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

ASTRONAUTICAL AND AERONAUTICAL EVENTS OF 1962 271
that American scientists and engineers have achieved more and
more in conquering space.
“We congratulate our American colleagues.”
December 16: NASA Goddard S ace Fhght Center scientist Dr. Michael
E. Lipschutz discovered iamonds in meteorite that fell in India
90 years ago, the hdin published in Science. Dr. Lipschutz,
an astrochemist, is first %l ‘eutenant in U.S. Army on active duty
with NASA. His research was made with minute portion of the
D alpur meteorite, which fell to earth May 8, 1872. Dr. Lipsc
K utz observed two sizes of diamond crystallites in the meteorite-a
few large c stah and many small c stals. He concluded
that diamonds in 3 yalpur meteorite were 7 ormed by shock when
meteorite’s arent body collided with another bod in space.
December 17: dhough RELAY power supply remaine B low, Nutle
N.J., ground station was able to obtain about 10 min. of usab
telemetry data from the NASA satellite. Engineers were conduct-
ing intensive analysis of telemetry data in effort to diagnose
cause of RELAY’S low battery voltage.
0 Walter C. Williams, Associate Director of NASA Manned Spacecraft
Center, said “I can’t guarantee we’re going to be first [to land a
man on the moon], but if we don’t try, we’re going to be last.
Either we have to spend more money on space . . . or change
our goals.” Williams was speaking at dinner commemorating
59th anniversary of Wright brothers’ flight, in Beverly Hills,
Calif.
0 John Stack, former NASA Director of Aeronautical Research and
NACA aerodynamicist, was awarded Wright Brothers Memorial
Tro hy-sterling silver model of Wright Brothers’ Kitty Hawk
airp P ane-at Wright Memorial Dinner, Washington. Earlier in
the day, ceremonies at Kill Devil Hills near Kitty Hawk, N.C.,
commemorated 59th anniversary of Wright brothers’ historic
flight.
0 USAF launched Atlas-Agena vehicle with undisclosed payload from
Pt. Arguello, the vehicle failing in flight.
U.S. Army fired Nike-Zeus antimissile missile in successful develop-
ment test at White Sands Missile Range, N.M.
December 18: USN TRANSIT V-A navigational satellite launched from
Point Arguello, Calif., into near-perfect polar orbit (apogee, 395
nautical mi.; perigee, 375 nautical mi.; period, 99.06 min.; in-
clination, 90.7’ to the equator), but satellite’s radio receiver
failed to function in first five attempts to transmit data to the
satellite. TRANSIT V-A wm to have been the first operational
satellite in system of four satellites, but now it would be useful
as test vehicle rather than operational satellite. This was first
time in Transit series that the radio command system had failed
to work. The satellite was launched into orbit by four-stage
Blue Scout rocket by USAF for USN.
Spontaneous transmission of RELAY I 136-mc beacon signd has been
observed at minitrack stations, NASA Relay Project officer J.
Russell Burke reported.
NASA Administrator James E. Webb, at press conference and
. . . I would like to stress one of the most challenging oppor-
luncheon announcing Chicago and Midwest Space Month, said:
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tunitiea of the Space Age for American busin-nd for the
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