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

214 ASTRONAUTICAL AND AERONAUTICAL EVENTS OF 19 6 2
October 10: DOD released “Project Horizon,” an Army study of manned
lunar flight program aimed at 1965 lunar landing. Written in
1959 as a classified report, the study was declassified in 10 security
reviews by three agencies and unclassified version sent to House
Science and Astronautics Committee at its request.
AEC displayed its latest radioisotope electrical power generator,
Snap-SA, in exhibit at Whittier (Calif.) Civic Center. Designed
to produce 20 watts of electrical power for several years, the
nuclear generator was scheduled to power radio transmitters in
USN Transit satellite to be launched into polar orbit within the
next few months.
October 10-12. NASA held agency-wide representatives conference on
automatic data processing in Washington, D.C.
October ii; Opening of the Ecumenical Council in Vatican City was
viewed in U.S. with 24-min. TV broadcast relayed via TELSTAR.
General Dynamics/Convair reported developin a new laser with
increased pulse rate. When perfected, new f aser would be able
to machine and trim any material with greater speed and ac-
curacy than available by any other means.
Ocober ib: USAF Titan I1 rocket achieved all test objectives in flight
from Cape Canaveral. This was fourth success in six test launch-
ings of the rocket, a modified version of which will be used in
NASA’s Project Gemini beginning in 1964.
International Association of Machinists reached agreement on new
contract with Aerojet-General Corp , after negotiations which
had followed IAM walkout October 2-4.
October IS: USAF announced the third in series of Project Firefly
upper atmosphere experiments would be conducted during 1962.
Approximately 30 research rockets, launched from Santa Rosa
Island Aerospace Facility near Eglin AFB, would carry chemical
payloads to above 50-mi. altitudes.
Soviet military newspaper Krasnaya Zvezda reported that U.S.S.R.
had been first nation to use rockets in combat and cited rockets
fired by Soviet airplanes against the Japanese in Mongolia,
August 1939.
October 1S-1,$: Open house at NASA Wallops Station, Va.; more than
15,000 visitors toured the launch site facilities.
October 14: NASA announced plans to launch Ranger (5) toward the
moon during mid-October. The 775-113. lunar probe would
represent third U.S. attempt to take close-up photographs of the
moon, gather information on lunar surface composition, and land
instrumented capsule on lunar surface.
33-member board of trustees of Pacific Science Center Foun-
dation was announced. The foundation would operate the U.S.
Science Pavilion for Century 21 in Seattle as a permanent
science center.
October 15: Astronaut Walter M. Schirra, Jr., returned to his home-
town, Oradell, N.J., for triumphal welcoming ceremonies in
honor of his successful MA-8 six-orbit space flight for NASA
Project Mercury. NASA Administrator James E. Webb pre-
sented Cdr. Schirra with the NASA Distinguished Service Medal.
Analysis of scientific measurements by RANGER 111 lunar probe
showed gamma ray intensity in interplanetary space probably is
10 times greater than expected, NASA reported. Measurements
were taken by gamma ray spectrometer on RANGER 111 after it was