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

ASTRONAUTICAL AND AERONAUTICAL EVENTS OF 1 9 6 2 191
(2) prohibiting of any publication’s advertising “exclusive” stories
purchased from astronauts, with requirement that the contracting
publication provide a method to avoid this inference and with
all such agreements subject to approval of the NASA Administrator.
Inherent in the policy was that “all information reported
by the Astronauts in the course of their official duties, which is
not classified to protect the national security, will be promptly
made available to the public.” New guidelines applied to all
NASA astronauts, civilian and military.
September 16: U.S.S.R. exploded second nuclear device of “several
megatons” in two days. AEC announced the atmospheric test
had been conducted in vicinity of the island Novaya Zemlya.
September 17’: NASA’s nine new astronauts were named in Houston by
Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, Director of NASA Manned Spacecraft
Center (MSC). Chosen from 253 applicants, the former test
pilots who would join original seven Mercury astronauts in
training for Projects Gemini and Apollo were: Neil A. Armstrong,
NASA civilian test pilot; Maj. Frank Borman (TJSAF); Lt. Charles
Conrad, Jr. (USN); LCdr. James A. Lovell, Jr. (USN); Capt.
James A. McDivitt (USAF); Elliot M. See, Jr., civilian test pilot
for General Electric Co.; Capt. Thomas P. Stafford (USAF);
Capt. Edward H. White, I1 (USAF); and LCdr. John W. Young
(USN). Dr. Gilruth stressed that they would not all necessarily
make actual space flights. “Assignment to flight crews will
depend upon the continuing physical and technical status of the
individuals concerned and upon the future flight schedule
requirements.”
USAF launched unidentified satellite with Thor-Agena B booster
from Vandenberg AFB.
NASA Manned Spacecraft Center announced Mercury Astronaut
Donald I(. Slayton had been named “Coordinator of Astronaut
Activities.” Slayton would be responsible for assignment of
training and engineering duties of all the astronauts.
0 Reported that NASA would build facilities worth $15 to $18 million
at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), N.M., for testing Apollo
spacecraft’s propulsion and abort systems. Facilities for flight
tests of the abort system and the lunar excursion module would
be ready in January 1963 ; static-firing sites for testing propulsion
systems would be operational in mid-1363.
0 DOD established conflict-of-interest ruling on industry’s role in DOD
research contracts. New policy specified that a company serving
as technical adviser in a research program was ineligible to compete
for contracts in the hardware production phase. Ruling
was first established in Project Advent communications satellite
project.
0 First Snap-8 nuclear reactor was operated successfully at Santa
Susana, Calif., AEC announced. The experimental reactor was of
type designed to ultimately propel spacecraft through deep
space.
Reported that Astronaut John H. Glenn, Jr., had received less than
half the heavy primary cosmic radiation dosage expected during
his 4.5-hr. orbital flight MA-6. According to Dr. Hermann J.
Schaefer of USN Biophysics Branch, Pensacola, the MA-6 spacecraft
walls and capsule instrumentation probably absorbed many
of the rays and kept the total dosage lower than expected.