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

ASTRONAUTICAL AND AERONAUTICAL EVENTS OF 1963 55
age has given us high-temperature ceramics, ablating materials
for heat protection, pressure-stabilized lightweight tanks, com-
puters handling large amounts of data, and many other de-
velopments which are finding application throughout industry.”
April 16: Senate passed the NASA supplemental appropriations bill,
with amendments providing $71,000,000 for construction at AMR
but contingent on passage of authorization legislation. Bill
would now go to Senate-House conference to iron out Werences
between the versions passed by the two Houses.
Technical planning and review of the NASA lunar program held with
60 key officials, at MSFC.
Representatives of Australia, Belgium, France, West Germany,
Italy the Netherlands, and Britain signed an agreement for the
estabbshment of the European Satellite Launcher Development
Organization in London.
In a ceremony at the Smithsonian Institution marking the 95th
birthday of Wilbur Wright, the Early Birds-an organization of
pilots who soloed before December 16, 1916-presented plaques
to its members, about 90 of whom were on hand. Also bronze
busts were presented to the Smithsonian of Mario Calderara and
Umberto Savoia, Italy’s first military pilots and taught by Wilbur
Wright.
AFSC announced that a small, inexpensive radar capable of showing
an airport control tower operator whether any of the runways or
taxiways are occupied even under conditions of zero visibility or
when obstructed by houses, trees, snowbanks, etc., has been under
test and would be the subject of a final report in May 1962.
The runway radar is known as ASDE (Airport Surface Detection
Equipment).
House of Representatives passed a resolution declaring February 20
to be John Glenn Day, sent it to the Senate.
AEc-Australian research balloon intended to collect dust samples at
105,000 ft. to determine the density of radioactive fallout was
launched from Mildura, Australia, 350 mi. NW of Melbourne,
but burst at 100,000 ft.
Dr. Gerald de Vancouleurs, Professor of Astronomy at the Uni-
versity of Texas, said in NAS Voice of America broadcast that
the discovery of clues to the prehistory of the solar system and
possible contact with extraterrestrial forms of life “stand out as
two of the most challenging and promising goals of space explora-
tion.” Dr. de Vancouleurs pointed out that direct sampling
and probing of the surface and crusts of the moon and planets
ma help discover these clues. “Of even greater scient& and
ph‘ 19 osophic interest,” he said, “is the probability that direct
exploration of at least one planet-Mars-may place us in
contact with extraterrestrial forms of life, whose study may
help solve the problems of the origin and evolution of life under
different planetary conditions.”
April 17: NASA launched a Nike-Cajun soundin rocket from Wallops
Station, Va., which detonated 12 enades f rom 25 to 57 mi. altitude.
Fifteen minutes later a fike-Asp sounding rocket was
launched. It released a cloud of sodium va or from 26 to 144
mi. altitude in a study of wind velocities ani upper-atmosphere
densities.