Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1965 - NASA's History Office

ASTRONAUTICS AND AERONAUTICS, 1965 37
launch vehicle system reliability has been paying off, and that we can
expect a continuing trend in this regard. However, it is important
to also recognize some of the natural limitations inherent in any longrange
projection of requirements such as we have had to make for this
study period. There are a number of areas in which unforeseen increased
mission capability demands could react on our launch vehicle
performance requirements. We must, therefore, continually maintain
effective exploratory and advanced development programs which will
provide us with the technology to meet such demands in the fu-
ture. . . .”
(Hearings . . . National Space Launch Vehicles, 87)
January 27: William M. Allen, president at the Boeing Co., addressed National
Defense Transportation Association in Washington, D.C. : “Our
first Boeing study of a supersonic transport was made in 1952. Preliminary
design effort was started more seriously in 1956 and 1957.
Then in 1958 the SST became a major engineering project and it has
continued in that status ever since, involving many of our top engineers.
“From the start of our effort to the present, design determinations
have come in an orderly and unhurried progression, as a result of the
integration of mountains of test data, much of it worked out in close
conjunction with NASA laboratories which, incidentally, deserve the
sincere thanks of the American people for their pioneering work in
this field.
“In the process we explored 290 configurations, and completed wind
tunnel testing on 56 different high-speed wings. . . .” (CR, 1/28/65,
1454-56)
Gen. Bernard A. Schriever (USAF) , Commander of the Air Force Systems
Command, dcsciibcd to members ef the Chzrlette, N.C., Chamher of
Commerce the development of the US. ballistic missile program: “In
the ballistic missile program, of course, we were not concerned with
the missile alone-complicatd as it was-but also had the problem
of constructing the facilities to test the missiles; building the ground
support equipment; and training crews to install, service, and launch
the missiles. This was a $17 billion program, and was larger in scope
than the Manhattan Project which produced the atomic bomb during
World War II.
“TO give you some idea of the size of the task, imagine that Henry
Ford in the early days had not only had the problem of designing and
building his automobiles, but at the same time had to construct all the
highways and bridges, build all the service stations and garages, and
plan and conduct driver training programs. . . .” (Text)
R. E. Clarson, Inc., St. Petersburg, Florida, was awarded a $2,179,000
NASA contract for miscellaneous additions and changes at Launch Com-
plex 34 for the Saturn IB. Work would be done at Cape Kennedy,
Florida. The contract was awarded by the Army Corps of Engineers.
(DOD Release 53-65)
National Science Foundation announced that an ocean area 100 mi. NNE
of Maui Island of the Hawaiian Islands had been tentatively selected
as the site for the attempt to drill a six-mi.-deep hole into the ocean
bottom to penetrate beyond the earth‘s crust. The operation would be