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

ASTRONAUTICU AND AERONAUTICAL EVENTS OF 1969 247
whether alternate means of production can be utilized so that
work on these vital programs can go forward in the event of a
stoppage at Lockheed.”
November 17: Low yield nuclear device was exploded in atmosphere
at U.S.S.R. Semipalatinsk testing grounds, 32nd Soviet test
announced by AEC in current series.
November 18: MARINER 11 Venus probe, launched Aug. 27, was 18,767,-
939 mi. from earth and 8,603,582 mi. from Venus, NASA an-
nounced.
Dr. Niels Bohr, pioneer atomic physicist and winner of Nobel Prize
and Atoms for Peace Award, died in Copenhagen.
November 19: Dr. Andrie B. Severng, Director of U.S.S.R.’s Crimean
Astrophysical Observatory, explained techniques used to photo-
graph MARS I on Nov. 3, when the interplanetary probe was
120,000 mi. from earth. Using 102-in. telescope, largest outside
the U.S., astronomers fixed its aim at spot MARS I was calculated to
be; automatic controls shifted telescope’s aim slightly to sweep
the probe’s assumed trajectory. At same time, photopap
alon% s were made, with each plate exposed twice at 30-sec.
intervals. Resulting photogra hs showed MARS I as well as its
booster rocket traveling throug ph space. This was believed to be
greatest distance from which man-made objects had been photo-
gra hed.
USAF binuteman ICBM successfully launched from Cape Canaveral
silo on 4,000-mi. R&D flight down the Atlantic Missile Range.
International Associa tion of Machinists announced strike against
Lockheed Aircraft Corp. had been set for Nov. 28.
NASA and Indiana University jointly announced experimental
center for industrial applications of aerospace research would be
established at Indiana Univ., with initial NASA funding of
$150,000. Project would involve the university’s business pro-
fessors, biologists, geologists, physicists, and others, working
with research and development people of industry and NASA.
Bell Helicopter Co. successfully flew unmanned helicopter in demon-
strations at Naval Ordame test station, China Lake, Calif.
Guided by remote control system, helicopter flew for 72 min. at
altitudes up to 2,000 ft. and speeds of about 70 mph; brought back
to earth, the craft was refueled, inspected, and relaunched in 15
min. for 48-min. unmanned flight.
NASA and DOD approved new plan for solid-propellant development.
Program considered the solid-propelled boosters as a development
concept and called for advanced studies.
November 20.- Sparobee sounding rocket launched from NASA Wallops
Station with 90-lb. payload to measure electron and neutral part-
icle temperatures at 75 to 225-mi. altitudes. Vehicle reached
peak altitude of 214 mi. and payload impacted in Atlantic Ocean
about 217 mi. away. Secondary objectives were measurement
of ion and neutral particle density and flight testing of newly
designed Thermosphere Probe system. Experiment was joint
roject of University of Michigan and NASA Goddard Space
$ll ght Center.
NASA named Adm. Walter E”. Boone (USN, Ret) as Deputy Associate
Administrator for Defense Affairs. Primary responsibility of the
newlycreated post was to strengthen the flow of technical and
management information between NASA and DOD.