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

ASTRONAUTICAL AND AERONAUTIC& EVENTS OF 1062 179
industrial capacity and technological advance that we are
making. The lunar landin is a yardstick-a measure of this
country’s technological lea (f ership, a measure of the ability of
this democracy to ‘manag!,’ if you will, a great engineering and
technological undertaking m the national interest.”
September 7: In private audience with Po e John XXIII, Vice President
Lyndon B. Johnson presented t E e Pope with a small model
of TELSTAR communications satellite.
September 8: RL-10 rocket engine successfully static-fbed in second
test at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center. Cluster of the
liquid-hydrogen engines would power second stage (S-IV) of the
Saturn (2-1.
0 Atlas rocket for manned orbital flight MA-8 was static-fired successfully
for 11 seconds at Cape Canaveral.
USAF announced Deputy Chief of Staff for Research and Development
would be focal point for space projects within the Air Staff.
Lt. Gen. James Ferguson, DC/S for RLD, would be responsible for
such projects as Midas, Titan 111, Dyna Soar, communications
satellites, and NASA liaison and support.
0 Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, s eaking at Danish-Soviet Friendship
Advancement Society in Zopenhagen, attacked U.S. space
projects. He charged U.S. launched satellites which spied on
other countries, endangered space travel by its atmospheric
nuclear tests, and put millions of cop er needles in space, making
space research difficult. He addej: “I also know a certain
country is considering plans to set up bases on the moon from
which attacks on other parts of the world can be made.”
September 8-22: First NASA exhibit in Europe was displayed in pavilion
of Swiss National Trade Fair, in Lausanne.
September 9: Three-man crew ‘(survived” a simulated week-long,
round-trip to the moon, in simulation chamber at Martin Co.
plant, near Baltimore. Crew in the simulator, which resembled
Apollo spacecraft in size and shape, consisted of 3 NASA civilian
test pilots: Donald L. Mallick and Harold E. Ream of Lan ley
Research Center, and Glenn W. Stinnett of Ames Research 8 enter.
During the simulated flight, made in July, the men took
turns as pilot, co-pilot, and navigator, and each made a simulated
landing on the moon’s surface in the special one-man capsule
designed by Langley scientists.
0 Plan calling for international sounding-rocket launching site to be
set up under U.N. auspices would be presented to U.N. General
Assembly by 28-nation Committee on Outer Space, New York
Times reported. Originally proposed by U.S. last June, plan
provided that all member countries would be given access to
facility for collection of meteorological and other scientific data.
0 U.N. Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation released
detailed report warning that any radiation dose, however
small, can cause biological and hereditary effects. “The Committee
therefore emphasizes the need that all forms of unnecessary
exposure be minimized or avoided entirely.” Adopted unanimously
by the 15-nation committee, the 442-page report was the
most comprehensive in the 7-year history of the Committee.
25-franc postage stamp picturing TELSTAR communications center
at Pleumeur-Bodou was issued by France, first nation to so honor
TELSTAR and its international communications achievements.