollo landing site on the moon; negotiations with Northrop
Space Laboratories and Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corp.
related to $75,000 studies and operational analyses of possible
cargoes for the lunar logistics spacecraft. Various NASA centers