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

ABlXONAUTICAL AND AERONAUTICAL EVENTS OF 1962 235
power supply was normal again. Signals received at Goldstone
showed the resumed experiments were functioning normally and
were transmitting excellent data.
November 8: Scientists at Applied Physics Laboratory of Johns
Hopkins Univ. sent operating commands to ANNA satellite, and
three minutes later ANNA responded by flashing its lights five
times to show the message had been received. Satellite’s blinking
beacons were designed to aid scientists make precise measure-
ments of the earth and to determine its gravitational field.
NASA Goddaxd Space Flight Center announced it would conduct
experiments using laser in tracking S-66 ionosphere beacon satel-
lite, to be launched in polar orbit early next year. Laser (light
amplification by stimulated emission of radiation) would be
tested as “potentially vastly more accurate than current tracking
methods and requiring no electrical power from the satellite.”
Laser device, emitting beam jis of a degree wide, would be
mounted on tracking telescope at NASA Wallops Station. Laser
signals to satellite would be received on passive reflector and
bounced back to earth.
0 30th sounding rocket launched by three-man team at McMurdo
Station, Antarctica, the program calling for 60 Arcas rocket
launchings at rate of one a week. Purpose of launchin s was to
obtain information on sudden warming of upper atmosp % ere that
occurs durin Antarctic spring.
AEC released p % otographs of underground cavity created by first
nuclear detonation for peaceful use (Project Gnome). The
three-kiloton explosion was made Dec. 10, 1961, near Carlsbad,
N.M. Since May 17, scientists have explored the cavern and
gathered data on neutron physics, seismic effects, and isotope
production. Cavity is 1,200 ft. underground and measures 160-
170 ft. in diameter and 60-80 ft. in height.
French and British ministers agreed to submit to their respective
governments plans for joint production of supersonic airliner in
mach 2 range (about 1,400 mph). Julian Amery, U.K. Minister
of Aviation, and Roger Dusseaulx, French Minister of Public
Works and Transport, announced the agreement after confemg
in Paris.
NASA Deputy Administrator Hugh L. Dryden, addressing General
Session of U.S. Savings and Loan League in Washington, said:
“. . . What we are buying in our national space program is the
knowledge, the experience, the skills, the industrial facilities, and
the experimental hardware that will make the United States first
in every field of space explorationscientific and practical uses,
including military applications. And to accomplish this result
we must make advances at the frontiers of knowledge in nearly
every field of science and technology which will project new ideas
into our whole industrial system. . . .
“The success of the National Space Program hinges on the
ability of the American people, through their government, their
industry, and their privately endowed institutions, to implement
many difEcult tasks. Not one or two men will make the landing
on the moon, but, figuratively, the entire Nation.
“And our ultimate success also depends, in some measure, on
our ability to enlist the cooperation of other nations in this enor-