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

238 ASTRONAUTICAL AND AERONAUTICAL EVENTS OF 1962
November IO: Baltimore Sun published photograph of ANNA satellite
taken by U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey tracking team, Spesuti
Island (Chesapeake Bay), Md. Triggered by Johns Hopkins
Applied Physics Lab., flashing lights onboard ANNA were photo-
graphed in project to aid geodetic studies; photographs would be
made from points around the earth.
USMC gold medal was presented to Lt. Col. John H. Glenn, Jr.
(USMC) at USMC 187th anniversary dinner, Washington. Medal
commemorated Astronaut Glenn’s Project Mercury orbital
space flight Feb. 20, 1962 (MA-6).
November 11: NASA reported MARINER 11 Venus probe was 15,652,770
mi. from earth and 11,591,751 mi. from Venus.
USAF announced launching of unidentified satellite with Atlas-
Agena from Point Arguello, Calif.
Catalogue of Astronomical Photographs featuring close-up photo-
graphs of moon, was released by Lick Observatory. Each
photograph showed area 230 mi. by 280 mi. on scale of 30 mi. to
the inch (view of lunar surface from 300 mi.). Lick spokesman
said precise optical and guidance systems, high magnification,
and skilled use of modern astropho tographic techniques were
used to obtain the pictures. The 120-in. reflecting telescope at
Lick is world’s second largest.
In interview at Soviet Academy of Sciences, Soviet physicist Dr.
Sergei N. Vernov stated he believed particle acceleration accounts
for outer radiation belt of the earth. Deep-space probes have
not detected enough high-energy particles to prove the outer
belt is replenished by high-energy particles ejected from the sun.
Dr. Vernov believes the particles acquire their energy within the
beltthrough some as yet unknown accelerating mechanism.
He believes there are two such means of acceleration, one sus-
taining the day-to-day energy level and the other accounting for
its increases when a cloud of erupted solar gas reaches vicinity of
earth, causing magnetic storms. Dr. Vernov suggested inner belt
is sustained by protons formed by neutrons which decay upon
bombardment by cosmic rays; some of the high-energy protons
are trapped by earth’s magnetism to become the inner radiation
belt.
Moscow radio reported Soviet designers were working on airplane
that flies by flapping its wings like a bird. The plane was ex-
pected to have 10 to 30 times lifting power of similar-size con-
ventional plane.
November 12: NASA Flight Research Center released photographs of
“lifting body” experimental wingless craft to test landing tech-
niques in gliding from altitudes as high as 5,000 ft. The 24-ft.-
by-13-ft. craft would begin testing early in 1963, first with truck
to tow it aloft and later with airplane as towing vehicle. Made
mostly of plywood, the 500-lb. craft suggests shape of missile nose
cone cut in half lengthwise.
FAA Administrator N. E. Halaby told International Air Transport
Association meeting that British, French, and Soviet competition
probably would force the U.S. to develop its own supersonic
commercial airliner within 10 years.