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

ASTRONAUTICAL AND AERONAUTICAL EVEN!& OF 19 62 273
December i9: Polaris A-2 missile, modified to carry guidance system
fdr advanced 8-3 model, was launched on successful 1,500-mi.
teat flight from Cape Canaveral.
0 All three stages of Army’s Nike-Zeus antimissile missile fired suc-
cessfully in test from Point Mugu, Calif., last of Nike-Zeus fight
series from that site.
Final USAF Atlas ICBM squadron declared operational at Plattsburgh
AFB, N.Y., bringing total operational Atlas force to 123. Addi-
tional composite squadron of Atlases was being maintained at
Vandenberg AFB, partly for R&D and partly for training use.
December 19-21: President Kennedy and Prime Minister Harold
Macmillan, meeting in Nassau, reached defense agreement desig-
nating Polaris misslle to replace the Skybolt air-launched missiles
as Britain’s primary nuclear deterrent weapon. Under terms
also to be offered to France, Britain and France would receive
Polaris missiles from US. and eventually these would form the
backbone of a NATO nuclear force.
December 20: X-15 (No. 3) piloted by Joseph A. Walker (NASA)
reached 3,886 mph and 157,000-ft. altitude in test of re-entry
stability without the craft’s ventral fin. Walker said high climb-
ing speed (186 mph faster than lanned) was attained because
sun’s glare temporarily prevente a his reading instrument panel;
thus, re-entry after engine shut-off was faster than planned.
Test was seventh in series without x-15’s ventral fin.
0 Navy announced that TRANSIT V-A navigation satellite transmitter
was now dead, which indicated that its power supply had failed
completely. TRANSIT v had previously been unable to receive
commands from the ground.
0 Management of Project Anna geodetic satellite program was trans-
ferred from DOD to NASA. ANNA I-B, launched Oct. 31, would
remain a responsibility of DOD, with NASA scientific direction, but
further launchings would be planned and executed by NASA.
0 DOD announced plans to support NASA Syncom communications
satellite operations in early 1963. US. Army Satellite Communications
Agency (SATCOM), Ft. Monmouth, N.J., would send
signals to activate and test the first US. synchronous-orbit
satellite.
0 National Science Foundation announced FY 1963 expenditures
for Government-sponsored research and development would
total $14.7 billion, 31v0 higher than last fiscal year. 95% of
the estimated total would be spent by four agencies-NASA,
DOD, AEC, HEW.
0 Eugene W. Wasielewski, Associate Director of NASA Goddard Space
Flight Center, told National Rocket Club that ARIEL (U.K.-US.)
satellite was “just beginning to show signs of trouble.” Launched
April 26, 1962, the satellite was designed for one year of transmitting
life. Wasielewski said some of the experiments aboard
the satellite were “not doing as well as some others,” that the
radio signals from some of the experiments were fading.
Six cash awards totaling $12,000 were presented by NASA Deputy
Administrator Dr. Hugh L. Dryden to 14 employees of NASA
Manned Spacecraft Center and NASA Langley Research Center:
$4,200 for design of Mercury-t e spacecraft to Maxime Faget
Andre J. Meyer, Jr., R. G. C 8 ton, Jerome B. Hammack, and