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

174 ASTRONAUTICAL AND AERONAUTICAL EVENTS OF 1962
simultaneously would study lunar logistics system trajectories,
launch vehicle adaptation, scheduling, alternate spacecraft propulsion
concepts, lunar landing touchdown dynamics, and use of
roving vehicles on the lunar surface.
September 5: White House announced President Kennedy would visit
military and civilian missile and rocket installations at Cape
Canaveral, Fla. ; Huntsville, Ala. ; Houston, Tex. ; and St. Louis,
Mo., on September 11-12. President Kennedy would be accompanied
by Vice President Johnson, Secretary of Defense McNamara,
NASA Administrator Webb, BOB director David E. Bell,
and several Congressmen. Purpose of trip was “to study the
work being done in this most important area and in connection
with the preparation of the fiscal year 1964 budget. . . . 11
0 13-min. radio program relayed from New York via TELSTAR satellite
to Europe, where it was broadcast by Radio Free Europe and
Radio Liberty to audiences in U.S.S.R. and Communist-bloc
countries. Program featured message on U.S.-U.S.S.R. nuclear
disarmament by Senator Hubert H. Humphrey.
Deputy Secretary of Defense Roswell L. Gilpatric, addressing representatives
of Midwest industries and universities in South Bend,
Ind., said:
“The United States believes that it is highly desirable for its
own security and for the security of the world that the arms race
should not be extended into outer space, and we are seeking in
every feasible way to achieve this purpose. Today there is no
doubt that either the United States or the Soviet Union could
place thermonuclear weapons in orbit. . . .
‘(We have no program to place any weapons of mass destruc-
tion into orbit. An arms race in space will not contribute to
our security. . . .”
He added that U.S. military space program has two objectives:
“First, as part of our overall Defense effort. we have continuing
programs to-ensure that the United States will be able to cop:
with any military challenge in outer space. Our programs in
this area are under constant review, and this review indicates
that our present rate of effort is entirely adequate.
(‘Second, as a part of our national space program, we in the
Defense Department, along with NASA, are actively exploring the
potentialities of outer space as a useful part of our expanding
universe. We are developing through activities in space and
observations from space our ability to improve our capabilities
in fields such as communications, navigation, meteorology, map-
ping and geodesy. Many branches of industry are contributing
to this endeavor by improving propulsion, electronic, photo-
graphic, communications and other components of systems for
space research and utilization. These programs have great sig-
nificance not only for our military forces but for the economic
and scientific advance of the United States and of thd whole
world. The progress that they represent, like all scientific ad-
vances, is neiitral in its political and moral content. . . . ,,
NASA announced that nine companies had submitted proposals to
develop lunar excursion module (LEM), one of three modules com-
prising the Apollo spacecraft. After evaluating proposals, NASA
would award contract “within six to eight weeks,” according to
the Wall Street Journul.