News Release National Aeronautics and Space Administration 1520 H Street, Northwest

NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1520 H STREET, NORTHWEST . WASHINGTON 25, D. C. TELEPHONES' DUDLEY 2-6325 EXECUTIVE 3-3260

FOR RELEASE: March 1, 1961 ,

SOVIET SA$ELLITES REENTER EARTH 1 s ATMOSPHERES

Sputnik VII, the 7-ton Soviet satellite launched on Feb. 4, 1961, has burned up in the earth's atmosphere. Tracking information from NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center indicates the satellite, Beta 1, decayed on February 26, 1961. Another object, Beta 3, believed to have been ejected or broken off from Sputnik VI1 is still in orbit. A portion of Sputnik VIII, the satellite from which the Russian

Venus probe was launched on Feb. 12, reentered the earth's atmosphere on Feb. 25, 1961. A second part, Gamma 4, is still in earth orbit.

- END -

See Release No. 61-26 1/61-39

Presentation by

7--2.-J I- 1. . ------r.hI,--r Dr, Robert C. Semans, Yr,, Associate PdminiBtretor, an Dr. Robert Yastrow, Chief, Theoretical Div,, Godd of the 'rr National Aeronautics and Space Administration before the

F SIXTEENTH NATIONAL CONFERENCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION Chicago, Illinois March 8, 1961

THE ROLE OF BIGXER EDUCATION IN THE DEVELOPING SPACE AGE

We are very happy to participate in the Sizxeeenth National Conference on Xigher Education. Space is a challenging frontier which man has just begun exploiting, and it is only approaekable through careful and thorough exploration. I &n certain Chat rhe various segments of our socL,;y will be repaid'for the effort expended venturing into this unknown but East p.ror,ising territory. These segments include government agencies, indf;Gt.ry, 'and most cert&inly our schools itnd colleges.

Our presentation todaqwill ineIr.de a brief discussion of the NASA program, followed by a discussion of the nethods we are using to expand scientific knowledge of space and to develop the technology for space exploration. I hope you will agree with me after this presentation, if you Gon't already, that the national space program offers treaendoas opportunities to higher education. -2-

NASA OBJECTIVES AND PROGRAM

NASA will be 2% years old the end of this month. The agency was created because it was felt that the nation’s space program should not be oriented to military goals, but rather should be -- in the words of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 -0 “for the benefit of all mankind,” Space exploration holds promise of adding importantly to our knowledge of the earth, the solar system, and the universe. This exploration is directed by a civilian agency in order to provide the fullest cooperation of the scientific community at home and abroad.

Moreover, a civilian setting for the administration of space functions emphasizes the concern of our nation that outer space be devoted to peaceful and scientific purposes.

At its birth, NASA absorbed the National Advisory Committee for

Aeronautics, a highly respected, 43 year old aeronautical research agency which had also participated in space research. To the 8,000 NACA scientists, engineers, and technical and administrative personnel in a

Washington, D, C. Headquarters and five field centers, other excellent groups were added to form the new agency. Among these were the 157 staff members of the Naval Research Laboratory Vanguard group who came over on November 30, 1958, the approximately 2,500 people of the Jet

Propulsion Laboratory, operated under NASA contract by the California

Institute of Technology since December 3, 1958. On July 1 of last -3- yeEr, more than 5,000 people of the Developmant Operations Divioion, k;y Zcllistic Missile Agency, Huntsville, Alnbmm, were added. Tod~y,Gur total mployee strength -- excluding the Jet Propulsion Laboratory -- is more than :5,000.

We now have an all-around space research and development capacity.

In tkL3 regard, may I euphasize that despite NASA's necessary growth during the last two years, we are determined that universities andb industry shall get an ever-increasing shore of NASA budget dollars.

Contract psrticipntion currently amounts to more than 75 per cent of those dollars. We feel that the NASA staff should be kept at the level required to plan the space exploration pr~g~~ii~and to organize, contract for and over-see its implementatioa, and to conduct sufficient in-house efforh, to maintain the calibre of our scientific and technical personnel.

The hudget for Fischl Year 1961 provides $i71,000,000 to fund the salaries and personnel expenses of the KSb organization. Contract effort provides for the construction of new facilities and the support of the research and developnent activities. The Fiscal Year 1961 budget authorizes $123,000,000 for construction and $621,000,000 for research and development. The research and development includes work on propulsion systems, propellants, power supplies, structures and materials, guidance and control, instrumentation and telemetry, and aerodynamics; as well as the development of launch vehicles and the conduct of the satellite program. As scipulaced in the Space Ask af 1453; WPSA is required ''to ~SVC:G~

and operate space vehicles for a variety of pcrposes." These purposes can

be rollghly divided into t'tlese categories: unminrled scientific exploration, manned space flight, and application developments. The budget includes

funds for a variety of uniinned scientific satellites, manned exploratioq

and satellites for development of meteorological and cornmication systems.

HSO ineluded in the budget aze funis for r~searctiand. study of mdny

additional satellites which will be flown in fuzure years. Obviously,

time does not permit a detailed dLiOCk;SSiOi. of :he various aspects of

our satellite program but here let me give you several of the highlights.

Ummned Scientific Exploration

As H have already Pndlcated, we have planned a large number of

unmanned scientific satellites. The ~UK~S~Sof these satellites range

from investigating the earth's a&m6s?bcre9 the ionosphere, the energetic

particles and fields about the earth, to lavestigating the sun and the L galaxies. These satellites have beerr: specially tailored to each particular

mission or series of missions.

&no& our most suseessfanl experfn;ent.o to date have been the Pioneer

series of space probes. Pioneer V, for example -- launched into solar

orbit on March 21 of last year e- was tracked imo space to a distance

of 22.5 million miles, still the greatest distance any man-made object

has been tracked. Pioneer V sent back scientific data on conditions in

space until communication contact was Isst on June 26, 1960. A model

of Pioneer V is QII display here at your Conference. This space probe -5- gave us new and valuable infomation about cosmic rays, the earth's rdpstic field, solar "storma," and evidenca of the existcnce of o 1;Zr;c

%ing current" circulating around the earth aa: altitudes of fro3 zbout

3G,300 &lea to 60,000 miles. Dr, Eobere Jastrow W~O13 here wPt:h ne tod~ywill discuss these results and their scientific implication with

YOU in detail further on in the program. Leunch vehicles, such as the &em and the Centaur, will sobn be available, with greatly improved load-carrying capability. Detailed plans have been made and work will soon begin an 8n Orbiting Geophysical Obscwatory, based on the use of the Ageria. This observatory will be one of our first standardized satellites, with a stock-model structure, basic power supply, attibrade control, telemetry, and command system. Its modular compartments are capable of carrying 50 different geophysical

expriments on any one mission. For this reason, it is often referred

to as the "streetcar" satellite, The observatory will be about six feet , long by three feet square. The twsolar paddles used to collect energy

lrom the sun will be about six feet square, The satellite will weigh 1,000 pobnds and will include 150 pounds of scientific experiments.

NlSA also has well-advanced plans for exploring the moon. A lunar

spacecraft 0- known as Ranger -- has been designed to carry an instrument pzcktage built ruggedly enough to survive a crash landing on the moon.

Then its instruments will record and radio back to earth data on the make-up of the lunar surface. We wi.11 begin test flights of Ranger

this year, using the Atlas-Agene launch vehicle. - 6-

Following Ranger will come Sumeyol, n spacecraft that will be able

to mke E? so-called "soft lacding" oa the Ezaono mre delicate ocicacific

ins'si-uaents than those inn Ranger cow thus be enplsyed. Also under way is a spacecraft thct vi11 fly cloae'to Vewm end

liars, and later perhaps other, m~ediert~ert planets. This spacecraft, c&led Nariner, will carry inzstrorzmts to meamre planetary atmaphere, surfece temperatures, rotation rates, wgnetic fields, ~ndsurrouiwling

radiction regions. The Mariner series will be launched by our Centaur

vehicle.

The lunar and planetary explorations are not only for scientific

investigations but also to initiate the technological developments that

will lead to eventual manned flights throughout our solar system,

Hanned Space Flight

NASA is responsible for this countryOe first manned exploration of

spece. The Mercury project which has top national priority has as its

L objective the orbiting of an astronaut about the earth. As you know,

NhSk picked seven astronauts froa among hundreds of men with excellent

military test-pilot backgrounds, and has had thea in rigorous mental

and physical training for their job, kch of these exceptional men

specializes in some phase of the program, For instance, ome has become

expert in the recovery phase; another has concentrated on the capsule's

. life-support phase. And each mn brings to his mission his own specialized experience and contributes it to the project. The astronauts have all

hzd important things to say about the design of the capsule, its safety

factor", etc., based upon their flight experience in aircraft. The main capsule is now in the shakedam. phase, having been modified

in many weys during the research and development period. Fron the inccp-

tim of Project Mercuryp safety has been a prirarj concern, and the cgcncy

is dzteitmined that an astronaut will not be lcunched until the rick

factor is at an absolute minimum.

NASA tentatively plans to launch the firat ranpied, suborbital fli&t and the first manned orbital flight this year. Xumerous qtmlifi- cation tests -- using unmanned capsules and capsules carrying epecially trained chimpanzees -- will precede the manned flights, Some of the

details of the Mercury project will be presented to you later this

morning.

The Mercury Program is the start of aur investigctions with mn

in space. The Mercury capsule is small, has limited flight duration, and

has essentially no maneuverability. Hercury is in itself useful as the

initial phase of ern ongoing program. Future manned spacecraft will

carry crews of two or more astronauts, provide them some freedom to

move about in a "shirt sleeve" environment, and assure sufficient flight

duration' and mneuverabili ty for dssions varying from earth orbiting to

lunar orbiting and return. Id@ now have industrial contracts far the

study of this type of dSSiQn, which we call &oPlo. The Apollo space-

craft will weigh 15,000 to 20,000 ps~c2.sand will require a launching

vehicle designed especially for space missfona.

Development of this launching vehicle, called Saturn, represents one aE tbmajor portiomof NASA's effort. The first otsge is designed, fabricated, -8- and is undergoing Static ffririg tests at the Marshall Space Flight Center, ne Fmtsville, Alabema, The cluster cf eight epgines will provide 1-1/3 mill.ion pounds of thrust for more (ha[+ tw3 mh~tes. Later this yetir, this experimental vehicle will be carried on a barge from Huntsville, on the Tennessee, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivezs, to the Gulf of NexIco, and thence to the Atlantic Ocean and Cape Cmaveral. Launchings will be rmde from two complexes being constructed at the north end of the Cape. The gantry towers for these complexes will rise more than 300 feet above the beach

A three-stage Saturn will place the A;oll@ sp;icecze,ft in an earth orbit. With the addition of B fourth stage, Apoih will bt: accelersted to a velocity sufficient for making a lunar iRsp+::ion, but the available I propulsion will not be adequate tc effccc i Imar lenaing. We are investigating advanced propu~s~msystems, bcth ti'emical and nuclear, whick nay Bead to a single k~nchhi~,gvehFclc tc carry explorers to the moon and back. , Another possible a;rproach involves ['he use of Sacurn wenicles, with ass&bPy of a'lunar landing vehicle in orbit by rendezvous techniques. Wz are csnd?rckir.3 analysical studies and supporting technological &2VdopI23k OG these v~,~*i*:uspwsibi lities However, long before man first disembarks on the t:ai%r s~:lace, sazellites will be used opersticnally in the everyday ~sjrb;Plwt of aur h~siness. -9-

Applications at Hand

One of the most promisiag applications 3f satellites appears to be

in the comunications field, Capacfcies of international telercdio and

cable systems are severely burdened tod.2~ond will be exceeded by the

demands of tomorrow, At preoent, tei?e-.dsio%czimot be transmitted

directly rare than two or three huxlred miles. However, the usable

radio spectrum of frequencies above 20 megacyclesQwhsse range^ id limited

to line-of-sight) offers almost udimfted bandwidth space. Ground-based

microwave relay links and coaxial cables aze employed to overcome the

rage limitation, but for overseas comunications they are impracticable,

unreliable, or prohibitively expensive, Such prototypes as NASA's

Project Echo, the satellite mriy of YOU have seen passing overhead, have

demonstrated conclusively that satellites can be used as communications

relays or reflectors to extend line-of-sight transmissions to intercontinental ranges. Satellites can. px5vfde 'tremendous bandwidth , capecity t0 meet the fast-growing need for teleradio communications.

Their use will alss padt rapid, vO~umix~oustransmission of scien'tific data to the electronic computers that are playing more and more significant

roles in the workings of govermenr, scieme, and industry. NASA is developing rnelteomlogical satellites to provide worldwide

observation of atmospheric elements -a the data which meteorologists must

have tQ under3tard atmospheric processes and to predict the weather.

Tiros I, launched April 1, 1960, a model of which is on display at this

Conference, was the first step te~az~j.an operational meteorological satellite system, The highly t:uccessL*:; ?YO pomd firsr T';KoS sateliiti2, orbiting at altitudes averagLni: 45C Riles, transmitted 22,952. ielevi sion

dented opportunity to relate the earth8s cloud cover to 'weather: sbservnt Lon from tl..@ground, TiROS 11 was P~~nchcclsl(Cwxr!ber 23, 1950, and 1s

grovidrng useful television pict~resa.3 we21 83 izfrared heat rneasure-

c meats of the earth.

The U, S. Weather Bureau and ,:coperating mteoralogical groups within the Department of Defense will be analyzing SIROS daLa for months to come. Already this &tti has TU~Cfmp~rtant contributione to meteorological research. For ^=xainpP?,TISOS transmitted pictures of cyclonic stoms whose spikal bands weye more c'hm 1,900 miles in diameLer.

The frequency and extent of %ighly o.raanized cl0u.d systems associated with these vortices were not fa'ily realILr3 before TIka, Other

the accuracy of weathex forecasting, particdlarly since they can report

info-rmatiow from areas such as khvra (aver rhe ocearts where it is difficult

CQ obtain data by 0rt"nodox a

II*

DEVELOPMENT OF NEW SCIENTIFIC CONCEPTS AND TECHNOLOGY

NASA provir.J,zsthe meBn8 by which w-tiverIity s.~lentis(tscan rest their

ideas and theories. Some of the most important space program have sprung

from ideas generated in this fashion., I.;?,dddLtioa,, the NASA scientific

advisory commitcess are staffed En large part by anoutstandingly capable

group of university profzssors amd rrsearch.ers, ar.d many of the NASA

research projects and experimental programs are 'carried out under contract

by university groups'

The first slide fE5ustretes the flew of iDfomotion and material

in the development of .a LSW concept in space science. The ideo or

hypothesis is often suggested by a hcienList. 3s 191 result of his background

of research and specialized knawlecige The prsposai is then subjected to

at careful scrutiny by BF. appropriate group, including experts from the

various scientific and tachns~ogi~sldiscip:ines, often in the form of , NASA scientific advibsry committees. Once the cbjectivea and the

experimental approash have been thoroughly escablished, a project is

initiated ; Rep resen ta tlves f rorn univc 13 t it 168, government laboratories,

and industry contribute to the deaign and laboratory perfection of the

equipment and techaiques for implsnentation of the experiment. Specifica- tions for launch vehicles, apececraff, snd the necessary ground support

and communicecisn equipmeno: are iearo~ved. The necessary system components

are procured or custom mawufwlcr;.ure!d in accordance with operational plans. processing is carried out to provide experineatal results in a form capable of comparison with the cPrLgirzal idea or hypothesis. %is con- parison may justify the origins1 idea, or it may lead to acceptance in principle but modification in detail, or it may completely disqualify the concept.

Some concepts can be tested in conjunction with existing programs F and the results achieved relatively quickly snd at moderate expecse.

Others are much more difficult and may require specially designed space vehicles traveling in unusual orbits. Several years may elapse between the suggestion of the idea and the availability of the relevant Fnforme- tion from space flight research. , The human intellect is 8 common denminator required in the development of all concepts and techniques. The next slide illustrates some of the assets end limitations of the human being as a part of knowledge synthesis systems. Careful eons%derationof these assets and limitations is necessary to insure effective! haman integraeion and maximum progress.

Man has unusual breadth of data processing, that is he can analyze many different types of infomation. He has che ability eo recognize important infometion from complex inputs often csntaining large amounts of irrelevant date. Man ean store a vast annount of data per unit volume by digita2 computer standards, arid he can program and utilize these data in an extremely flexible fashion. He. has the ability to reach a judgment on the basis of partial infomation mci when a. course of action must be . *' ..

salected, he can translate his judgment into decisions.

Unfortunately even as a snBchiixi., rnm. has limitatbons. His visual

snd aura]. senses are ii1rnits.d te a EIZIXOW bandwidth. His 8en8es often

induce errors and bias into the infometion stared in his brain. Even

under optimum conditions, the sime from perception to action has a mini-

mum va'iue, called the reoctkn the, that is relatively large. His

ability to Make judgments rand decisions is extended in time and degraded

in performance by fatigue, boredom, and emotional stresses. Ultimately

when subjected to vigorous envirmmectal conditions such 3s excess force,

man may lose and never regain his &;biEity 0.0 utilize his wonderful data

processing system.

I Man's machines and scientific equipment are but extensions of his

physical and perceptual capabilities. Accorbingiy, there is no such

thing as an "unnanmd space flight experimenCL". To be sure, there are

a number of spaes5raft in being, and planned, which will have no human

occupant, but these are designed to gather information for, be controlled

by, or to perform in response to mmg8desires.

On the surface this statement may appear to be an obvious truth.

Nonetheless, it Fs of great importance to the PUCC~SS of all space

exploration. The reason is n~tcorn&lieeted; hman beings must obtain

information from and transmit infcrmacion to the equipment on board

vehicles whether the vehicle io manned or not, The question that must be answered, then, Is: "Where and in whet

UFacity can men contribute best tocha oirer-all efficiency of each space

flight system or experiment?" Two fundamental points bear on the rational

solution to this question: (1) to become knowledge, th information

gathered must be linked with human Sraxm; and (2) distance, intervening

atmospheres, and matter such as $MST particles, azd meteoroids, attenuate

the fundamental availability of infomatron crbnsmftted through space.

If a large amount of detail infomation is needed per unit time,

it then becomes necessary that P human brain be correBpondingly closer

to the ~ourceof information, If time and detail knowledge are less , important, varying types of remotely-controlled systems are useful. Also when Parge distances are involved with remote experimental devices, it

is impossible to take action on infomatian generated between the time a

signal is trsnnamitte,d from a device and a return reqmnse reaches the

remote device. For exeqkc, the round trip time for 8 signal from the

earth to the moon is 2.6 seconds, from the earth to Venus 356 seconds.

propulsion haa.lsng held the center of the stage as the limiting challenge in space flight. In apractical sense, of course, propulsion will still remain for Borne tinte a98 the limiting technology. Research

progress, on the other hand, is illuminating potential methods for

carrying large payloads great dfstancaso Ultimately the linkage of

information to the human intellect. is #:he most critical problem. Little

value will be gained ~XQZ~Ihighly aoyhiacicated space vehicle systems unless b ..

- 15 -

~amedegree of progress iG nbde in lidclng information from them

cysrc;~to the scientific invest2gstim.s.

As an e-xample of a probZem in recognition, this slide is a smplc

of graphical data received from radiation-measuring equipment aboard a

s;s.tellfte vehicle. It is exceedingly tias consuming and difficult

' for even the bast trained scientists to directly interpret these data.

@I the other herrid, LP pictorial preaentstion of the Van Allen radiation

baits can convey a great deal of isforeoation to even an untrained ieclividual . .7, .* . 8 Tb utilization of such concepts with advanced data gathering, . corrpting and display techniques shows great promise of accelerating the

rate at which data can be gathered and displayed in a manner conducive

to..mpid assimilation as human knowledge.

Hence, it appears that the effective and timely exploration of

apace will require bbth remotely-controlled and directly-manned

vehicles. Electric instruments designed fer OUT satellite and space

probe3 can perform many intricate tasks of sensing and measuring.

Ea~ever,'these =p;lp&ratus;can only perfom as programmed since instruments

have no flexibility to meet unforeseen situations. Scientific data

ac~qiredin space by mechanical means must be balanced by on-the-spot

hrsnan senses, reasoning, and judgment.

.. - 16 -

Ytic next section of our presentation includes a diccusoion of the scientific careas under investigation by NASA with particular emphasis on the effect of solar stcms on our terrestrial eaviscm-Lent.

We believe you will be interested in this material and feel that it demonstrates the process by which we as a country arc developing a new understanding of the universe in which we live. This presentation will be followed by a discussion of the tcchnological developmentp required for our first manned space €light.

I would now like to introduce Ctr. Robert Jastrow, Chief of the

Theoretical Division at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center. '

, 111.

OUR EVOLVING CONCEPT OF THE SOLAR SYSEH Space research is a vigorously expanding field, whose grw'ch is comparable to the development of nuclear physics after World War 11.

';t is a field which cuts across the established areas of astronomy and physics and the earth sciences, and draws together scientists of varied backgrounds. The close interaction and exchange of ideas among scientists from many different fields have proven'to be highly stimulating. Individuals from physics, gesphysbes, and astronomy 'have joined in attacking some of the most fascinating and significant problems to be found in modern research.

These are problems related to the maimer in which the sun controls the atmosphere of the earth; to the structure of tkearth; the moon, and the other bodies in the solar system; to the origin and history of the solar system; and to the structure and evolution of stars and galzxies. The scientists who work togerther on these investigations are united by their cornon interest in the world around them -- the earth, its atmosphere, the solar system, the stars and galaxies. This is the s?irLt of the new science -- an emphasis on the exploration of our .. environment.

The great volume of U. S. research in space science -- approximately

120 space research articles published in P single U. S. journal, the

JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, during 1950 -- demonstrates the interest which American scientists have developed in this area. This high level of activity is associated with rockets which can for the first time'send major instruments, weighing several htindred pounds, into orbit above the atmosphere or out into interplanetary space. These rockets have opened

cp ncw avenues of attack on many importaat problems. Vital data are

flowing into astronomy and the earth sciences, end revolutionizing

these traditional disciplines.

The tools of the space age are -- Sounding Rockets

-- Satellites c Orbiting Geophysical Observatories

Orbiting Solar Observatories

Orbiting Astronomical Observatories -- Deep Space Probes -- Instruments Landed on Noon or Planets

The sounding rockets, satellites, and deep space probes complement

each other in providing the data for progress in space research. In

the lorig run the moon and planets themselves will serve as deep space , observatories.

Two problems provide particularly inportant examples of the unique * contributions which space flight vehicles can make to the solution of

fundamental scientific problems, and of the reasons for the great

interest of the scientific commnity in this area.

The first of these problems is the origin and history of the solar

, system. We know that the ~oloroystcm w8a fomed about 4.5 bill.ion yeerg

azo, but we do not know how it WBZ fzitrszd, and this prsblcm hsa Ccen

4, the subject of much thou&he and opqculaeion. fur ccnturics. The '

ir~vzcei~stion05 the orizin of the 801222 aystern by instmmengs!'. carried

to the moon and planets in opszc flight vehicle^ is a project, cf jlh

greatest scientific importance and general ifiterest. ,

The moon will play a apeciol role in this inueetiga'tion hec+~-~c.'? I

it ic 81 body whooe surface has prenervc4,the record of its hirstsry for

-1 *I a much longer period than the eorfh, zad pxo53b3.y much longer than Man

and Venus at3 well, On the aarq dzQsgaePe ssd Q ', '. sway surface features in 10 to 5 ,. activity turns over large, ereas ., There is little left on the surface 65 the earth of the Eest~n~stimu:

existed several hundred million years ago. The sa"me is probably LPM

of Mars azd Venus. But on the mom there exist no OC~P:~and very

little atmosphere to #destroy the surface. Also, inspection of' the m~~~1';,

surface in 8 telescope shows few signs of the mountain-building ascivl~ - 20 -

Not only the lunar surface, but elso the internal. structure of the

moon my provide a clue to the early history of the solar system and

the Elrth of the planets.

One of the theories for the creation of the planets, popular until

recent times, held that the solar syotemwos created during a near

collision between our sun and another star, in which the.gravieztionn1

forces between these two massive bodies tore huge streams of flami6g

gas out of each. As the intruding otar receded, the masses of gas

which happened to be near the sun were cqtured by it into orbits in

which they eventually cooled end solidified to form the planets. If

such a collision was the manner of formation of the solar system, then

the moon and planets must have been molten at an earlier stage in their

histories. In that event, the iron in their interiors would melt and

run to the center to form a dense core.

Another theory holds that the planets were formed out of pockets

of condensation in the dust surrounding our sun during the early

stages of its lifetime. We know that stsrrs themselves are almost certainly 2omed in this way, by condensation of pockets of interstellar

gas and dust which happened to be somewhat denser than their surroundings.

It seems likely that additional xsbbcondensations could have developed

in the tenuous matter surrounding the sun before the central condensation

, had proceeded eo its final stages; and that the moon and planets were

eventually formed from these aubcondenoations. - 21 -

Large bodies like the earth have enough radioactive uroniurn innide

them to produce melting of iron siaply through the heat generated in

nuclear decays. Therefore, the exiotence of a dense core of iron in the

interior of the earth doen not prove the validity of the collision

theory, nor disprove the condensation theory. However, the moon is

smaller and colder, and will provide a much better indication than the

earth, as to which of the two theories on the origin of the solar system

is correct.

The first major project in our program of lunar and planetary

exploration will contain instrunents desizned specifically to obtain

information on the internal structure of the moon. This is the RANGER

5ayie5 of spacecraft, scheduled for a year or so from now, which will

contain gama ray detectors for measuring the level of radioactivity in

the lunar surface, as the spacecraft approaches the moon. The space-

.-zsftwill also contain a seismometer, or earthquake measuring instrument

which will be detacHed from the main body of the spacecraft at some

distance above the moon's surface, and slowed down by the firing of

retrorockets as it'approachee the surface so that it can lend with a

Gufficiently moderate jolt to pennit it to function after impact.

Attached to the seismometer will be a tndio beacon which will transmit . back to earth, if the instrument functions as planned, the data received by the seismometer on the level of earthquake or "moonquake" activity.

The analysis of such seismometer records on earth has yielded most of our

Pnformaoion regarding the internal structure of the earth, and it is hoped ..

- 22 -

that the instrument will give u8 besic infomation on the internal

structure of the moon.

This same RANGER spacecraft will also contain a TV system designed

to transmit images of the moon's surface features back to the earth

with a degree of datail hundreds of timrs graacer then we can obtain

from our best earth telescopes.

A second problem of great importnnce in the space science program

is the study of the control exerted by the sun over events on the earth.

Most of the energy emitted by the SUR falls in the visible region,

and is transmitted to the ground and to the lower atmosphere, where a

part is absorbed and a part is radiated tack into space. Variations in

this process of ebsorption'of visible light produce an uneven heating

of the lower atmosphere, leading to winds and other weather activity.

Predicting the response of the atmosphere to this local heating is the

basic problem of meteorology.

The visible light which prpdtaces the heating does not vary appre-

ciably with time, as far 8s we know. However, one very small part of

tho sun's energy output does undergo violent fluctuations. This part

comprises the gusts of x-rays, ultraviolet light, and charged particles,

which a,re emitted from the sun at tiaes when its surface is unusually

turbulent. We know that the surface of the sun boils and bubbles in an

, a,ctive manner, and sometimes ejects such clouds of charged particles

and streams of radiation into the space between the sun and the planets.

I ..

- 23 -_

These Solar eruptions 8re known as fiilres. Their appearance mark8 whct my be called a atom on the srrrfece of the sun. By analogy with

the earth we refer to flare activity 3s solar "weather".

When a flare is situated in the right position on the sun's surface,

the clouds of charged particles are ejected in such a direction that

they reach the earth and interact with its atr~osgherr. The energy

carried by these particles averages 2ess than one millionth of thee

energy in the visible light, andits effects axe usually not noticed by

the nan in the street. However, they can be very iqortant. They

prodi;ce communications blackouts and disturbances, magnetic s toms,

and auroral displays. They also produce violent changes in the intensity

of the Van Allen radiation, which are qparentiy related, in a manner

not yet clearly understood, to the other effects that accompany solar

activity; although the information obtained from the EXPLORER satellites

in the last year suggest8 that these belts may have the function of a , storage bin, in which solar energy is trapped for a time, before it is

relessed to the atmosphere.

The entire matter of sun-earth relations, including the formation

of the Van Allen belts and their possible role In geophysical phenomena,

constitutes a relatively new area of research in each of the sciences.

It is an area which was greatly atiinulated by the discovery of the Van

Allen belts during the IGY, which is at the moment perhaps the most

exciting and fruitful field of research in the space science program. ..

- 24 -

During 1960 a tremendous amount of data pertaining to this problem

were accumulated from sounding rockets, srtellites, and deep space probes.

Explorer VI showed that the radiation belt lost particles at exactly the

ssae tire that an aurora was observed beneath it. Explorer VI1 pro-

vided an observation of radiatior. belt activity correlated with 8 red

auroral arc over Colorado. During the sumer nuclear emulsions were

fired into the lower Van Allen Belt from the Pacific Missile Range.

The vehicle was designated NERV, which stands for Nuclear Emulsion

Recovery Vehicle. The exposed emulsions were recovered, after the flight

from the Pacific Ocean by a U. S. Navy vessel. The data contained in the

emulsions are still undergoing analysis. However, they have already

revealed that at the lower energies there are many more protons in the

lower Van Allen Belt than previous observations of the higher energy

protons had seemed to indicate.

The addition of these results to the data of the flare of November , 1960, and from another unusually violent solar flare which occurred at

the end of March 1960, have given us our first understanding of the

sequence of events during and after one of these flares, and the way in

which they produce effects on earth.

In the period March 30 to April 1, 1960, there occurred a. major

solar storm consisting of two major flares. The study of this storm

. has been especially va.luab8e became at the the it occurred both

Pioneer V and Explorer VI1 were out in space and equipped with instru-

ments designed to detect the effects of the consequences of such a great - 25 -

solar event. At that time, Pioneer V was 3 million miles frcm the

earth, and Explorer VI1 was orbiting the earth at an average altitude

of about 800 miles above the surface, Following the first flare,

Pioccer V radioed back to earth infomation indicating that its instru-

ments hod detected the passage of a cloud of relatively slow moving

particles enroute from the sun to the earth, Explorer VI1 detected the

effect of the same particles on the: radiation belts near the eartfi a

short time later. Tne effect of the particles from this flare was

observed on the surface of the earth in the form of a magnetic storm

and other disturbances, The magnetic atom began about a day after the

commencement of the flare, indicating that the particle cloud traveled

at a speed of about 1000 rhiles per second.

On the morning of April 1, a second major flare occurred in which

a cloud of slow moving particles was again mitted. However, this flare,

unlike ehe previous one, also produced a burst 0f extremely energetic

particles, which reached the earth Only one hour after the commencement

of the flare. Their arrival was Indicated by an anomalous absorption

of rodiowoves in the Arctic ionosphere, which was reported by Leinbach

at the University of Alaska e

The passage of these fast particles d~rossche interplanetary space

was also indicated by Pioneer V which cmtasined specidLCounters designed

. by Simpson of Chicago for the detection of such energetic particles.

These energetic particles reached the earth by traversing the region

filled with the pla.sma cloud end magnetic fields ejected in the first flare. .. ..

- 26 =

~hccircumstances of their arrivsl near the earth have, therefore, pro-

vided us with some clues to the state of the interplanetary medium at

the tF.i.2 of the flare.

h fa-cinating1 picture resulted from the coabined interpretation of

these measurements with the particle deta and magnetic field measurements

sent back by Pioneer Ve It appears that under n~m~hconditions the

interplanetary space consists of a low concentration of extremely olow-

moving electrons and protons, perhaps 100 of these per cubic inch, and

a still smaller number of very energetic cosmic rays, normally less than

one scch energetic particle per cubic yard. There is also a small inter-

planetary magnetic field, approximately 2 x gauss in magnitude, or

1/10,000th the strength oftthe earth's magnetic field. When the solar

flares of March 1960 and November 1960 occurred, our analysis of space

flight data shows that a tongue of plasma, i.e., relatively slow-moving

charged particles, erupted from the surface of the sun at the site of

the flare, and moved out across interplanetary space at a speed of about

LOO0 miles per second. At this rate it took the plasma cloud about one

day to rekh the earth. The cloud dragged with if lines of solar

magnetic force, which were frozen into the cloud and forced to move

with it by the laws of electromagnetism. These lines of magnetic force

had their roots on the surface of the sun in the vicinity of the flare,

but as the plasma tongue moved across space they were dram out with it

like loops of taffy. - 27 -

When nsgnetic force lines become distended in this manner they lose their strength, and by the time these reached the earth they were some 500 times weaker than they were at the s\rrface of the sun. However, the magnetic field within the plasma tongue was still sufficiently strong to screen the earth partially from the cosmic rays which normally bombard it. The screening effect is called the Forbush decrease, after Forbush of Carnegie Institution, who discovered it about 20 years ago. Dbring the solar events of March and November 1560, the Forbush decrease was observed simultaneously on the earth and in distant satellites and space probes, and the magnetic field variations in interplanetary space were also c:,served at the same time. By combining these observations, in space and on cke earth, we were able to determine the cause of the Forbush decrease, and to construct this picture of the process of solar eruption following flares. This is a major step forward in the understanding of sun-earth relationships, and one which represents, better than any other single project at the present time, the rapid progress which space flight vehicles can bring to scientific research. - 28 -

The equipment required for the scienfitic investigations described by CP. Sastrow involves launching ccnplexes, launch vehicles, probes,

satellites, tracking stations, telemetry and data computers. The design and operation of this type equipment: depends in part on

advanced technology, and is as challenging to the engineers as tge scientific experimentation is to the astrophysicist. Development of the necessary advanced technology for space explora-

tion does not require a new breed of men, nor does it require a new set

of scientific and engineering fundamentals. It does require, however,

that our engineers acquiTe an educatior, of depth and breadth in these

fundamentals, and that they be twght haw to apply them to problems

having little precedence in our engineering experiences. The keynote

must be ingenuity, imagination, and adaptability.

In addition, e&ch space psojecc is a major organizational under-

taking. The successful engineer-scientist mdst not neglect the acquisition of sound business mamagemect fundamentals in his training, Because of the international consciousness towards space exploration,

he must absorb anough of the humanities ts become an understanding and res;+nsive member of world society,

Thus, we ask a very great deal of our engineers entering this field,

and of those who train them. In the space of this discussion it is not possible to detail the intellectual de~andsto which I refer. Perhaps .. ..

- 29 -

the best that I can do is to illustrate the type and scope of task for

which our students must be prepared, I have chosen Project Mcrcury a3

typical. It is daring in concept, complex in execution, and vorldwide

in scope and implication. I hope that the following slides and film

will successfully convey this thought to ycu. Project Mercury - Its many developmental elements

Astronaut Training - The many elements involved P Project Mercury - Ballistic CcpsilEe Project Mercury - Flight Trajectory Tracking and Comnications Netwrk

Redstone Ballistic Flight

Film sequencesdof the first second Mercury-Redstone launchings

Manned Space Flight - An ongoing program The development of the Zercury vehicle from an idea to a tested

system with reliabirity satisfactory for manned flight involves a

;Jr~~e~~of design, fabrication and testing similar to the procedure

already described for the evolution of a new scientific concept. The

decision to place a man in orbit in 1958 led to the preliminary design

of a system consisting of boosters, lsunch complexes, capsules, ground

tracking and telemetry stations, atld recovery facilities. The equipment

was designed, fabricated, end tested first on the ground and then in

' flight, Data gathered in the flights was processed, and either confirmed or denied the design adequacy. In sone cases, the design was marginal or - 30 - icedequate in some detail acd cbznges in design were introduccd, The dcvclopcznt of the system is then a step by step process starting with the gathering of performance data on sone part of the system under pcrticular conditions and proceeding to utilize mre end nore of the system under a wider variety of conditions until the Mercury capsule has been successfully returned from orbit.

, ,. ..

The pace of our space progr~qcannot contfn~e,much less accelerate, without the enthusiastic support of the country's educztlsnal institutions

at the elementary, secondary, undergraduate and graduate levels. The

program requires the direct involvement of mynighly qualified scientists, L ecgineers, and technicians who understarid how to act to accomplish the desired goals. It also requires an understanding of our objectives and their implications by the non-technically oriented citizens of the

country. We do not expect, as I have elready stated, our schools,

colleges, and universities to produce for us a specially-educated and , trained "space scientist or space engineer." Me do not want to exploit

so-called space science at the expense of weakening our national efforts

in other scientific endeavors. The nsn:,irpnal program embracing space exploration and the associated technology is and should continue to be a part of a balanced national effort in a scke~cead technology. Most students entering college are not headed toward careers in

science or engineering. Nevertheless, they should all acquire back-

ground and knowledge which will prepre them to cope adquately with the

technological advancements of our tfzes. These non-science oriented students may not need the highly specialized knowledge required by the

professional scientist, but they sbuld have a comprehendfng knowledge

of science and mathematics. The liberal arts faculties have a great

opportunity to help the undergraduate to achieve basic understandings of ScienEific principles, methods, terminology 2nd the place of science in niodern life, I realize thaz this is a moat difficult objective, but

I believe that science, properly presented, can be made a living port of a liberal education. I believe that science discussions can be enhanced by capitalizing upon the natural interest of most persons in the challenges of the times -- for example, the exploraeion of space.

This fits we11 with one of the goals announced by the President's

Science Advisory Committee in a report dated Xay 24, 1959. This report st&es '%e should improve scientific education at all levels, attempting to give better understanding of science to the non-scientist as well as to discover and stimulate more individuals who have the talent to become scientists and engineers*,"

At the undergraduate level, there is a minority who have the capcaility to become scientists and engineers. We in NASA have a natural special interest in these men md women, and for obvious reasons.

The student scientist seeks to extend the boundaries of knowledge in his chosen field or sgscisl $rea of interest. Here again, as in =he case of the non-scientist, the incorporation of space science elements inzo the regular course work can be effected without weakening the basic subject matter teaching, Rather, this is a strengthening process because of the stimulation and motivatiozl which can and often does result. A desire to participate in such advanced pragrams of scientific research nay well provide the motivation ad wstaining force for young Americans to undertake the long hours and hard work required to master physics, mathematics, biology and chemistry, ., ..

I'd like to point: out that just as the non-scientist student should

have n basic understanding and appreciation of science and technology as

,Ley r;ffe(ct society, so should the science BII~Q~develop on appreciation

for the. arcs and humanities. Pdgid concentration tdthin any field of

study tends to deprive a student of uaderstandings he requires for life

as a citizen, as a parent, and ips a person.

The education of the engineer is similar to but not identical to fi that of the scientist. The engineer derives from fundamental science

the principles and the analytical tools which pernit him to design 8

new product or system. The engineer mst become familiar with fabri-

cation 8r.d testing procedures resulting from his designs. In addition

since many engineering projects require the utilization of extensive

resources and large numbers of pespie the engineer must concentrate

more heavily than the scientist on administrative rratters and must be

prepared to perform his duties as a member of a closely integrated team.

Now I'd Pike to'coment briefly on education at the graduate level.

The mphzsis being placed OR advanced stzady by college graduates is

heartening, for the need for graduate education in science and technology

is real indeed. There the student comes face 20 face with the borderline

becween the known and unknown. There he acquires the final preparation

for a career in advanced research in science and in engineering developments.

The President's Science Adviscary Comnitcee, in a statement dated

Ndvaber 15, 1960, reported that, "basie research and graduate

education go best together. %-&k While the great tehcher of graduate ..

- 34 -

students is almost invariably a research man too, there cre msny notable scientists who have as little as possible to do with teaching. First-

rate industrial and governmental laboratories with commitments to specific

programs arc necessarily separated in some nsfa5ure from teaching of a

conventional sort. Thus, basic research can be and is carried on without

much connection to graduate education. **-k Yet in the long run it is dangerGus to separate research in any fieid entirely from education, *

Where basic research is done separately, a special effort should be made

to take advantage of its educations1 value.”

1 suggest that this process of scientific inquiry can be developed

best by connecting research activities and classroom teaching wherever

possible. This of course poses a problem. A university which receives a grant or a contract from industry or government often assigns the

research project to eminent and capable research scientAsts who occupy themselves fully in trying to achieve the desired technical results. , This leads to little or no time for teaching.

Conversely, universities often budget faculty essignments with little extra time available. The Presidentb Science Advisory Cornittee

commented in this respect as fol‘lows: “In all but a few universities

the standard ‘teaching load’ is such as to make it difficult €or him

(the professor) to carry on any serforns program of investigation of his

own. 0n the other hand, the university itself sometimes allows favored

inciividuals to play no teaching role whatever, as a means perhaps of

attracting and keeping men of particularly outstanding reputation. The - 35 - dc.nger in such Q practice is obvious. Wiat is essential is that the e;:vi.ronmcnt 2s a whole should be an enviromcnt of learning, investigation, and teaching ** all together."

The Hozorcble Robert S. McN~mra,our new Secretary of Defense, and fernier president of the Ford Corporation, served on the Harvnrd faculty for six years, and still talks with nostalgia of his life as a professor.

He said recently, "In a sense, it takes more energy to be a professor @ than to be a businessman. Inner drive, imagination, initiative -- that's how I classify energy. You've got to heve plenty of it in order to be a good teacher "

In the first part of this presentation, I attempted to describe the national civilian space exploration pybgia, its achievements, problems, hopes and future plans. I reiterate that NASA and the many research and deveiopment organizations working in this field require extremely high grade scientific talent and engineering know-how. We look to the nationus educational' institutions not only for educated personnel. to mnour programs but also to conduct research and advanced development as part of our space program. Ws currently have contracts or grants totaling more than $8,800,000 with over sixty different universities for research ;and advanced development involving analytical and experimental studies. We are anxious to support resezrch and engineering programs of this type which are related to the broad space effort. We are pleased and gratified that we are receiving unsolicited proposals from universities to support and participate in space research. We know that university scientists will supply many of the ideas and important experirrents to be conducted in space, .. .. .

- 36 -

In addition, we look to qualified scientists and engineers in our

coilcges ar.~universities for professional advice and counsel on knotty

prcblems. Sme 30 university faculty mezbers are serving on boards

cznd cornittees in many specialized crew of scientific end technological

endeavors. M~XIYothers are giving us vnluable consultative services, and their universities are assisting in projects through contractual relationships.

The participation of university faculty members in our progqams as

consultants and as the directors of research projects conducted on

contract pennits the updating of COilrse material. in n timely fashion.

This cozlthual repreparation of texts ar,d classroom presentations is

extremely important in fields that are undergoing rapid change as is the case in space science end, technology. This participation is mndatory if the universities ore to stimlzte and educate students for leading roles in the research and development of the next decades.

Xany of yo14 may be associated with the training of elementary and

secondary school tefichers. These teachers wili face classes of boys

and girls who are already space-conscious. They will wish to know more of the inysteries of outer spacer and will in many cases bring into the

c;..,arcacm the headlines relative to space activities.

Furthermore, children bora just prior to the launching of Sputnik I

will be embarked on careers in less than 28 years. Their childhood

impressions of space and its ixxplicztions will have strong effects on

their career choices and adult attitudes toward space activities. For

children, the new is =ore real, since there is ism interpretive back- gz0t;nd to help define initial and spontaneous perceptions. Thus, they will consider ordinary what to us is mjor change. ,. ..

- - 37 -

i believe you will readily agree ihat the colleges or departments

of education which.are training the future teochers of America, hme a

Space Age responsibility to equip them properly eo deal with the young

inquiring mind.

In this connection we are making svailabke materials to assist

teachers in their space-related offerings. Many of our people are

serving on educational committees and boards to help in curriculuy

developments designed for our age of science. Still others will take

port in teacher workshops in aerospace education. We have established

an educational services unit to assist educators to gain information from

us which will help them and the gezeral public eo cope with their needs

and problems. , Dr. Earl J. McGrath of Teachers College, Columbia, contends that

the single most effective device for inproving the quality of college

teaching in recent years has been the workshop for in-service training.

This device has given active teachers an opportunity to meet their

colleagues from their own and other institutions in order to exchange

experiences, to redesign their courses, sna to modify their own teaching

procedures. He states that "A variety of means are available through

which college teachers can acquire and perfect the knowledge and skills of their calling. With each advance in competence *** the profession

or' teaching will be elevated in public esteen and the entire enterprise

of higher education will be comcnsurately benefited."

Our organization has been requested to participate in over 20 college

workshops throughout the country this sumer, all of them placing some .

- 38 -

cmpPhor;Fs up303 space science and exploration. We will ssoist with resource

people, equipment and teaching aids, since we feel that NASA has a

respon3f3ility to provide educational material wherever possible and to

participate in teacher trainins programs. In rddition, NASA must provide

means for participetion of university research teams in space programs

and must enlist the support of qualified fEcuity and staff as consultanta,

advisers, and members of our technical advisory comittees. Colleges and

univzrsities must support on-campus research, encourage participation of

their key p.- ;onnel in goversment activities, provide time for their

qualified lpersonnel to develop new ciassroom material, and must insure

that teacher8 who are in the forefront of scientific and technological

space programs have an opportunity to spend sufficient time with their

students to truly educate and inspire. - 39 -

VI. EXPLORATION OF SPACE -- A NATIONAL GOAL

President Kennedy has stated that: "3ver the next generation, there is no chzllenge facing our country that is more urgent or significant than that of providing better university education to more of our citizens. But it is a challenge we must face today -- nct a generation from now. ... We must have trained people -- many trained people, their finest 8 talents brought to the keenest edge. We must have not only scientists, mathematicians and technicians. We must have people skilled in the human& ties. For this is not only the age of the missile and space vehicle and thermonuclear power. This is the age tnat can become man's finest hour in his search for companionsbip and understsnding and brotherhood."

I am certain we all agree with this objective. The question arises whether the expansion of facilities, the addition of more scholarships, the introduction of new educational programs, important as they are, will suffice to implemgnt these objectives. I believe that there is another all important factor. There must be an inner desire on the part of our youth to fully utilize even the educational opportunities we have today. The feats of men are most potest in stimulating our youth to attain the heights of accomplishment for which education provides the necessary capability.

These feats must be solid accomplfshinents of real and well understood goals. What are the specific objectives of space exploration that sa.tisfy this condition? It is imperative to continue our exciting P -. ..

- 40 -

scientific e:-:?loration of the atmosphere, the moon, the planets, the

so:+r system, arid the stars. It seems certain that the next decade

will sea zenexal use of weather and comwnicotion satcllites. Here

virtually assured 3re early, practical, ar.d e>itrem@l>rbencf icial uses

of space technology. These objectives represent great feats of

science and engineering, but I believe the greatest feat of all involves

the orbiting of man himself in space. Manned flight in space is close.

NASA'S Project Mercury will soon provide infometion on man's capebility

to perform in a space environment. ~t:must be remeiabered that manla

entry into space is not a stunt, to be aczonpliahed once, then discon-

tinued. Rather the program must broaden with new technology providing

incretsingly greater maneuverability and longer times of flight until

man him-df can explore the moon and planets. As Dr. Hugh L. Dryden,

Deputy Administrator of the NASA, stated in the Penrose Memorial

Lecture on April 21, 1960, "Man himself is the most versatile observer , of all and will take part in the exploration. We may be confident that

in time, space travel will be commonplace, although we are unable to

forecast the details of future spacecraft ox the timetable of their

development. 'I

In sumary, the task of exploring space is one which will stretch

;ne muscles and brains of men and women for years to come, providing

a continuing long term stimulant to our society. It will test to the

utmost our powers to enlist the cooperation not only of teams of

scientists and engineers but of every other element of our society. - 41 -

The masnitude of the task challenges tta resources and cooperative x-’?.l of a11 nations. We must all re-examine our habits of thought and aceion. Be must use our insight: and vision to guide our present-day dccisions DO that we can prepnre our successors for the unfolding developments in tbAge of Space Exploration.

. .. NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1620 H STREET NORTHWEST WASHINGTON 25, 0. C TELEPHONES DUDLEY 2-8325 . EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE: Immediate March 7, 1961 RELEASE NO. 61-40

NASA CONTRACTS FOR SATURN TANKS

The NASA Marshall Space Flight Center has selected Chance Vought Corporation, Astronautics Division, Dallas, Texas, for a contract to build forty-two 70-inch diameter fuel and liquid oxygen tanks for the Saturn booster program. The contract amount is ahiwt $2 million. Delivery is scheduled to begin in April, 1962. Chance Vought is one of four firms chosen for negotiations by Marshall Space Flight Center in early February. The other three were Boeing Airplane Company, Seattle, Washington; Chrysler Corporation, Detroit, Michigan; and The Martin Company, Baltimore, Maryland. A total of eighteen companies submitted proposals for the contract. Each Saturn booster is composed of nine tanks -- one 105-Inch diameter containing liquid oxygen centered in a cluster of eight 70-inch tanks, half' containing liquid oxygen and half containing , RP-1 (kerosene) . Chance Vought will provide forty 70-inch tanks requlred for five boosters plus two spare tanks, The Marshall Center will assemble %he boosters, The Saturn booster, the world's largest known rocket unit, Is nearly 22-feet in diameter and 82-feet long. It will produce 1.5 million powds of thrust. NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

1520 H STREET. NORTHWEST ’ WASHINGTON 25. D. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6325 . EXECUTIVE 3-3260

FOR RELEASE: IMMEDIATE RELEASE NO. 61-41 March 8, 1961

DEMBLING TO HEAD NASA CONGRESSIONALRELATIONS

Paul G. Dembling has beer! appointPd Acting Assistant Administrator for Cmgressisnal Rela+,ior!a. The appointment was made by James E. Webb, NASA Administmtor. Dembling has been Assistant Genera’. Counsel of NASA since the agency was established Octoker 1, 1958. Previously General Counsel of the National Adviscry Committee for Aeronautics, predecessor of NASA, he played a principal role in drafting the biii FJnich ultimately became the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958. Dembling will contime as Chairman of the NASA Board of Contract Appeals afid Vice Chairman of the NASA Inventions and Contributions Boan;d.

Dembling entexd gcverment, service ir_ 1942 when he joined the office of she Cl-Le? of Ti-anspcrtation, War Department, iIe jJir?_ed 3:s NASA Ir_ -153115, i;erving as speciai counsel and legal advisx tc ;he Execusl17e Secretary prior to his appointment as Cfet-,er*a: Counsel.

He was borr: Jamary -3s 1920, in New Zersey and attended public schools in Rahwaj, New Jersey. Ee receive3 his B.A. degree magna cum laude wl”.b special horLom in economics in 1940 and M.A. de,yrze I-- :A942 f-o:-? Rgtgers University. He received a Juris Dszbor degree from The George Wash- ington University Law Szhocl, Washingtm, D. C. and was a student editor of Ti-e George Wa.snington Law Review.

He is a member of the District-, of Columbia bar”, the American Bar Associaticr and the Federal Bar Association. He is associate editor cf :he FPderJal Ear 2ournaL and a contributor to other professional journals <,

Mr. and Mrs. DembZ?Ing have t~osons and one daughter, They reside at 6303 Ts~eDr%ve, Bethesd.a, Maryland, In his new posithm, Dembling au-eceeds James Po Gleason, who has entered prlvate law practice in Washington, D. C. NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

1520 H STREET, NORTHWEST ' WASHINGTON 25. D. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6325 . EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE: IMMEDIATE March 9, 1961

RELEASE NO, 61-42

NASA NAMES FINGER ASSISTANT DIRECTOR

Harold B, Finger has been appointed Assistant Director for Nuclear Applications in NASA's Office of Launch Vehicle Programs by Administrator James E. Webb. Major General Don Re Ostrander, Director of Launch Vehicle Programs, pointed out that Finger will continue as Manager of the joint Atomic Energy Commission-NASA Space Nuclear Propulsion Office (NASA Release No, 60-252). The Assistant Directora5e for Nuclear Applications will direct the NASA programs to develop systems which use nuclear power sources. An example is the SNAP-8 nuclear electric generating system, In all of the nuclear work, AEC is responsible for reactor development. The joint AEC-NASA Space Nuclear Propulsion Office, of which Finger has been Manager since its establishment, recently invited proposals for development of a nuclear rocket engine for the Rover program, Finger becomes the fourth Assistant Director in NASA's Office of Launch Vehicle Programs, Other Assistant Directors are Colonel Donald H,, Heaton for Vehicles, Ell.iot Mitchell for Propulsion, and Samuel Snyder for Launch Operations, Deputy Director to General Ostrander is Milton W, Rosen,

END NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1520 H STREET, NORTHWEST . WASHINGTON 25, D. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6325 . EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE: 11:OO a.m. EST March 10, 1961 NASA FU3LEASE NO, 61-43

NASA AUTHORIZES HIGHITHRUST VEHICLE STUDIES NASA has awarded three contracts for comprehensive studies of possible future space vehicles beyond the Saturn class F- rockets have first-stage thrust of six to 12 million pounds. The three parallel, six-month contracts represent another step in a series of studies to determine the best and most economical rockets for future space requirements,

The contracts were awarded by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center to Convair Division of General Dynamics Gorp., San Diego, Calif. , $130,017; Lockheed Aircraft Georgia Division at Marietta, 136,743; and North American Aviation, Inc., Los Angeles, Calif., t 160, 041. Representative and. promising hypothetical vehicle configurations are being studied. Some of the vehicles combine solid and liquid chemical fuels and others liquid chemical and nuclear propulsion. Among the stuudy considerations are: - optimum use of nuclear propulsion in large rockets - desirability of attempting to recover and reuse large space vehicles - attractiveness of a large high energy liquid hydrogen / liquid oxygen first-stage booster - solid and liquid fuel in first-stage booster - conventional tandem staging versus the prospect of parallel staging - pressure-fed versus pump-fed systems Conceptual designs and comparative cost analyses will be made for each configuration. The most promising configurations will be selected for further study.

..- ~ ...... - . ,. , . , ...... - - -- Opening Statement to the Coxcarittee on Science and Astronautics, House of Representatives, March 10, 1961, by Maj. Gen. Don R. Ostrander, USAF, Director of Wmch Vehicle Programs, National Aeronautics and Space Administration ,

Mr. Chairman, andmembers of the Committee, since the material whi&i is of interest to you includes a rather wide variety of subjects, I was uncertain as to the specific questions which you wish to USC CUSS with me today. F 1 note, however, that there is one ques-bfon aich keeps recurring and this is the subject of NASA/IXID relationships fn the booster and propulsion areas of our space effort,

Since, as the senior military officer on duty with NASA, I am intimately involved with this matter and am, I think, in a rather unique position to bow what &e situation is, I would-like with you permission to address my opening remarks to this question. I believe that I casl look at it objectively because I have some very positive 1oyalties.both to NASA and to the Air Force. ,

I have been involved for et number of years in duties, particularly in the research and development area involving relationships between the various ,military services and between the DOD and other government agencies.

In my opinion, contraryto the many recent reports in the press and elsewhere, the relationships and coordination both formil. and fnformal between NASA and the DOD in the areas of launch vehicles and propulsion are the closest and the best that I have ever observed in any program, In my job I am in constant colr;lrmnication with Dr. York, the Director of Defense Research and Engineering, and wtth his deputies, Mr. Rubel and

General Yates; wjlth General White, the Chief of Staff of the Air Force as well as with General Wilson, the Deputy Chief of Staff for lkvelopment

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of the Air Force, General Schriever in ARDC, and General Ritland in the

Air Force Ballistic Missile DivPsion; Admiral Hayward, Deputy Chief of Naval Operations (Development) md Admiral Connolly in the Naval Bureau

of Weapons, and with General Schomburg and General Barclay of the Armly Ordnance Missile Command.

I feel that we know what each other is doing, and that our programs are closely coordinated and mutually supporting. I believe that there is room for, and should be, both a civilian and a military'effort in our E over-all national space program, md that in general the present divlsion

I of responsibility is reasonable and workable ., Let me give ;you some specifics. In September 1960 by joint agreement between NASA and the DOD, the Aeronautics and Astronautics Coordinating Board was formed. !This Board

is co-chaired by the Deputy Administrator of NASA and the Director of Defense Research and Engineering. Its purpose is to insure close working relationships between decision-e% officials at all manwe-

both It workin@; and ment levels of agencies., consists of several panels has representation of: sufficiently high level people who are responsible

in their own services for managing the space program, so we have been able not only to ma&e decisions, but to make them stick.

The AACB panel of speciaJ. interest to this particular discussion is the Launch Vehicle Panel. This Panel is ch&xdby the Assistant Secretarj. of the Air Force (RW) and I am the vice chairman. A recent significant

action by .this Panel was the development of the NationaJ. Launch Vehicle Sunmary book which has been furnished to ybur Co-ttee. This Summary

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was qproved by the AACB on Febrciany 14, 1961. It contains the configura-

tions and characteristics of all approved United States launch vehicles

as well as a section on potea-bial vehicles or concepts, On the 23rd of February, the Deputy Secretary of hfcrrse, Mr, Gilpatric, and the Administrator of NASA, Mr. Webb, jointly signed an agreement regarding

the National Launch Vehicle Program from which I quote: "It is hereby agreed that neither the WD nor the NASA will bitiate the development of a launch vehicle or booster for space without the mitten aclpow-

ledpent of the other agency that such a new iievelopment would be deemed consistent with the proper objectives of the National Launch Vehicle

Program." This does not mean that either the DOD or NASA will have final veto power over the initiation of a laurmch vehicle, but it does insure that both agencies are kept fully informed of programs under considera- I tion, and that, whenever possible, the course of development will be planned along lines that will best meet the requirements of military as well as peaceful applications. The bunch Vehicle Panel is now preparing

a survey of rocket pngine programs. This survey will insure coordination at an even earlier stage of vehicle development.

The actions by the AACB and the Launch Vehicle Panel have either

led to, or confirmed procedures that are proving workable in practice. For instance, the development and procurement of each major launch vehicle is normally managed by one of the two agencies, even though

both the DOD and the NASA will use the vehicle. In each case cooperative procedures have been estabUshed,

3 There are working exarnples of this pattern for launch vehicles in alnost my stage of development. For Instmce, operational vehicles, such as the NLAS and the THOR, were developed by the Air Force, but

widely used by the NASA and the COD for e3most all of the national space

achievements to date. Moving from operational vehicles to those in an

advanced stage of development, we have Scout, Agena B, Centaur and Saturn.

The Scout is being developed, procured and used by the NASA: yet configurations of this vehicle obtained from NASA are also being used by the Air Force to build up knowledge on the near space environment

and for possible application to the Air Force future operational systems.

The Launch Vehicle Panel recently conducted a review of the Scout Program. The purpose of the review was to exanhe the need for the NASA and DOD configurations and determine the optimum management arrangement for

Scout launch vehicles. The Panel, and in turn the AAC3, confirmed the

desirability of continuing to use the NASA as the single agency for the

# technical direction and procurement of Scout launch vehicles. It was also concluded that DOD personnel should be assigned to the Scout Launch Vehicle Project Office and that the existing Scout Coordinating Committee,

wit$ representatives from each agency, should continue to f’unction.

The Agena 33 is being developed and procured by the Air Force for the launch programs of both agencies. The Agena B is an Air Force upper stage development based upon the Agena A uhich has emed an

I iqressive record for reliEtbllity, I% this case USA cancelled tbe development of the Vega upper stage which would have had practically the same payload capability as the Agena B, =ere was nothing inferior about the Vega, It was simply that the Ageria B was ahead, time-wise, and could do the same job, plus the fact thet with a cooperative program with the Air Force, we would get more total firings and consequently .b more reliability,

The Centaur is under deve1opmen.t by the NASA using the BUstic

Missile Center of the Air Force as tihe procurement agency, The Chief of the Centaur project office is an Air Force lieutenant colonel assigned to NASA. His office is located in Lns Angeles, near the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division to insure close coordination on the mutual use of this vehicle whia combines OUT i'irst kjdmgen-oqgen upper stage with the Atlas booster. In .the Scout, Agena B, and Centaur programs, coordinating boards have been formed to make sure that actions consider the interests of both agencies. The configuration of Saturn was decided by the joint efforts of engineers from the NASA and the DODO The military application of b,c;i;urn is not well defined at this time, although it is under consideration for the Dyna Soar program, and I feel sure that military uses will develop as this launch vehicle with a million adahalf pounds of thrust is proven. In January of this yeas a thornugh study of the Saturn application to Dyna Soar ww conrpleted by the Marshall Space Flight Center and delivered to the AFEMD for their consideration.

5 This cooperative procedure between the DOD and the NASA has not been limited to configured lawch vehicles. It ex%ends h%opla-i~ing and the development of major rocket engines. The F-l, now mder development by NASA, was initiated by the Air Force, and the Air Force has continued to participate in the program by menibership on a technical assessment team, which periodically evaluates progress, and by the extensive use of Air Force test facilities. The latest NASA hydrogen/ oxygen engine, designated the J-2, has been designed in close cgllabora- tion witJa DOD. Air Force and NRSAtechnkal planners jointly axrived at the desired thrust level of 200,0C3 pounds. The Air Force helped the NASA prepare the work statemeat which was sent to industry for competitive proposals for this engine, and Air Force technical representatives participated in the contractor evaluation end selection. In addition to these cooperative management arrangements, the DOD and NASA have shared facilities at a great saving to the government.

The NASA rocket engine and launch vehicle programs have made exbensive us,e of contractor facilities which were previously financed by the DOD. The rocket engine facilities at Edwards AFB are being used for DOD and NASA static tests. The Edwards facilities have been particularly valuable to the NASA F-1 engine program, where test requirements could not be met at the contractor's plat. An even more outstanding example of mtud cooperation has been the joint use of the Atlantic and Pacific Missile Ranges. Throughout all these facilities caref'ul, yet flexible planning has been necessary for scheduling and maximum economy.

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Comparable arrangements have also been made with the AEC on -the

nuclear rocket and nuclear power. The AEC is responsible for the reactor and the NASA is responsible for non-hucl.ear components. The responsibilities of both agencies for the development of nuclear rocket engines have been assigned to the joint AEC/NASA Nuclear Propulsion Office. I will not eqand on this arrangement since the Committee has heard

previous briefings on the subject.

I recognize the concern of Congress, and their rightful concern, c with preventing friction and duplication. I share this concern. I think it is absolutely mandatory that in the interest of our national space effort we not allow two competing programs to develop. Iti-iizik, however, that I can assure the Committee that this is not true at present, that

our relationships are close, that our programs complement each other, I and that there is a great deal of good will and determination on both sides to try to keep it so. Certainly, to the best of my ability, in

my present position, I intend to do everything in my power to insure that it does so1 ,

RELEAS3 NO. 61-44 7 c *.

Ogezxbg Stat-nt to the Cumst. tee on Science md Astronautics, House of Representatives, March 10, l%l, by Dr. Wemt.*er tr~n Brrrun, Mmctor of George C. Xarshd.1 Spzc.ce Flight Center, National kronautics and Space AdairLss'tra-Lion

As you my k;nov, I 8~11the Mrector of .+the Georae C. thr&aJ1 Space FU&t Center, located athln the bowhry of Redstone Arsenal at Huntsville, Alab-. While the main body of this 55CO mn orgaslizatlon is in Huntsville, one of our divlslons, the Launch Oprations Directorate, Is situated et Cape Canaveral, Florida. We also have a nmber of persons in NASA's 'GJCstern Operutions Office In hs Angeles, since our mJor contractors are on the West Coast. In adation to fAe responsibility for launching NASA's vehicles at C&pe Camveral, we have the responsibility for Paunch- IASA's vehicles at the Pacific Mlssile Range at Vandenberg and Bt. Arguello, California, and lmchlng the Scout and high sounding rockets from Wallops Island, Vlrghia.

The major projects presently a85lgned to us are the Saturn, the Centaur, the AQena-B, the F-1 single barrel l,5OO,ooO thrust engine, the Juno 11, t!!e Redstone booster for pmJect Mercury, and the Anzy missile projects which are being phased out; nhly, Redstone, Jupiter and Pershing. According to . present plens, responsibility for -the Scat vc'hicle will be transforred to us in July, 1961.

In addition to these gmJecta, we have 6072 responsibility in several areas which are only in the early research ad develqxmnt phase, but which will re@= mre of our attention as these! pmJects get closer to flight status and @re vehicle integration. Sere, I refer specifically Lo the vehicles powered by the Rover nuclear thrust engine, the SNAP 8 nuclear power source, and the ion propulsion cyst-.

ThSe, I hop, gives you an acco-mt of our present level of effort in develqxing launch vehicles. !his effort &ofid be viewed against the beclgrolurd of rapidly changing objectives s"hcc 1955. In July 1955, the President of the Lhited States announced the United States' btention to launch earth se",eUites dmthe IGY . me first generation of space vehicles er;c?r@rg fros -this propan were the Jupiter C and Vaqgxtrd. Both were very Wted sL1-i *eIr pyload capability and the transportation cost varied betwen $3C3,OW md $l,W,OOO per pound net payload in orbit. As a result of the bpesslve payloads orbited and seat to the mnby the Ru~sie~s,the Uaibd States activated its hemy filitary rockets for the space progrca. TtLis resulted Fn the initiation of program for the Juri0 11, Tkr&le, mor-Delta, mor-Agena, Atlas-Agena and Atlas-Centaur. In sd$i+,ioa, the development of the new supr-mcht Saturn was authorized.

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S~lti~Orblt: us - 2 USSR - 2 Lunar Impact: USSR - 1 %~nilcTI1 paseed once e~wund~blo6n, then Into ' B.wth orbit, NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL ALLRONAUTk?6 AND SPACB: ADMINISTRATION 1680 W @TffEEt. YQR'IC(WC6T * WAmHlNOTON a6, 0. C, TCLCCHONII: DUDLEY 8-6308 * LXLCUTIVC 3-SROO FOR RELEASE: March 10, 1961 61-47

SCOUT TO OZT INCREASE XN PAYWAD CAPACITY I The National Aeronautics and'space Administration haa oompleted arraqementer to csrry out a one-year program to inorease the payload capaoity of the solid propellant Soout vehlqle by &bout forty percent by developing Improved performance third and fourth stage rocket motors. The total uost of this development program le estimated to be $1,350,000 an8 will be jointly funded by the Navy Depkrtrnenb~andNASA. The improvements %n the Scout rockets will be made by replaoIn$ the current solid fuels with Improved propellants smlar to some of those now used in Minuteman and Polaris motors. The NASA Solid Propellants Office explained that the sQnpleat way to inorearse the payload capability of multi-stsge launch vehicles is to Improve the upper stages. I Thie naw,program will require only minor design ohangea $Q the configurations of the current third and fourth stage Scout mo$ors. The fiberglass motor case 1. construcMon ~$11continue to be uaed in the upper stages. UrrticSr the terms of the NASA-Navy agreement, the NASA will tranafer funds to the Navy Department for carrying out the development at the Bursqu af\Weapons' Allegany Ball%atlca Labc3ratoxy In Cumberland, Maryland. This faOility'i6"~~~~dby $he ~errculae Powder Company. The irnpcoved veraions of the *wo upper stages are soheduled to he ready for use on Scout vehicles early in 1962. The Scout vehicle which is being developed by NASA ha8, been 8u~osssfi1In three of Ita four development program launchaa to date. Scout was the launch vehicle for the &&foot inflatable sphere which successfully acrhieved orbit on February 16, 1961, - END - .. NEWS R-ELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION I520 H STREET. NORTHWEST . WASHINGTON 25. D. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6925 - EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE: Tuesday JAN'S March i4,3g6i

RUE NO. 61-48 AEROBEE ROCKET TO BE USED IN TEST OF --

An Aerobee l5OA sounding rocket will be fired soon from Wallaps Station, Virginia to test a new rocket attituae ar pointing control'systea. If the syetem can stabilize the rocket's three axes (pitch, yaw and-rall), sounqi'ng rockets could be used as test beds far aetronowtcal instruments designed for future stabdlized satellitas. The spinning motion of sounding rockets without control systems prevents the instrument pack from being pointed at celestial abjeots long eqough to obtain the needed information. With a control system, the -rocket's &tituck! could be controlled so that the astronomiCa1 Fnstrwnents are aimed directly at the celestial objects giving scientists more precise and accurate information. Data obtained from the relatively economical sounding rocket tests can be extremely useful in designing and developing astronomical experiments for such satellites as the Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO). Thus, sounding rockets with stabilized attitude control will serve an important role in preparation for future astronomical satellites designed with complicated instrumentation systems for studying the universe. With a stabilized platform on the controlled sounding rock&s, future experiments can be planned with greater accmracy and precision. The two stage Aerobee launch vehicle for this experiment is one of the mainstays in the Goddard Space Flight Center's extensive sounding rocket program. ..

The Aerobee l5OA, to be launched in-a near vertical trajectory, Is planned bo obtain a ~llaxlmmvelocity-of 6,100 feet per second. It is programed to take ies -195- popnd prjsyload to a peak altitude of 134 statate miles,

The 44. kpound attitude control system, diveloped by Asrojet-General Corporation of Amm, Calif., unUer a $300,000 contract with the t3oddm-d Space FZight Center, will be ttestAQhecked by a traak3,ng solar aspee$ sensing system. This system, independept *of the attitude control system, was 4eveloped by Ball Brothers Research Corp, of Boulder, Colo.

The Aerobee Will carry Dwo scientific experia3ernta to measure energies in space, as secgdary objectives. The first Is $. detector to qbta$n data-.on--%heener y and fllstribution of gma-rays in the 0.1 and L5 MEV 'f nillion electron volts). -

The second experiinent wl,11 attempt to measure 2;hp solar flux (btu enargy'fram the sun)- in two s~fm.bra3. regions centered at approx$wtteXy 2200 and 26ao .AngarCrpms with a qomlnal bandadth of 1OQ tq 200 Angstroms. '(About 250 Angstroms equaq one-all2lonth of an Inch.) This experwent depends on the roctkst c0nt;rol system eo aim two experimental senskws at the faun. The sensors are two photo-emissive cell8 having ces%wn telluride cathodes and necessary optical fil$ers.

ATTITUDE: COHPROL' S'IIsTB3l-

The hardware, baslcally, is a gp?oscope referenced, programmable, cold gas Jet reaction, three ais, cont+ol system. It perm%ts Wertial prograsPairlg of aB many as five different targets in spaoe per flight, Only four targeta, however, will be used in thls test.

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The Aerobee 150A has been alightly modified, but at small cosf;, for teat- thlar conerol e;pstam. First, pPhh and yaw control jets euld their aasooiated solenoid valves (an electromagnetic rmolt;e cmtrol device) have been placed In $he end oE *he tail cylinder, su3proundlng the sustainer nozsle. Roll control and de-sgSnn&ng jets and their associated conk~olvalves have been located with gaidance LntellAgence conpmenta in a 6 548-inch nose extension, just forwarbUP the rocket tankege. The roll and aw control noe;z&es will draw residual rocket gas (hell- ?; arectly frcm helium greaaurization and oxidizer tanks. The pitch crontrol no;zzlers q1-1 get helium from the fuel tank. 'phs Aerobecs 15QA propullsion system normsrlly uses helium as the presswization asdim to drive the propellants to the combusl;;lon chamber, t;hus an addit;iona$ gas generating syatewa to effect attitude control has not bean neceO)8a~.

Key component of the attitude coqtrol system %8 a pair of free gyros (one for plCoh an4.roXlr the o$ker for yaw) which "remember" the launch- attihde, The gyro8 wllL be calibrated to predict &Wt rate durlng flight, and appropriate correctlona for drift all be made by EL progrcunaaer, Cold gas reacteomljets u8e soleno14 valves to atart and stop flow of residual helium frm the propellant prelssurization system. SIX valvqts and lsix aets of nozzlrs~, provide'biadirectionl cqntrol about the pitch, yaw and roll axes. An additional, larger valve: provi4es high flow to one set of roll nozzles fop de-rsp$nning the vehicle after burnout, Sequence - Prior to launch, technioians ~1.11install a body section containing a pre-programed attitude control sysCem between the rocket's pbopsllsnt tanks ma the experimental payload, Next, gyros ell be brought up to speed. mey will then be electrically caged, OP Zocked in a fixed reference or null position by built-in e1eat;rioal Corquers.

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At launch, the gyros will be uncaged, Attitude control will not be possible during powered flight, but the gyros will maintain their original-position independent of the rocket's pitch, yaw and spinning, At burnout altitude - about 125,900 ft., 51 seconds after launch - the attitude control system will be activated, First step in gaining control of the vehicle will be to de-spin It, The large de-spin valve will be opened and helium will flow to one set of the roll nozzles until the signal from the rate gyro approaches zero. The val.ve will then be closed, It will take about eight seconds for the rocket to de-spin, Next step will be to use the appropriate roll jet to bring the rocket to a pre-selected reference roll attitude so that the roll mor signal from the &ro vanishes, Final step in gaining control will be to align the vehicle in yaw - and then in pitch - by sequencas~slmilar to that for roll, The vehicle then will be ready to move to positions required by the experienent. It first will be rolled until its pitch plane intercepts the first inertially programmed target in space, Then it wlll be pitched until it points at the target. Observation of the target will continue for the programmed time (about 45 seconds), me vehicle will then be rolled and pttched to the second target - then the third - for approxirnately the same tlme intervals. After 300 seconds the vehicle will remain locked on the fourth and last target for more than 90 seconds, or until reentry forces overcome the control- system. SOLAR ASPECT SENSING SI'S!L'~ The solar aspect sensing ,system, designed and built to GSFC specifications by Ball Brothers Resew& Corp., will perform an independent check of the attitude control sj~~emlsperformance. The system is allgned to the control system axes and will measure the angle between the solar vector and the longitudinal axis of the controlled Aerobee l5OA, The sysl%m has both fine anti coarse subsya-terns. 1 As a backup for the solar aspect sensing system, two magnetometers will sense the vehicle's onientation to the earth's magnetic field. However, they will be accurate only to a few degrees ami their telemetered reaponse will only be used in case of primary system failure, -4 - LAUNCHING VEHICLE The launching vehicle in this experiment is a two- stage Aerobee l5OA. Aerobse 150A is a fin-stabilized liquid propellant vehicle. The cylindrical booster has four- flxed fins spaced 90 degrees apart around the-aft end of the rocket to provide aerodynamic stabzlity. The rocket is boosted from a four-rail tower. The booster fins gave the vehicle a high roll rzte as it leaves the launching tower, Major components are the nose structure assembly, rocket assembly, and booster assembly. The rocket assembly consists of an integral tank system for heliuy, fuel, and oxidizer; a forward rsection with the forward skirt, pressure regulator valve and associated components; and the aft section consisting of the thrust chamber, aft structure assembly with fins and assodiated components. The booster assembly consists of a thrust structure, igniter, solid-propellant motor, and four fins.' MEN BEHIND THE EXPERI~S Project Manager is William A. Russell, Jr.,- of the Instrumentation Branch of the Space Sciences DivIsion. Branch Head is Karl Medrow. 'E. a. Haggenmaker of the Spacecraft Systems Branch of *he Satellite Applicatlons Systems Division serves aa technical consultant on the attitude control syskem. Branch Head-is Merland So8eson. The solar flux experlment is the responsibility of Lawrence Dunklaan of the Astrophysics Br&rk!h of the $pace Sciences Division. Dr. James Kugperian Is Branch Head. The gamma-ray experiment has been the responsibility of William White and Kenneth Frost of the Solap Physic8 Brpnch of the Space Sciences Division. Dr, John Lindsay is Branch pead.

- 5- ...... NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1520 H STREET, NORTHWEST WASHINGTON 25. D. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-632s * EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE: IMMEDIATE

j'e4cecrrzft Escape System Test - Little Joe VI

No man-conceived project involving man-made mechine8 can guarantee one hundred per cent reliable safe operation. But Project Mercury, the initial manned space flight research program, must come as close to that standard as possible. Because ProJect Mercury involves man-made machines and a human life, a apacecraft escape syljrtem had to be devised, developed and tested. The escape system in Mercury is designed to carry the spacecraft and its pilot well clear of IS faltering launch vehicle. The Nercury escape system consists of a 60,000 pound solid propellant rocket attached to the upper neck of the spacecraft by a asCructura1 rsteel pylon tower. An electronic brain has been devised and built into both the Atlas and Redstone launch vehicles to aense impending malntnctions and trigger the escape system automatici9lly. Once the Mercury escape system design took shape, twt- ing began. The aolid propellant escape rocket wa8 tested in static test stands. The entire spacecraft-escape tower configuration was flown in high speed wind tunnels. Finally, full scale boilerplate spacecraft with a full-scale escape system including the parachute landing system were launched in off-the-pad abort flights. Early tests confirmed the design concept. Next the ability of the escape sy$ten to do Its job during the jolt- ing early stages of' the launch aboard an Atlas had to be confirmed in flight. During the early portion of the Atlas ..

ELWC~~the atlgoespheric air loads on the outer wall of the craft are extremely high -- almost one thousand pounds per square foot of area. To recreate these flight conditions early In the Mercury program and at minimum expense, a new solid propellant rocket was conceived by NASA engineern. CalXed Little Joe, the rooket consists of eight solid rocket motors clustered inside a stainless steel cylinder, Large fins are attached to the base of the rocket airframe to provide stability during flight. Full-scale boilerplate versions of the Mercury craft fabricated by NASA's Langley Research Center were used In the early research and development Little! Joe flights, Qhttle Joe I launched October 4, 1959 qualified the eight-motor launch vehicle with a full-scale space- creft, Wttle Joe I1 launched November 4, 1959 sent ca boilerplate rilpacecraft up on an abort under extremely high air loads, bittle Joe I11 launched December 4, 1959, was a successf'ul test of the escape system at high altitude, The spacecraft, on this test carried zi, Rhesus monkey through some three minutes of weightless flight and landing without physical damage. Little Joe IV launched January 21, 1960, was another high air load elircape teat, This spacecraft also carried a small Rhesus monkey through the succesrarhxl flight. Flight test of production spaceoraft with production escape sytstems began on November 8, 1960, with the launch of Little Joe V. The purpose of the test was to qualif'y productlon line spacecraft and the escape system during and after an escape maneuver representing the most severe condition8 that can be expecbed during an Atlas launch for orbital flight, These conditions exist at an altitude of about 35,000 feet where the combined forces of vehicle velocity and atmospheric density exert maximum dynamic load8 or -2- .. ,

squeezing on the spacecraft, At thirs point the escape maneuver was to be ilnititated by a signal which would (1) open the clamp ring holding the craft to its launch vehicle, and (2) would open circuits supplying power to ggnite the escape rocket, The escape system would then separate the craft from the launch vehicle by 150 fsbt In one seoond, Seconds later, the parachute landing systt;ern would be deployed in a normal landing sequence, In Little Joe V the flight went nomally for about 15 seaonds, At this point the escape rock& -

> ignited but the craft and the entire escape system re- aained attached to the Little Joe until impact gome 18 miles from the launch site, Although teat objectives were not achieved, the tast did provide useful infomation, An analysis based on records and observations indicated the premature fir$ng of' the escape rocket was due to Enadvertant 6geratkBn of Q small limit switch located in the lamp ring holding the craft to the launch veh$cle. These switches located beneath the ring sections are spring-loaded and actuate when ring pressure is removed, Opening of any one of thelse switches on Little Joe V would have triggered the circuit supplying power to the esoape rocket motor. Possibly slight motions of the spacecraft as i$ passed through the dense atmo-aphsre of early flight may have permitted one of thePse switchser to aotuater, A wiring change on Wlttle Joe VI prohibita power apglidatlon to the escape motor circuit until at least two swithhes have actuated, The Little Joe incident drew immediate attention to the vital Mercury elscglpe aystemosrFattention resulting in an overall review of the system and a dksign change directed towards the further reduction of pilot risk, If $he Little Joe VI test is successrful it a11 provide additional confidence in the Mercury earcage syrtea and one more important building block In the hamid of testing leading perhaps late this year bo Mercuryts specification mlssion..,.manned orbital flight, i -3- L.

The mission for Little Joe VI is basically the same as for Little Joe V, lrrlwjor difference8 in this teat are,,,. (1) The spacecraft used - production szapsule No. 14 has a large trapezoid-shaped vieMng window rather than two small round viewports as on the capaule used in Little Joe V test, (2) In the Little Joe V test 'after 25 ~ecoads'of flight the abort initiation system was to be armed and appmfimately 10 seconds later a pressure erensing device was to initiate the esoape sequenoe, Xf this pr;lmclry system f'cpiled an on-board tiaring device was to energize' relay$ in the escape oircuit effecting the same results, In the Little (7oe VI test an on-board tirner will aewe a@ the principal abort initiation system, (.3) A landing berg consisting of a four-foot rubberized akZrt which Is extended between the craft and its heat shield when the main pmachute is ogenea est 10,000 feet, This perforated bw $erne8 as an &ir culshion on landing and functions thereafter a8 a sea anchor stabilizing the craft in its proper f1of;ation attitude when be&t-shieldremains attached, (4) Moaifiad emape system circluitry diacussed earlier,

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Wssi-n and Sp raft - Littl Joe VI

The forthconing Little Jde flight from Wallops Island, is the sixth haseries using a launch vehicle especially designed for”tbe‘ Mercury test program, %e purpose of chis fli&t is to subject a production Una Mercury spacecraft to the most Severe escape concEtiona *hat mi-ght be expected during an abort frons an Atlas-boosted orbital launch attempt, The Mercury escape and other system must function during and after escape under a combination of dynamic pressures that duplicate the most $evere conditions that a Mercury spacecraft might encounter 8s it leaves the Earth’s atmosphere, Another objective of the test is to demonstrate the flight characteristics of the Mercury spacecraft in an escape maneuver. The spacecraft will be launched on a nominal flight path angle of about 82 degrees, After about 35 seaondrs of flight a timlng device will begin the escape sequence, A$ an altitude of about 35,000 feet the escape motor will be fired. At this point I1I(&xImum forces are being exerted on the spacecraft. The craft climbs to a peak altitude of about 46,000 feet about a minute after lift-off , Next; the escape tower will be Jettisoned and 22 seconds later, a drogue parachute will be deployed, ThSs takes place at about 42$000 feet, At 10,000 feet -- about three minutes after initial launch == the main parachute will be deployed, The total time elapsed from launch to 1and;tng is expected to be about eight and one-half llninutes. If there ip1 little or no wind, and the flight path land performance of the escape tsystems are normal, the spacecraft will land about six statute miles from the launch site, Instrumentation for the Mercury spacecraft for the Little Joe VI flight includes telemetry, on-board tape reoordcsrs, radw tracking and ground and airbopne c~~mera8. The Spacecraft telemetry system’has provisions for trans- Wtting 90 quantities of commutated infometion,

I. -5- The I tle Joe booeter used in this test is the sixth of its ind to be launched in NASAIs Project Mcarcury flig $est progrdun. This vehicle is normally made up of four solid propellant Oastor rocke'ts and four smaller Recruit rockets clustered within the airframe. For this test, two of the Castors are dummies and will carry ballast rather than propellant, The Little Joe launch vehicle in combination with the Mercury spacecraft weighs approxlmately 40,000 pounds at launch and measures about 25 feet in length without the space craft^. It is about 6-$ feet in diameter. This Wttle Joe will be used as a single stage " vehicle; that is, all roqkets will be i nited at launch. The booster is expected to lift to an aI titude of @pproxlmataly 35,000 feet before the spacecraft is mparrated in the escape maneuver. The Llttle Joe vehicle is unguided and is stabilized by four large tail fins, Conceived by engineeris of the NASA Langley Research Center early in 1958, the Little Joe booster provided a relatively simple,and inexpensive launch vehicle for vital Mercury reaaarch and developnent teats, Bering much existing off-the-shelf equipment, Little Joe requires (3. tninlmm of ground support equipment, All four of the early launches were auccessfW and the Little Joe boos;ter Itself operated properly on the fifth,

Recovery Operations The Mercury spacecraft, its escape tower and parachute components will be retrieved by a reooverg force operating under the cornand of Rear Admiral P. V. H. Hilles, CQInmtlnde??, U, S. Navy Destroyer Flotilla Pow, based at Norfolk, Va. Units of' the U, S, Navy Service Force ana Fleet Marine Porce will be eaployed in the Little Joe VI test. - 6.- The air recovery elements consist of three marine HUS helicopters from Marine Aircraft Group 26 which is commanded by Colonel Paul T, Johnston, USMC, Units of Marine Aircraft Group 26 have been employed in previous Little Joe flight tests from Wallops including recovery of the Little Joe flight which carried Miss Sam, the Rhesus monkey ,

END

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A new, more powerfU model of the A.olisaile has failed for the faurth time in 5 test launches. The latest attenpt had a record 9,042

the longest surface-to-surface missile flight on recard = an even 9,OOO miles by an earlier Atlas.

Rote: IncheeWngwithNdbgtcm Post, they identified the &we article us hmbg appeared in the Postl snd said thre mas mtbbg else

which said that 4uch a firing hgd been pLmnea prior to tb dxme 4lppciaring in th8t w. 0 NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1520 H STREET. NORTHWE::+ * WASHINGTON 25. D. C. TELEPHONES; DUDLEY 2-6325 * EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE:, Narch 18, 1961

Little Joe VI Post Launch Stories

WALLOPS STATION, VIRGINIA - A Project Mercury spacecraft was launched at 11:48 a,m. here today in a test designed to demonstrate the performance and structural integrity of the spacecraft and its escape system@during an escape at the highest air loads that can be anticipated during an Atlas-boosted launch for orbital flight. A Little Joe solid propellant launch vehicle was used. No animals or biological specimens were flown in this test.

\ The spacecraft manufactured by McDonnell Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis, Missouri, is similar to the one which later'on will carry an astronaut first on ballis'tic flights and still later on orbital flights. ---- WALLOPS STATION, VIRGINIA - Preliminary data indicate that the Mercury spacecraft launched at 11:48 a,m, .here today appeared to fly the preplanned trajectory and landed approximately 20 miles offshore. The emergency escape system was activated intention- ally carrying.the craft to a peak altitude of abqut 40,000 feet and to a .maximum speed of 1,100 miles per hour. --_- WALLOPS STATION, VIRGINIA - The spacecraft was recovered by the Navy salvage tug U.S.S. "Recoverer" at 12:59 p.m. and returned to Wallops Station for post flight examinations. Recovery of the spacecraft was accomplished approximately 1 hour and llminutes following a successful launch at a range of 20 miles. The recovery was delayed slightly because the capsule could not be picked up by the helicopter. The capsule chute did not detach and the chute shroad lines had the capsule's pickup ring covered.' The tug brought the capsule to a point near Wallops, where it was again Lifted into the water and picked up by copter and brought in to the beach at 2:48 p.m. The capsule showed some damage. -. NEWS RELEASE , NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION IS20 H STREET, NORTHWEST . WASHINqTON 21. 0. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6328 * EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEAS&: Friday AM's March 17, 1961 Release No. 61-52

NASA/JPL STUDIES VENUS WITH RADIO SIGNALS

First success in a two-month experiment using radio signals to unveil some of the mysteries of the planet Venus was announced today by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

\ Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, Deputy Administrator of NASA, and Dr. William H. Pickering, Director of the Jet Propulgion Laboratory announced recaption of strong, clear radio signals reflected back to earth from Venus in a 70-million mile round trip taking about 6& minutes. The transmission was completed at 9:34 p. m. EST March 10 at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory Goldstone Tracking Station, 50 miles north of Barstow, Calif, in the Mohave Desert. JPL is operated under contyact for NASA by the California Institute of Technology. Dr. Dryden said other experiments have bounced signals off Venus but this is the first tDne such signals have been immediately detectable without elaborate analysis and processing. The objectives of the two-month long experiment are to: - determine whether Venus spins on its axis and the rotation speed, - determine the orientation of the planet's spin aXirs, - investigate the nature of the surface of Venus a8 determined by the reflectivity of its surface, - further define the measuring stick of the universe, the ap- proximate 93-million mile Astronomical Unit. The exact length of the Unit, the mean distance from the earth to the sun, has not been defined to within about 10,000 miles. Venus, the next closest planet to the sun from the earth, long has been of interest to astronomers who have been hindered in their attempts to observe it by its atmosphere of dense clouds. Every 19 months Venus approaches to within about 26.2 m$l- lion miles of earth compared to a maximum separation of 162 million miles. This closest approach, known as the inferior conjunction, occurs this year on April 11. The present development of radio communication makes It im- practical to attempt radio contact with Venus exqept during com- paratively brief periods before and after inferior condunction, The Goldstone experiment Will continue some weeks after that date. The JPL crew at Golastone, under project directors Robertson Stevens and Walter K. Victw, started months ago to prepare the two 85-foot dish antennas for the Venus experiment. The transmitting antenna, located seven milea from the receiving antenna to minimize interference, sent a 2388 megacycle per second signal to Venus using about ten kilowatts of power. The signal was a conical beam only .4 of a degree in width. The signal sent March 10 traveled at the speed of light (186,000 miles per second) and took another 3* minutes to complete the trip and be detected by the Goldstone receiver. The Goldstone receiver used both a maser and a parametric amplifier. A ruby crystal, heart of the maser amplifier, was maintained at the temperature of liquid helium (-452OF, a few degrees above absolute zero), to reduce the receiver generated noise power to a very small quantity. The Goldstone crew was successful in its first try to bounce the signal off the planet. The attempt was repeated on March 14 and l5 with successful reception of the reflected signal.

-2- NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION I520 H STREET. NORTHWEST * WASHINGTON 25. D. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY .2-6325 * EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE: UPON DELIVERY (About 8:30 P.M.) March 16, 1961 ,RELEASE NO, 61-53 ADDRESS BY JAMES E. WEBB, ADMINISTRATOR, NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRYPION AT THE DR. ROBERT H. GODDARD mMORIAL DINNER c SHERATDN PARK HOTEL, WASHINGTON, D. C. THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1961

Mr. Chairman, Mrs. Goddard, members of the National Rocket Club: , The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is a direct result of the work of the distinguished scientist, Dr. Robert H. Goddard, foc whom the Goddard Space Flight Ccnt,er sta.?.?dsas a tribute and a memorial. He was a true pionew on a new frontier. I think I can repor? to you tonight that the Spa22 Agency is hard at work. Our on-going program is on-going, and jxst last week I met with the staff 2rtd field directors who came in from all over the country for a two-day general review of progress being made. This meeting was one of 2” nunbe2 of freqzent reviews of the total program conducted by our senior staff and field directors but was timely from my point of view as it permitted me to talk face to face with all our responsible officials and receive their views as to needs and problems. It also afforded an opportunity for me to discuss with them the best way to carry O-J~the request made by President Kennedy that all our programs and projects be thoroughly studied in the light of the objectives he has stated for his administration. Based on the advice received from these men a24 tklr assurances that our work is continuing without interruption, Dr. Dryden and I are now proceeding to a thorough exanxi- nation of the present validity of the ten-year program worked out last year, of the levels of funding provided by the budget presented to the Congress by Preside:i’; Eiselz- hower, and of all policy, program, and funding decisions

I -.

nzedecl at this timz. This evaluation will go forward witiiout delay, and I feel very sure that the President will submit any changes wh-ich he believes necessary in time for consideration by the House Committee on Science and Astro- nautics during its present hearfngs on the Eisenhower budget. The pace at which both the executive and legislative branches are moving is also indicated by the fact that the Senate Com- pittee on Aeronautical and Space Sciences has'held a full review of the entire program preparatory to considering both the authorizing legislation for the funding of the program $'or the fiscal year 1962 and for any substantive changes which may be recommended by the President. I should lilse to report also that the President and the Yico President have been giving careful consideration to the role of the Space Council and how that portion of the "Vice President's time avallable for Space Council work can best be utilized for the good of the space program. Generally speaking, 1 believe this consideration will shortly result $n an arrangement by which the Space Council, under the chairmanship of the Vice President, will be extremely useful in all phases of a vigorous space effort. In the accomplishment of all of the above, which has taken less than a month and has involved matters of interest to a number of major'governmental agencies, I believe it is possible to see the practical application of President Kennedy's policy which encourages direct dealing among the senior officials of the government. It has been my privilege in this period to be promptly and cordially received by the Secretary of State, the Secretary of Defense, the Deputy Secretary of Defense, the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, the Secretary of the Army, and many of our senior military leaders. All of these have expressed great Interest &n the space program and offered the fullest measure of cooperation and have issued all necessary instructions in their various areas of responsibility. With pespect to the way Dr. Dryden as Deputy Administrator gnd I expect $0 work together, we have made arrangements under which we will share our common responsibility as Administrator and Deputy Administrator in such a way that he will have more ltime to devote to increasingly important objectives in the international field. During my period of service as Under Secretary of State, it was my privilege to work closely with a number of our nation's leading scientists in the development of increased

-2-

I I t - .-

em hasis on cooperative relations among scientists in many na! ions. Some of you will recall that we took at that time ' the flrst steps to establish scientific attach& In many of our embassies. Dr. Lloyd V. Berkner, then Director of the Laboratory of Terrestrial Magnetism at the Carnegie Instltu- tion, joined the staff of the State Department and took an active role in the inLtiation of this program. As I return to government serviceJ I find that he is now the Chairman of the Space Science Board of the Natlonal Academy of Sciences, and he and I are already putting our heads together to Increase the effectiveness of our cooperative relationships In space science with the scientists of other nations. The foundation on which we can build increased iqter- national cooperation in research is already impressive. Two years ago two nations had artificial satellite programs. Today there are six, Two years ago four nations had scientific soundlng rocket programs. Today.there are eight nations with active or initiated programs in this field. In the past two years the number of tracking and communications stations overseas in the program of the National Aeronautics and Space Admenistration have doubled, The full backing of the Space Scfence Board under such a vigorous and effective chairman as Lloyd Berkner can aad much to an already effective program. You all how that the Space Administration is a research and development organization dedicated to the acquisition of . knowledge and it's dissemination as widely and as promptly as possible. Our purpose is to benefit all mankind. This in itself is reason enough to seek the cooperation of other nations, No single nation and no single group of men, no nztter how far advanced or how rich in resources,. can have a monopoly on knowledge. Space research is based on such an advanced technology that it must draw upon the entire world fcp its ideas, for the insights it must apply to the real meanings of factual information, and for the' increased bowledge that will bring ultimate benefits, The program that the Space Administration is now conducting, or preparing to conduct with the scientists of ot'ner nations, is based on a number of carefully'worked out policies : .. First, proposed projects are clarified and defined through informal technical discussion prior to the negotiation

-3- of formal agreements. This is to avoid the risk that expectations will outrun the possibility of fulcillment. Second, cooperative projects must have valid scientific content; must be specific and reflect mutual interests and: capabilities; and in the optimum case should represent ex-' periments or other projects which the Space Administration would itself wish to carry out if they were not to be done jointly. Third, sponsorship or support must be undertaken centrally by the cooperating governments as a means of asguring adequate sustained support and the selecwn of the specific projects to be undertaken from the multiplicity of individual ahd agency interests which exist in nost nations. Fourth, funds will not be granted or exchanged between nations but each nation will pay for that portion of the cooperative program which represents its own commitment of staff or material. Fifth, scientific results of cooperative enterprises must be made generally available to the world-wide scientific community consistent,with the interests of the prime experimenters in publishing the results of their own york. Based on these flve principles, the Space Administration is now engaged in a wide range of international'activities. In March 1959 the U. S. National Academy of Sciences delegate to the International Committee for Space Research, offered, on behalf of the Space Agency, to place into orbit individual experiments or ehtire satellites of mutual interest prepared by scientists of other nations. .I The first international satellites are already being prepared by the United Kingdom and Canada for launching in 1962. The initial United Kin dom satellite will conduct environmental investigations ?cosmic rays, ion mass s ectmun, electron density, and temperilture and solar radiationP , while the Canadian satellite will sound the ionosphere from above. Preliminary discussions relating to a French satellite are underway, and the Japanese government has evidenced an interest in a simflar program. Yne Space Agency has encouraged and assisted in the development of sounding rocket programs conducted abroad, and cooperates in the activities of foreign rocket teams where their objectives contribute to the over-all goals of space research. In particular, sounding rocket programs of synoptic value or especial geographic significance are encouraged. Upper air experiments -. '. ,. .

utilizing grenades and chem+cal reagents are especially suitable Tor the initial phases of foreign prog;rams, In the program of tne Italian Space Committee, e::ample, =L series 02 launchings were pi-oposed to create sodiuc: vapor clouds Tor the measurenent 03 ?vi:xis and temperatures in the high atmosphere. A successful test has already been conducted in Sardinia, and we hope there will be further launchiiigs in April, synchronized with launchings or our own from klallops Island. In this program the Italian Space Committee arranged br the necessary rockets, established a launching site and conduc-ced the launching, provided optical instrumentation to retrieve the data and will reduce and analyze it. The National Aeronautics and Space Admlnistration sponsored the Italian pu-rchase of rockets in the United States, provided a basic launcher, and contributed the payloads. Technical adOice was also afforded. Another constructive contribution to space research lies in supporting ground research. A program of 'chis type was arranged in connection with the utilization of Echo I, and, with the cooperation of the French and the British, resulted in the first Transatlantic communication by means of an artificial satellite. A similar, mol-e extensive program was organized jointly with the UAited States Weather Bureau in connection with Tiros 11, inviting foreign weather services to conduct meteorological observations, synchronized with the passes of the satellite, and to analyze the data from both sources. Instrumentation difficulties restricted the program, but a valuable organizational pattern was established and will be utilized again with the launching of Tiros 111. The ground-based program will maximize the scientific value of' satellite programs by making available important supplementary information and by greatly expanding the number of competent scientists attacking the problems of data analyses and correlation. Further, it will engage foreign scientists in space-related activities, stimulating interest and providing necessary knowledge. The Space Agency overseas tracking and communications stations present a unique opportunity for contributions to the pattern of open cooperation in space research. Of about two dozen overseas facilities, more than half aye already operated wholly or in part with the assistance of foreign nationals. Indeed, the cost of operating several stations is fully borne by the cooperating countries. Increased participation in the operation of' the global network is encouraged and a training program for this purpose is underway.

-5- Foreign scientists entering the new technology of space research need technical advice and experience. A post doctoral research and training program, administered by the 1Jatioiial Rcaclerxy of Sciences, makes 1% possible for foreign as well as domestic scientists to pursue space-connected projects in this country. In a second and separate program, NASA offers laboratory support and training for extended periods to qualified scientists appropriately sponsored by their governments. Possible training locations include the Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Labo-iatory, Wallops Station, and Goldstone, as well as other NASA centers and a number of university laboratories. Our plans include vehicle and launch operations; payload design, packaging and testing; space science programs; tracking, telemetry and communications; and data processing. In conclusion, I would like to emphasize that the extensive activities which the agency is now undertaking are really but a preliminary effort to the world-wide utilization of the benefits which will inevitably flow from the programs conducted by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in research, in development, and in the application of space science and technology for the good of all mankind. Our international cooperative efforts to more effectively utilize in every part of the world the Tiros weather satellite offered the first step in the establishment of a world-wide weather-reporting-and-predictim network. To advance this effort, we are giving consideration to the expansion of the Tiros program by the addition of a sufficient number of satellites to keep'at least one constantly in orbit pending the development of the successor Nimbus program. The development of qualified scientific and technical personnel in all cooperating natims will be of the greatest value when the time comes to utilize a world-wide communication network based on communications satellites. If we have learned anything about major new breakthroughs in science and technology, in the period beginning with World War 11 when massive programs ?rere put into effect, it is that we have consistently under- estimated the potential of the r,ew technology and the require- ment for trained personnel. The program of the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis- tration is a realistic and soundly based effort to lay a foundation for the requirements that we and other nations will inevitably face in the years ahead. It is certainly a pleasure to be here tonight, and I wish your club every success in the coming year. -6- NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1520 H STREET, NORTHWEST . WASHINGTON 25. D. C.

TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6325 3 EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE: IMIVLEDIATE March 18, 1961

//” MERCURY SPACECRAFT ESCAPE SYSTEM TEST - Little Joe VI Wallops Island, Virginia

PRESS CONFERENCE l:l5 p.m.

PARTICIPANTS Robert L. Kreiger, Director, NASA Wallops Station William M. Bland, Assistant Chief, Engineering’ Division, Space Task Group John A. Powers, Public Affairs Officer, Space Task GPOUP, Moderator

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. . KRElQER: Wallops' responsibility in this shot included the assembly of the booster, checkout of the booster and the actual conduct of the operation,

The booster performance appeared to be perfectly normal, I have put together what information we haw at this time on the operation.

The actual firing was at 11:48. Our radars first picked up the parachute at an altitude of 40,000 feet, about five miles offshore at a time of 62 seconder after launching,

The wind carried the parachute and the capsule southeastward to a water impact at a distance of about 18 miles southest of the Island, This water impact occurred about 23 minutes after launch.

The helicopter sighted the capsule and circled it as it decended, It reported it floating on the water about 25 minutes after launching but with the parachutes still attached.

A Navy ARS ship moved in to effect recmveryI This ship sighted the capsule at 12~41. It was alongside the capsule at 12:53 and the capsule was hoisted aboard at 13:59.

The first report from the ship was that the capsule appeared to be intact. The people on board the ship are inspecting the capsule at this time. That is the laat we heard from them before we came up here,

That is about all I know about it at this point,

QUESTION AND ANSWER PERIOD.

QUESTION: What is the significance of this parachute failing to disengage when it hit the water?

. KREIGER: I think Mr. Bland will probably be in a better position to answer that than I,

. BLAND: Mr. Kreiger, of course, covered the entire story. About all I can add to this is that we did have an abnormal function occur during our attempted test of the abort system in the Mercury capsule. We did obtain 3 records and, of course, we recovered the capsule. Before we can say what happened, we are going to have to study the records and examine very closely the capsule.

In answer to the gentleman's question about the failure of the main shoot to disengage after impact, I can only say that with this abnormal function that we had, this could all be tied in a package, and it is not really significant' in itself.

QUESTION: Would you explain what this abnormal function was, or is? You said there was some abnormal function. Do you mean beyond this business with the parachute?

. BLAND: We intended this test to demonstrate the escape of the Mercury capsule under the worst conditions we could ever expect to encounter on an Atlas flight. We did not achieve our test objective. We had some abnormalities occur during the flight that kept us from doing this.

. POWERS: I think your comment should be that we did not achieve all of our test objectives.

. BLAND: We did not achieve all of our test objectives .

QUESTION: Would those abnormalities that go into the escape be prior to the escape?

. BLAND: We will have to examine these records very closely to tell. As you could see from watching, you don't see a whole lot by the eye.

QUESTION: We sort of got the impression that immediately after the escape there appeared to be, visible to us, a parachute almost immediately, almost a second after. Would that appear to be an early --

. BLAND: What you saw was the simultaneous deployment of our chute systems.

QUESTION: They both opened at once?

BLAND: This is abnormal in itself.

QUESTION: They both opened at the same time? 4

. BLAND: That is right, as far as we can tell.

. KREIGER: I think the question had to do with the timing.

QUESTION: Was that the right timing?

BLAND: The timing was not quite right, no.

QUESTION: This meant you couldn't get those aerodynamic pressures you wanted, which I imagine would take place several seconds after the abort system went off. Isn't this the interval in the test in which you would get your maximum dynamic loads?

. BLAND: That is right. We normally have a coast period after the escape motor fires. The dynamic pressure does go down, and about the time it is minimum we should deploy our small chutes. But all of our chutes apparently came out at one time. 5

QUESTION: Your news release says that the rocket .would go about 46,000 feet. Is the fact that it went 40,000 feet considered abnormal on this test?

. BLAND: No, this is not significant. We changed our trajectory toward the end. It was intended to go around 41,000 feet.

QUESTION: How about the bag and switches, which were one of the purposes of the flight?

. . BLAND: We know very little except the bag apparently deployed.

-* POWERS: That is about all we really know now.

=AND: We donPt know any real details at this time. We have a lot of records to read and a lot of facts to put together and to get the story that makes sense.

QUESTION: At this point are you satisfied with what you know of it from today's test?

. BLAND: I am happy that we recovered the capsule. This will help us to determine the malfunction.

QUESTION: This coastin g period is to allow the velocity to decrease? Is that the idea? So that it slows down before the parachute is supposed to open?

. BLAND: It was intended to slow down, and the dynamic pressure would therefore decrease.

QUESTION: The East I heard there was some question about whether the capsule would be brought back here or to Norfolk.

BLAND: The capsule is on shipboard, as you know, and is being examined by some of our engineers now to determine what course of action we should take. We want to make sure we get it in our hands safely, of course.

QUESTION: The test was to simulate the maximum pressures. I wonder, would the Little Joe be going at about the same velocity as the Atlas would at that certain point of 35,000 feet or 40,000 feet? This is perhaps too technical. 6

,, BLAND: This was a simulation. Many things were represented.

QUESTION: If both chutes opened at the same time, as they did today, with a man inside, would this have a great effect on him?

BLAND: It would make his landing easier. This -*! .. would have helped him.

QUESTION: This would have helped him?

.,. BLAND: It was not an intended procedure.

QUESTION3 It would have helped him?

. BLAND: It would have decreased the landing ve locit y .

QUESTION: It would not be a shock?

, EREZGER: Are you thinking about shock loads when the paaachutes open?

QUESTION: Yes; when they all open at once.

. BLAND: You have to know exactly how they opened. We don't know if they came out one behind the other or simultaneously.

QUESTION: Could a man on this flight, had he been on a Redstone or Atlas, with the same procedure, could a man have gone through it satisfactorily?

- , BLAND: I see no reason why not.

QUESTION: Is the fact that the two parachutes opened simultaneously responsible for the capsule landing somewhat further down-range than you had calculated?

,. BLAND: That's right. It%bdescendedmuch slower than it was intended, and the wind blew it out to sea.

QUESTION: Mr. Bland, you said these were under the worst possible conditions, this firing today. What were gome of those, other than this cold wind here on the beach? 7

. BLAND: These were conditions that would give the . gr'eatest loads on the capsule.

I. POWERS: That is in the spectrum of the escape maneuver.

. BLAND: In the spectrum of the escape maneuver and during an exit flight.

QUESTION: It wouldn't be previous to the escape rocket being fired? You don't get your dynamic simulation there; you get it after you escape.

. BLAND: At the time of escape.

QUESTION: There was nothing about the wind or the weather or the way this thing was angled or anything else that you would consider the worst condition?

. BLAND: The weather was perfect; the booster functioned perfectly. Everything was fine, except something happened.

QUESTION: Could the abnormalities that you had in any way delay the Project Mercury program for animals or proposed manned flight?

. BLAND: That is a hard one to answer, We will have to look at the record and see what happened, It could be rather insignificant .

* POWERS: First of all, I don't think Bill, who is a very good engineer, is in any position to make any kind of policy comment on the nature or direction of the program. Secondly, I don't think even the Program Director at this point knows enough about what occurred in the test to be able to make any comment on that subject.

QUESTION: Colonel, wasn't this supposed to be the last flight in the Little Joe series?

\ I. POWERS: I think you asked that question of me a little earlier, and at that time I said that at the present time itcwas the last one we planned.

QUESTION: At the present time do you plan another one as a result of this flight today? 8

lo POWERS: As 1 just indicated, I don't think that anybody knows enough about what happened today to be able to respond to your question.

If there aren't any other questions -- and I am not sure that it would really do too much good to ask them, because we don't know the answers -- I would like to let Bill go back to examining the paper work.

Thank you, very much.

(Whereupon, at 1:25 p.m., the press conference was concluded ,) S RELEASE

NATIONAL AERONAUTIC .LJ AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1520 H STREET, NORTHWEqT WASHINGTON 25. D C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6 325 EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE: WEDNESDAY AM RELEASE NO, 61-51 March 22, 1961

NASA COhPRACTS FOR NOVEMBER-DECEPIBER

The National Aeronautics and Space Adminlstraticn oblLgat2d funds for the following new contracts and research graEts durilng November and December of 1960. The figures shown represent the total estimated cost of contrzets let during the period,

NASA HEADQVARTERS Washington, DC Astro Research C3rp. (Santa Barbara, Calif. ) -- $51,140 -- Ox- duct a theoretical and experimental study of toroidal filanectary pressurized structures besed on isotensoid design cmcepts. Study will imlude kitla1 icvestigatiocs of failure mechznisms, c=ll~.psi- bility and possible ap9lication of isotensoid concepts to the desig2 of space structures. Ba'ccelle Merr,srSal Icstltute [Columbus, Ohfo j -- $58,509 -- XASA support of group sponsc?ed effor'i; providing exchange of data a:! reliability of variGus e1e~:'sxw-L.ccomponents. Callege cf Willlax and X~l,ar~y(Williarnsbur+g, Ya.) -- $67,202 -- Perform st,ud.y Gf PadSo frequemy and microwave spectroscopy of magnetized plasmas.

Ca1umSi.a University (Mew York9 N.Y, ) -- $56,950 -- Reaeaxb z-r techniques fcr co9tinuous mesaur2ment of blood flch thraugh SRtw? vessels of experimmtal anlmals during conditiors of' gravitational stress.

Csrnell Ur?iversity (ithaca, M. Y. ) -- $51,000 -- Got3d:x i; research on the kinetllcs of chemizal reactions in gzsea st high terper- atures by E;ES dynamic tccknlques. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, Mass. ) $69,000 -- Investigation of the requirements for measuring and dis- playing infoAnnation to human senses to achieve optimum control of artificial rcanipulative devicas. New York University (New York, N,Y. ) -- $34,1384 -- Conduct corn- prehensive theoretical study of the geophysieal aspects of' hydmnag- netic waves. Oklahoma State Onlversity of AgricultLre and Applied Science (Stillwater, Okla.) -- $30,190 -- Analytical and limited experimental study of the mechanisms of impact, penetration and light emission for micrometeorites on an aluminum-coated photomultiplier, Oklahoma State University of Agriculture and Applied Science (Stillwater, Okla.) -- $40,000 -- Development of a transistorized minature 15-channel pulse-time telemeter transmitting set for research rockets. Pennsylvania State University (Unlversity Park, Penna. ) -- $127,612 -- Experimental and theoretical study of ionospheric electron content and upper ionosphere ionic processes by means of satellite radio transmissions. Prince%on University ( Princeton, N. J. ) -- $300,000 -- Develop- ment of instrumentation for detecting, measuring and recording the spectrum of an early-type star from a rocket, and preparation of such instrumentation for three research rocket flights. Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy, N. Y. ) -- $3OO,OOO -- Conduct interdisciplinary materials research including fundamental physics and chemistry of materials, environmental effects and related problems. The Display House (Philadelphia, Pa.) -- $48,690 -- Design of U. S, technical exhibit for proposed U. N. Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. The Rand Corporation (Santa Monica, Calif. ) -- $129,173 -- Study of possible applicaticn of nuclear rockets for such space functions as launch vehicles, and lunar and planetary landing and take- off operations. Ccst analyses will also be made. U. S. Naval Research Laboratory, Dept. of the Navy (Washington, D, C.) -- $75,000 -- Conduct research on ultraviolet spectroscopy using high temperature plasma sources.

AMES RESEAROH CENTER kountain View, Calif.

Bechan Instruments, Inc. (Anaheim, Calif. ) -- $479,598 -- Fabrication, delivery and installation of four medium-speed data re- corders at Data Reduction Center. Chance Vought Aircraft, Inc. (Dallas, Texas) -- $68,652 -- Fabrication of a working laboratory model of a 3-axis twin gyro attitude controller.

-2- I.

Dalto Corporation (Norwood, New Jersey) -- $61,328 -- Furnish a visual landing simulator for use in research on evaluation of approach and landing characteristics of supersonic transports. Electronic Associates, Inc. (Long Branch, New Jersey) -- $216,210 -- Centrifuge conversion computer to translate computer output into commands for motors driving simulator.

Electronic Associates, Inc. (El Segundo, Calif.) -- $31,000 -- Repair of analog computer parts. Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Co. (San Francisco, Calif.) -- $30,875 -- Furnish a recording oscillograph, Reeves Instrument Corp. (Garden City, New York) -- $28,500 -- Floating integrating GYRO and related parts for application to research on stabilization and control of Nimbus meteorological satellites. Task Corporation (Anaheim, Calif,) -- $28,060 -- Furnish strain gage balances for measurements in wind tunnel testing.

Task Corporation (Anaheim, Calif.) -- $30,865 0- Internal strain gage balance, The Bendix Corp, (North Hollywood, Calif. ) -- $36,050 -- Dis- criminators, Westinghouse Electric Corp. (San Francisco, Calif.) -- $304,650 Provide an arc air heater for installation in Mass Transfer Cooling and Aerodynamics Facility.

FLIGHT RESEARCH CENTER Edwards, Calif.

ACF Electronics Division, ACF Industries (Los Angeles, Calif * ) -- $28,485 -- Radar beacon for long-range tracking of research aircraft. Pascoe Steel Corporation (Pomona, Calif,) -- $25,685 -- Services and material to constmct a pre-fabricated metal building to be used as a Ground Support Equipment facility.

GODDARI) SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Greenbelt, Md.

Ampex Data Products Co. (Washington, D. C.) -- $379,904 Provide ten magnetic tape recorder/reproducers, monitor panels, remote

-3- control units and spare parts for use in taxcking and data acquisition. Ampex Data Products Co. (Washington, D. C, ) -- $39,075 -- Magnetic tape recorder and reproducer to be used in support of research and development of the P-14 vapor magnetometer deep space probe experiment. Ampex Military Products Co, (Redwood City, Calif.) -- $96,000 -- Design,fabricate, test and deliver one advanced video payload recorder for study in broad band data storage and transmission, Armco Drainage and Metal Products, Inc. (Atlanta, Ga.) -- $140,884 -- Concrete work, building shells and interior outfitting of NASA Engineering Annex and Storage Annex at Cape Canaveral,

Arthur Venneri Co. (Washington, D. C. ) -9 $1,969,000 -- Con- struction of Space Science Laboratory at Greenbelt, Md. Convair Astronautics Division, General Dynamics Corp, (San Diego, Calif. ) -- $250,000 -- Feasibility study for Project Apollo advanced manned spacecraft and system. (See NASA Release No. 60-286) Electro-Mechanical Research, Inc. (Washington, D. C. ) -- $40,665 -- Equipment required for work on research and development of ionosphere beacon satellite, orbiting solar observatory, and gamma ray astronomy satellite programs. Electro-Mechanical Research, Inc. (Sarasota, Fla. ) -- $39,613 -- Fabricate, supply, install and checkout one FM telemetry ground station at Wallops Station, Va* for use in connection with NASA sounding rocket program. Electrs-MechanZcal Research, Inc. (Princeton, Ne J. ) -- $48,704 -- Design and development work on photo diodes and photomultipliers for use in basic scientific research. General Electric Co. (Philadelphia, Pa. ) -- $250,000 -- Conduct feasibility study for Project Apollo advanced manned spacecraft and system. (See NASA Release No. 60-286) Hughes Research Laboratories, Div. of Hughes Aircraft Co., (Malibu, Calif. ) -- $490,000 -- Design, fabrication and testing of a cesium ion rocket engine. International Telephone and Telegraph Corp., ITT laboratories Div. (Fort Wayne, Iyld. ) -- $139,235 -- Design, develop and furnish high resolution nightime cloud cover radiometers for Nimbus metero- logical satellite.

-4- Interstate Electronics Corp. (Anaheim, Calif'. ) -- $93,085 -- Research program for the development of comb filters used in tracking and data acquisition. ITT Federal Service Division, Federal Electric Corp, (Paramus, N. J, ) -- $98,000 -- Mercury capsule telemetry services to be performed at Cape Canavepal, Fla. Lockheed Aircraft Corp. (Sunnyvale, Calif. ) -- $58,200 -- Conduct theoretical study of ionospheric reactions, electron temperature and non-maxwellian electron velocities in the ionosphere. McPherson Instrument Corporation (Acton, Mass. ) -- $32,500 -- Provide an ultraviolet scanning monochromar;ora for use in Space Sc i enc es Laboratory . Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Co. (St. Paul, Minn. ) -- $250,000 -- Magnetic tape for satellite tracking and data transmission. Norair Engineering Corp. (Washington, D. C. ) -- $2,B@,700 -- construction of Snstrument Construction and Installation Laboratory at Greenbelt, Md.

Nuclear Development Corporation of America (White Plains, N. Y. )

-I- $73,960 -- Development of rapid and accurate methods of calculating performance of nuclear reactor shields for space application. Packard Bell-Computer Corp. (Us Angeles, Calif. ) -- $25,135 -- Data terminal equipment for Instrument Construction and Installation Laboratory at God.c?ard. Radiation Inc. (Orlando, Fla. 1 -- $56,958 -- Design and fabrication of a recording system for Central Flight Control and Range Operations building ut Goddard, Ramo-Wooldridge, Division of Thompson-Ramo-Wooldridge, Inc, (Canoga Park, Calif.) -- $35,336 -- Study of "Crater Physics". Raymond Engiceerfng Laboratory, Inc. (Middletown, Conn. ) $98,173 -- Design, deve1opmer.t and evaluation for ionosphere experiment to be flown by a research rocket, The Martin Co. (Denver, Colo.) -- $100,000 -- Perform a study of requirements for flight testing of Re-actor In-Flight Test System (RIFT). The Martir, Cc. (Baltimore, Md.) -- $250,000 *- Conduct feasibility study for Project Apollo advanced manned spacecraft and system. (See NASA Release No. 6C-286)

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." ~ " .. . . -. " ...... -_ TAPCO GroupJ Thonpson-Ramo-Wooldridc Tne. (Cleveland, Ohio) -- $90,794 -- R.esearch and development on a ibrtex MHD power generator for space systems. The Sanborn Company (Waltham, Mass.) -- $100,000 -- Furnish perma-paper and stylii for tracking and data acquisition activities. Traoerlab, Ine, (Waltham, Mass,) -- $49,972 -- Research and development of means for measurement of atomic oxygen, atomic hydrogen and atomic nitrogen,

LANGUY RESEARCH CENTER Hampton, Va. $31,500 Ampex Data Products Co. (Washington, D, C,),/-- Furnish a tape recorder system for Noise Research Laboratory. Bureau of Weapons, Department of the Navy (Washington, D. C, ) -- $224,000 -- Furnish Antares and Altair rocket motors for flight vehicles at Wallops Station and for models at Langley used in heat transfer studies and radiation attenuation measurements. Chicago Bridge & Iron Company (Philadelphia, Pa, ) -- $37,880- Removal and transportation of vacuum spheres from Richmond Naval Air Station, Fla. to Langley Field, Va. Concolidated Electrodynamics Corp. (Arlington, Va, ) -- $38,850 _- Furnish wide band reproducing/recording system. Cryo-Sonics, Inc. (Los Angeles, Calif. ) -- $90,086 -- Furnish, fabricate and deliver a high-pressure helium heater assembly and auxiliaries. Endebrock-White Co, , Inc. (Newport News, Va. ) -- $5l,OOO -- Alter an existing engine test cell in Noise Test Facility, Ferguson Corporafion (Mewport NewsJ Va. ) -- $52,492 -- Install a Mack 8.5 heater and related items in Gas Dynamics Laboratory. (4. F. Pritchard 8e Co. (Kansas City, Mo.) -- $747,000 -- Design, furnish and install general piping and tunnel auxiliary systems for 8-ft. High Temperature Structure Tunnel. Jerrold Electronics Corp. (Philadelphia, Pa. ) -- $35,924 -- Furnish a Channel Comunlcation Control System at Wallops Station, Va . M. B, Electronics (New Haven, Conn.) $53,755 -- Provide an automatic random band equalization system used as accessory to research equipment in environment testing of space payload packages and their components, -6- M. B. Electronics (New Haves, Conn. ) -- $26,772 -- Vibration test system for environmenkal testing and calibration of vehicle system and components to establish their reliability on a space mission. Milgo Electronics Corp. (Miami, Fla.) -- $705,000 -- Furnish a radar distribution and display system at Wallops Station, Va. Pittsburgh Des Moines Steel Co. (Pittsburgh, Pa.) -- $1,384,790 -- Fabricate 8-ft. high temperature structures tunnel. Raytheon Company (Wayland, Mass. ) -- $392,701 -- Furnish and install a radar transmitter for long-range tracking system at Wallops Station, Va. Remsco Associates Inc. (Matawan, N. J. ) -- $324,268 -- Furnish and install associated items for an Arc Tunnel. Vector Manufacturing Co. (Southampton, Pa. ) -- $26,010 -- Furnish transistorized oscillators, Vought Astronautics Division, Chance Vought Aircraft Inc. (Dallas, Texas) -- $50,155 -- Study of performance data of approximately 18 sounding rocket systems. Proposed study will serve as the basis of a handbook required as a standard to guide the design of future rocket sounding systems.

LEWIS RESEARCH CENTER Cleveland, Ohi0

AMF Atomics, Division of American Machine & Foundry (Greenwich, Conn. ) -- $275,577 -- Furnish a sodium vaporizer at Lewis. Ampex Data Products Co. (Villa Park, 111.) -- $38,230 -- Digital tape handlers to extend capacity of tape system on 1103 computer. Beckman & Whitley, Inc. (San Carlos, Calif. ) -- $39,620 -- Furnish a high-speed framing camera to be used for research of Lewis, Controls for Radiation, Inc. (Cambridge, Mass.) -- $270,850 -- Health and radiation safety services incident to operation of Plum Erook Nuclear Reactor. Cook Electric Company (Franklin Park, Ill.) -- $25,332 -- De- sign, fabricate, machine and test two high vacuum test chamber systems and one roughing pump system. Electronic Associates, Inc. (Long Branch, N. J. ) -- $40,054 -- Analog computer components to expand capacity of present equipment to handle dynamic simulation of a complete nuclear rocket system. Feldman Bros. Co. (Cleveland, Ohio) -- $31,940 -- Fabrication, erec:ion and installation of air and water systems for Arc Tunnel of Hypersonic Missile Propulsion Facility. -7-

. I- _" -...... -...... -...... -- General Electric Coo (Milwaukee, Wis,) -- $27,440 -- Furnish an X-ray unit for determination of crysta, structure in chemical analysis. Gustav Hirsch Organization (Columbus, Ohio -- $34,700 -- In- stallation of electrical equipment and wiring for Rocket Systems Research Facility at Plum Brook. Lieb-Jackson, Inc, (Columbus, Ohio) -- $36,230 -- Process piping and ductwork for the gas handling center at Plum Brook, The H. K, Ferguson Co., Inc. (Cleveland 14, Ohio) -- $46,100 -- Design and prepare plans and specifications for the Ion and Plasma Jet Facility.

The J. K. Ferguson Co. I Inc. (Cleveland, Ohio) -- $50,000 -- Engineering and drafting services as assigned for the Plum Brook Reactor Facility. Perkin-Elmer Corp. (Norwalk, Conn.) -- $35,482 -- Provide a spectrophotometer with emissivity and reflectivity attachment for use in research at Lewis. Radiation Dynamics, Inc. (Waterbury, Conn. ) -- $166,548 -- Furnish a dynamitron particle accelerator. Radio Corporation of America (Camden, N. J. ) -- $251,653 -- Radio frequency power supply for plasma research rig. Westinghouse Electric Corp, (Cleveland, Ohio) -- $37,711 -- Furnish a 250 HP variable speed vertical drive motor for sodium pump research facility. Willamette Iron & Steel Company (Portland, Ore.) -- $83,879 -- 10-foot high vacuum valve to be used in the Ion and Plasma Jet Faei lity.

MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER Huntsville, Ala.

Aeroquip Corp. (Sackson, Mich. ) -- $35,142 -- Hose assembly for laboratory use. Arnoux Corp. (Los Angeles, Calif,) -- $31,180 -- Furnish a telemetry decommutator system for Saturn. Arrowhead Products Division, Federal-Mogul-Bower Bearings, Inc, (Long Beach, Calif.) -- $99,846 -- Development and testing of components of vent, pressurizing and propellant feed lines used on Saturn. -8- Avco Corp. (Cincinnati, Ohio) -- $29,954 -- Engineering services and support fabrication work for Saturn. Chrysler Corp. (Detroit, Mich.) -- $117,498 -- Furnish Jupiter aft sections and component parts for Saturn. Consolidated Electrodynamics Corp. (Atlanta, Ga. ) -- $54,276 -- Furnish six recording oscillographs and an amplifier system for laboratory use. Cornel1 Aeronautical Lab, Inc. (Buffalo, N.Y.) -- $194,442 -- Conduct a research program on the application of shock tube techniques to the study of base heating of rocket motor vehicles, Douglas Aircraft Co., Inc. (Santa Monica, Calif, ) -- $84,634 -- Conduct study of operational requirements of Saturn C-2 system. Electro-Mechanical Research Inc. (Sarasota, Fla. ) -- $27,050 -- Discriminator, precision subcarrier, and tape speed needed to supple- ment the one set of discriminators now in Saturn ground station at Huntsville, Ala. Federal Systems Division, IBM Corp. (Rockville, Md. ) -- $160,000 -- Provide test equipment for IBM ASC-15 equipment. Filtron Co., Inc. (Flushing, N.Y. ) -- $74,173 Research and development of advanced radio frequency interference control systems and techniques for application to Saturn program. General Electric Co. (Cincinnati, Ohio) -- $42,500 -- Research and development on electrical conduction in cesium vapor to determine likelikhood of electric current malfunction in presence of cesium. General Electric Co. (Cincinnati, Ohio) -- $42,500 -- Conduct computer evaluation of ion engine configurations. Goodrich High Voltage Astronautics Inc. (Burlington, Mass. ) -- $26,308 -- Conduct cathode development studies for application in electric propulsion. International Business Machines Corp. (Huntsville, Ala. ) -- $52,000 -- Provide sound recording tape for laboratory use. Ling Electronics Div., Ling Temco Electronics, Inc. (Anaheim, Calif.) -- $76,635 -- Furnish an integrated vibration system capable of structural testing of space flight vehicles. Librascope Division, General Precision Inc. (Glendale, Calif.) -- $73,232 -- Furnish a prototype digital computer with sigmator for Saturn. -9- Midwest Research Institute (Kansas City, Mo.) -- $92,945 -- Determination of thermal properties of materials ranging from 2500 to 1500° C. Minneapolis-Honeywell Regulator Co. (Minneapolis, Minn. ) -- $143,439 -- Development of a ceramic gas bearing spin motor and gimbal assembly for use in AB-5 stabilizing gyro for future vehicles. Modern Machinery Associates, Inc. (Birmingham, Ala,) -- $169,975 -- Milling machine, Moog Servocontrols, Inc. (East Aurora, N.Y. ) -- $51,867 -- Furnish four linear hydraulic actuators for Saturn. N, S, Hatcher Co. (Sheffield, Ala,) -- $67,305 -- Furnish various parts for pre-fabrfcated steel building. North American Aviation, Inc. (Downey, Calif. ) -- $229,520 -- Provide inter-stage fairings for use on Saturn. Northwestern University (Evanston, Ill. ) -- $34,975 -- Re- search and development work on the application of electronic image conversion techniques to the tracking of space probes and other astronomical objects. Ortholog Division, Gulton Industries, Inc. (Trenton, N. J. ) -- $35,300 -- Airborne spectrum analyzers for Saturn. Parker Aircraft Co., Parker Hannifin Corp. (Los Angeles, Calif.) -- $68,436 -- Conduct a study of torque determination of flared tube style fittings for use with low pressure gases. Plasmadyne Corp. (Santa Ana, Calif. ) -- $66,542 -- Conduct re- combination study using plasma arc for application to electric propulsion technology. Ryan Aeronautical Corp. (San Diego, Calif. ) -- $75,000 -- Development of techniques for explosive-forming 70-inch-diameter bulkheads for rocket tanks and other parts. Development of methods for high-energy forming of hemispherical and cylindrical shapes used in space exploration programs will be studied. Texas Instruments, Inc. (Dallas, Texas) -- $35,000 -- Re- search and development of Peltier coolers in electric propulsion systems for operation in space environments. The Bendix Corp. (Utica, New York) -- $65,477 -- Furnish 32 triplex sphere assemblies for Saturn. The Bendix Corp. (Sidney, N.Y. ) -- $34,752 -- F'urnish connec- tors for laboratory use.

- 10 - The Hayes Corp, (Birmingham, Ala.) -- $45,876 -- Eight rack assemblies for Saturn,

University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, Mich.) -- $40,000 -* Con- duct investigation and study of transient heat transfer to determine temperature limits of pressurizing gases and the amount of heat transfer occurring in liquids in free gravity or reduced gravity fields.

Vought Astronautics (Dallas, Texas) -0 $112,156 -- Conduct study of orbital launch operations from an orbfting space station and resulting space exploration potentials.

WESTERN OPERATION OFFICE Santa Monica, Calif.

Electro-Optical Systems, Inc. (Pasadena, Calif. ) -- $96,212 -- Resemch and development on techniques for fabrication of solar concentrators as power source for space vehioles. Electro-Optical Systems, Inc. (Pasadena, Calif. ) -- $99,996 -- Investigation of condensers applicable to solar space power systems.

- END - _. --- ir \ \

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS Ai :i3 SPACE ADMlNiSTRATlON 1520 H STREET, NORTHWEST WASHINGTON 25. D. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6325 . EXECUTIVE 3-3260

/ L. -______I FOR RELEASE: Monday RELEASE NO. 61-54 March 20, 1961

DONLAN NAlFED ASSOCIATE DImCTOR OF LANGLEY RESEARCH CENTER

Charles J, Donlan of Hmpton, Virginia, an Associate Director' of. Project Mercury's Spac.e Task 'Group of The National Aeponautics and Space Administration, has been appointed Associate Director of The Langley Research Center--largest of the NASA centers special- izing in basic aerospace research. The appointment will be effective April -1, according to an announcement today by Floyd L, Thompson, Langley Director, who pointed out that Donlan's background and experience with Project Mercury will help strengthen Langley's major research effort in support of current and future manned space flight programs. The associate director posi'tion at Langley has been vacant since last May, when Thompson became director. Donian, associated with the Space Task Group since its formation at Langley in November 1958, has assisted in the management of ProJect Mercury and has given considerable atteqtion to the research and technical development aspects of the Man-In-Space Program, which is directed by Robert X. Gilruth. Walter C. Williams will continue as Associate Director of Space Task Group. He joined the organization 13 years ago after 13 years of research, development, and operational experience as head of the NASA's Research Airplane program-at the Flight Re- seaxh Center, Edwards , California. Both Donlan and Williams have assi8ted in the direction of the extenseve wind tunnel, laboratory, and free flight research conducted by NASA and cooperating agencies in the development of the ProJect Mercury vehicle, which is in the final stages of development, Manned sub-orbital and orbital flights are planned later this year in the spacecraft. With the exception of 2k years with th.e Space Task Group, Donlan has served since 1938 on the staff of Langley, which has c: <:acted a major portion of the research required in support of ProJect Mercury. Established in 1917, Langley has a total.of 3,200 employees and facilities representing an investment of $~~o,ooo,oo~. Prior to joining Project Mercury, Donlan was Technical Assistant to Langley's Associate Director -- a position then held by Thompson before he became Director. As Technical Assis- tant, Donlan helped initiate, guide, and direct a variety of aerospace research, including NASA's early studies in the field c<:F manned space flight. Donlan was born July 15, 1916, In Lawrence, Massachusetts. He attended secondary schools in North Andover, Massachusetts, and received a B, S. degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1938. He has taken graduate courses under the auspices of the University of Virginia. 8 Donlants first assignment at Langley was in the spin tunnel, where he helped develop a spin design criterion for monoplanes. Later work in the stability analysis group resulted in his pre- pzring one of the earlier technical papers dealing with application of wind-tunnel results to dynamic flight conditions. He became assistant head of the St8bility Tulrlnel in 1941. In 1954, Donlan assisted in carrying out a stability and control program for an Air Corps airplane undergoing development tests at Langley. The next year, he was Project Engineer with responsibility for design and construction of the high-speed 7 by 10-foot wind tunnel. From 1945 to 1951, he was engaged'in research and de9elopment programs in general aerodynamics and stability and control in Lzngley's two 7 by 10-foot wind tunnel facilities -- serving as head of the high-speed 7 by 10-foot tunnel section and as assistant head of the 7 by 10-foot tunnels branch. , Donlan has authored or co-authored more than 25 technical reports. He has delivered numerous talks and lectures and has represented the NASA at technical meetings in the United States and abroad. In 1955, he was delegate to a Supersonic Aircraft Design Conference in Bedford, England. As Chairman of a Depart- ment of Defense Special Technical Committee, he visited aircraft establishments in England ar,d Prance, Donlan is a member of Tau Beta ?is an associate fellow of the Institute of the Aerospace Sciences, and a member of the Engineers Club of the Virginia Peninsula. Donlan is married to the former Marguerite Phelan of North Andover, Massachusetts, and they have two sons. The family lives at 220 Crescent Drive, Hampton, Virginia.

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I I .. NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS A! J SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1520 H STREET, NORTHWES- WASHINGTON 25. D. c. TELEPHONES' DUDLEY 2-6325 . EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE: Thursday, PM's RELEASE NO. 61-55 March 23, 1961

P-14 Magnetometer-Plasma Probe Within a few days, the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis- tration's Goddard Space Flight Center will launch a space probe intended to gather the most definitive information yet obtained on earth and interplanetary magnetic fields and the way these fields affect and are affected by solar plasma. The 78-pound payload is to be launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida, on a Thor-Delta rocket. The four-day flight will be programmed to carry the payload outward in a highly eccentric earth orbit to a distance of over 100,000 statute miles and back to the edge of the earth's atmosphere, Payload instrumentation will include a rubidium vapor magnetometer, two fluxgate magnetometers, a plasma probe and an optical aspect sensor. While this flight is a continuation of scientific investigations made with earlier satellites and space probes, it also is a new effort in many respects. It will be the first flight into deep space with a highly accurate rubidium vapor magnetometer. This absolute instrument will make possible the first measurements of hydromagnetic and wave shocks, (One type of hydromagnetic wave might be visualized as vibrating lines of magnetic force.) The plasma experiment will give the first measurements and direction of the flow of very low energy protons coming to the earth from the sun. In addition, the probe is expected %o determine the geometry and strength of interplanetary or solar magnetic fields, and the distribution and strength of electric currents in the outer radiation (Van Allen) belt of the earth. The experiment is expected to determine more precisely the nature of the interaction of' magnetic fields and solar corpuscular radiation. This effort -- to obtain total field measurements and determine the effect of magnetic fields on charged particles -- is expected to lead to a better understanding of the phenomena which affect the earth and its surroundings. These field and particle phenomena will constitute man's environment as he ventures into deep space, New knowledge on this environment will make it possible to chart flight paths through the.least hostile regions of interplanetary space. PAY LOAD

Rubidium Vapor Magnetometer The heart of this payload is the 1.5 pound rubidium vapor magnetometer. It is a relatively new instrument -- development began only two years ago =- which is extremely sensitive and accurate. The P-14 model measures field intensities rqnging from .01 to 7000 gammas. It is an absolute instrument, that is, its measurements depend only on fixed constants which do not require calibration. The underlying principle on which the rubidium vapor magnetometer measures 'field strength is expressed in the equation: f(cyl1es per second) = 699,632 (H) where (H) is the field strength in gauss. In other words, the rate at which the rubidium 87 isotope spins around its nucleus is known precisely and produces a frequency of nearly 7 cycles per second in a weak magnetic field of 0.00001 gauss. The frequency is directly proportional to the field -- the stronger the field, the higher the frequency. This 2s the way the rubidium vapor magnetometer works : Light from a small rubidium lamp passes through a filter, lens and polarizer. This sequence produces a circumstance in which polarized light at a wave length characteristic of rubidium vapor passes into a cell containing rubidium vapor. The light is abaorbed by the rubidium 87 atoms having a particular orientation in the cell. When this condition exists, the cell is opaque to the passage of light, which is detected with a silicon photocell, whose output is fed to an amplifier. As the opaqueness exists for only one-half cycle of the spin of the rubidium atoms, the cell is alternately opaque and transparent at the spin frequency, which is determined by the strength of the magnetic field.

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.~ " _. .- . . , . . . . . _...... I.- . . . .- _. ~ .. ., .. .- . . __ This produces a fluctuating light at the photocell which is then amplified and fed back as a small alternating magnetic field. The purpose of this alternating magnetic field is to produce an ordered alignment of the rubidium atoms such that the process will be self-continuing. Flumate Magnetometers The two fluxgate magnetometers, which weigh about one pound each, are considerably more sensitive than those flown before. They are intended to measure fields from O,5 to 25 gammas. These magnetometers are intended primarily to determine the direction of weak magnetic fields . However, the fluxgates are oriented on this payload at a unique angle, such that the spin of the payload makes it possible to also make total field measurements. Thus, the fluxgates redundant with respect to each other and with respect to the rubidium vapor magnetometer in very weak fields. Plasma Probe This instrument, which weighs about 2.5 pounds, is designed to measure the density,direction and bulk veloc3.ty of interplanetary plasma. Positive and negatlve particles enter the probe through a 6-inch circular aperture and pass through a series of grids behind which there is a collector. The arrangement is such that the probe is sensitive only to protons -- positive particles -- with a velocity ranging from 6 miles/sec, to 1000/sec. The purpose of the experiment is to determine the direction as well as the density and velocity of clouds or streams of protons. This information may help answer basic questions about magnetohydrodynamics -- the behavior of ionized gases and the interaction of these gases with magnetic fields ,

-3- Payload Participants Work on this experiment began about two years at the Goddard Space Flight Center, where the payload was designed, built and tested. The Fields and Particles Branch of the Space Sciences Division of the Goddard Space Flight Center has the responsibility for project management. The project manager is Dr. James P, Heppner and the payload coordin@tor is Thomas L. Skillman, There are six experimenters associated with the project. They are: Rubidium vapor and fluxgate magnetometers -- Dr. Heppner, Skillman and C. So Scearce, all of the Goddard Space Flight Center. Plasma probe -- Dr. Bruno Rossi, Dr. Herbert Bridge and Dr. Frank Scherb of the Laboratory For Nuclear Science, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and E. F, Lyon of the Lincoln Laboratory, MIT . Opitical Aspect Sensor -- J. S. Albus and D. H. Schaeffer of the Goddard Space Flight Center. The experimenters drew up the proposals for the studies with which they are associated and were responsible for the construction of the experimental instruments and establishing technical requirements, They also are responsible for supervising the analysis of the data and publishing results of the experiments. The rubidium vapor magnetometer was developed by Varian Associates, Palo Alto, California, under the direction of the Goddard Space Flight Center, The fluxgate magnetometers were built by the Schonstedt Engineering Company, Silver Spring, Md. The MIT group constructed the plasma probe experiment and the optical aspect sensor was built by the GSFC. The payload structure and all supporting electronic systems in the payload such as transmitters, telemetry encoders, and programming units were designed and built by the Payloads System Division at the Goddard Space Flight Center. -4- Tra.4 ectory

The "window" or period during which r,he probe may be launched is restricted to three hours per day on about ten days per month, Only within these restricted periods is it possible to program a trajectory that provides the proper relative positions for the earth, sun, mQon and payload. This llwindoullmust be such that :

- Solar noise will not distort OT block out transmissions from the probe. - The optical aspect system will have proper look angles for the sun, earth and moon to determine the payload's orientation in space for correlation with eransmitted data. - The payload is in the proper orientation to detect and measure particles emitted from the sun. The trajectory calculated to satisfy these conditions and obtain representative data on magnetiu fielas and charged particles in intsrplanetary space is a highly ecuentric earth orbit with an inclination of 33 degrees, apcgee of over 100,000 statute miles and perigee of about 105 statute miles, (With such a low perigee, the probe probably will be dragged into the atmosphere and burn up.) The trajectory was planned by the Douglas Aircraft Company, Flight Sequence

The first stage of the Thor-Delta vehicle is scheduled to burn ab0u.t 2*minutes and carry the probe out about 46 statute miles. After first-stage burnout, the first and second stages are separated by firing explosive bolts. About 40 seconds after eecond-stage ignition, the spring-loaded nwe fairing is jettisoned by means of explosive bolts which separate straps holding together the fairing. The second stage burns about 2 minutes. At second stage burnout, the probe should be about 98 statute miles above the surface of the earth. After second stage burnout, the probe coasts about 40 seconds, Second and third stage separation is accomplished with explosive bolts.

After coast, in rapid sequence, the third stage is spun up to 95 rpm by small spin rockets to stabilize the third stage and payload, The stage then ignites and is separated from the second stage with explosive bolts. The third stage fires for about 40 seconds.carrying the probe to an altitude of about 115 statute miles and injection into orbit at a velocity of ab0u.t 24,300 miles per hour. About two minutes after third stage burnout, the third stage and payload are separated by means of explosive bolts and a spring mechanism. At separation the payload is about 890 miles downrange from the launch site.

There is no propulsion in the payload. -5-

. -. ... .__.- . . Launch Vehicle

This probe is to be launched with a three-stage Delta vehicle having the following characteristics: Height - 92 feet Max. diameter - 8 feet Lift-off weight - a little less than 112,000 pounds First stage (modified USAF Thor, Douglas Aircraft Company) : Fuel - liquid (LOX and kerosene) Weight - about 107,000 pounds fueled Thrust - about 150,000 pounds Burning time - 159 seconds Guidance - radio guidance system (mounted on second stage) and roll and pitch programmers Second stwe (Aerojet General) : Fuel - liquid Weight - more than 4,000 pounds Thrust - about 7,500 pounds Burning time - 114 seconds Guidance - radio guidance system (Douglas Aircraft flight controller plus Bell Telephone Laboratory) Thif-d stage (Alleganp Ballistics Laboratory) : Fuel - solid Weight - more than 500 pounds Thrust - about 3,000 pounds Burning time - 4.2 seconds Guidance - spin-stabilized All stages were assembled and checked by Douglas, the prime vehicle contractor.

-6-

-...... ~ - . - ...... -_I Tracking and Telemetry A new ground system for telemetry reception and dop ler tracking information was designed for the P-1)2 probe by the Radio Systems Branch of the GSFC, This system was installed at the stations in England and Hawaii, as well as at a number of Minitrack stations, Data from the experiments is transmitted to the earth by a 108 megacycle transmitter employing phase modulation, The specially designed transmitter operates at 35 percent efficiency and produces 5 to 6 watts of output power,

The probe will be tracked by receiving stations at Jodrell Bank, England (250-fOot dish ; Goldstone, California (85-foot dish antennalantenna ; Woomera, Australia (85-foot dish antenna) j Hawaii (60,-foot dish antenna); and Esslen Park (Johannesburg) , South Africa (a 22 db yagi array antenna) , Secondary tracking and data acquisition stations for this launch are Quito, Ecuador; Santiago, Chile; Blossom Point, Maryland; and the Minitrack station at Woomera, Australia, The facility on Ascension Island will provide only tracking information,

- end -

-7- 2.4>. "&. NEWS RELEASE'-- NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1520 H STREET, NORTHWEST . WASHINGTON 25. D. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6325 * EXECUTIVE 3-3260

FOR RELEASE: 5~30P.M. March 24, 1961

1 ADDRESS BY JOHN A. JOHNSON, GENERAL COUNSEL I I NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION TO THE NEW YORK PATENT LAW ASSOCIATION WALDORF-ASTORIA HOTEL, NEW YORK CIm I 1 FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 1961 1'1 THE NEW FRONTIER OF SPACE

It was less than three years ago that Congress enacted into law a truly historic piece of legislation, the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958. That Act created a new civilian agency of Government, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and gave it a responsibility radically different from anything that had gone before. In the words of the statute, NASA was directed to conduct such activities "as may be required for the exploration of space,"

The exploration of space! For thousands of years man had been devising forms of government and writing laws, but never before had he presumed to deal with the limitless reaches of outer space. Now, for the first time in the long history of legislation, these words, "the exploration of space," entered the statute books, bringing with them a train of consequences which we can only dimly foresee at the present time.

From man's earliest beginnings, he has been engaged in one kind of exploration or another. The very word "exploration" calls to mind some of the noblest enterprises of mankind, & think of the great voyages of discovery of Columbus and Balboa, of Magellan and Cook, and, in our own century, of Peary, Scott, and Amundsen. Man is an explorer by nature: there is something of it in each of us, Man demands that the unknown be reduced to knowledge: that the unfamiliar and remote, wherever possible, become the stuff of human experience.

It is not a new thing for governments to be concerned with exploration. Motivated by desires for trade, conquest, and colonization, many of the sovereigns of the past have engaged in the business of exploration and discovery, and nations have risen to greatness because of such activity. But in 1958, our nation conceived for the first time that it should be an essential and continuing function of government to undertake the exploration of the new frontier of outer space without regard to any of the motives which have moved nations in the past to reach beyond themselves into the unknown. The exploration of space is not a national program today because it holds the prospect of new worlds to conquer by the sword: nor because it offers opportunities for colonization: nor even because of the promise of economic benefits, although these may turn out to be substantial. No, the exploration of space is a national program because at this point in history man realizes, more in- tensely than ever before, that knowledge is power. Today, greatness as a nation depends upon mastery and control of man's physical environment: and the extension and perfection of scientific knowledge is fundamental to that mastery and control.

Man's environment is not limited to the earth: it includes the great spatial sea in which the earth itself moves. Today, man has at his disposal for the first time the tools which make it possible for him to venture forth into that great sea of space, to explore and to discover, to investigate and to learn. These tools, which future generations will doubtless think primitive, must be improved, perfected, and used in the service of enlarging the boundaries of man's knowledge. What benefits this may ultimately bring to mankind, no one today can predict, although some are already foreseeable. But one can phophesy with certainty that the exploration of space will be a great new human adventure from which it is inconceivable that man will withdraw, regardless of the frustrations, the heartaches,.and the costs that it is bound to entail.

In considering our nation's space exploration program, it is well to know first of all what it is not. It is not a program designed to create new and more powerful weapons or, for that matter, defense against such weapons. It is a program devoted to peaceful purposes.

The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 contains a declaration of major historical importance. At the very beginning of the Act it states, "The Con- gress hereby declares that it is the policy of the United States that activities in space should be devoted to peaceful purposes for the benefit of all mankind." The Act echoed the words of a concurrent resolution which the Congress had passed just a few weeks earlier expressing the "devout wish of all peoples everywhere, in every nation, in every environment that the exploration of outer space shall be by peaceful means and shall be dedicated to peaceful purposes."

Space for peaceful purposes! The reasons for creating a new civilian agency, totally outside the De- partment of Defense and answerable directly to the President, were closely tied in with these declarations of national policy. Henceforth, it was to be clearly understood that it is the policy of our nation to emphasize the civil, rather than the military, uses of outer space.

You may be assured that it continues to be the policy of the united States Government to place in the hands of a civilian agency the responsibility for carrying out this new mission of Government, the exploration of space for peaceful purposes. Among the agencies of Government, only NASA has been given this responsibility and this mission. The armed services have no comparable mission. Theirs is the supremely important mission of the defense of the nation: and in carrying it out, the military must make use of every means available to it. This includes the utilization of space whenever that medium provides the best means for accomplishing the mission of defense. But military space projects must always compete in the total military budget with alter- native means of accomplishing the same military objectives, and they will be undertaken only if they survive this competition. NASA, however, unlike the military, has been directed by statute, clearly and unequivocally, to undertake the exploration of space itself and to do whatever is necessary to accomplish it.

This mission of space exploration is one which the Congress, in effect, has decided must be performed for its own sake without having to justify it in relation to the defense needs of the nation or, for that matter, to the economic benefits which may possibly flow from it. It is a mission which stands firmly on its own two feet, justified by nothing more tangible than the total national interest in maintaining leadership in science and technology and in their application to the conduct of peaceful activities for the benefit of all mankind.

Now what does this new mission of space exploration comprehend? Fundamentally, it means using the new tools of the space age to expand man's knowledge of his environment -- by the conduct of scientific experiments in space, and by observation through the use of unmanned vehicles equipped with the most ingenious instruments man can devise. But it doesn't stop there. Ultimately, and essentially, it means the sending of man himself into space -- first in orbital flight about the earth, and eventually to the moon and the nearby planets. And finally, the exploration of space includes investigation of every possibility of utilizing space for the practical benefit of mankind, such as the improvement of weather forecasting and world-wide communications through the use of satellites.

Each of these parts of our space exploration program holds great promise, and each is progressing with a rapidity never before experienced in the early stages of a new technological development. I shall briefly summarize what we hope to do during the coming decade in each of these areas. But first we should take a look at one of the major tools we use to do the job of exploring space -- the launch vehicles. simply stated, a launch vehicle is a device used to propel and guide a useful object, a spacecraft such as the Echo satellite which you have all seen, from the surface of the earth into orbit about the earth or onto a flight path toward the moon or some other celestial body. The propulsive power needed for such a task has been achieved by the development of modern rocketry, beginning with the historic feat of Dr. Robert Goddard just 35 years ago in accomplishing the first flight of a liquid-fueled rocket.

Until very recently the development of large rockets was the exclusive province of the military. You are a11 acquainted with our long-range ballistic missiles -- the Thor, Jupiter, and Atlas. These are rocket-powered vehicles designed originally not for space exploration purposes but to launch nuclear weapons thousands of miles toward an enemy target. These vehicles, and the rockets which power them, have been carefully tailored to perform specific military tasks, and they do this job superbly. They fall far short, however, of meeting our space exploration needs. Let me explain.

The propulsive power of launch vehicles is expressed in pounds of thrust. The propulsion systems in the Thor and Jupiter IRBM’s produce about 150,000 pounds of thrust, while the Atlas ICBM, the most powerful in our inventory, has about 360,000 pounds of thrust. These are the rockets which we have had to use to date and will continue to have to use for some time to come to provide propulsion for the first stages of the launch vehicles used in our space exploration program.

By contrast, the Soviet Union has had at its command a first stage which we estimate is in the 700,000- to 800,000-pound-thrust range -- perhaps twice the thrust of our Atlas.

I.. . I- _”-I-I- . I ...... ”._ _” - ...... _I...... Although this advantage in propulsive power does not imply a superiority in ballistic missile weaponry -- indeed, we are confident that our ballistic missiles can carry a warhead to the desired target with accuracy in the same manner as the Soviet rockets presumably can -- the story is different when we turn from weapons to space exploration. Their more powerful rockets with their greater weight-lifting capability, when employed in launch vehicles for space exploration purposes, have enabled them to perform some feats in space which we are not yet able to match.

Space technology, of course, is a very complex thing involving innumerable elements other than rocket propulsion. I think it is safe to say that in every other aspect of space technology the United States is at least equal with and, in some areas, clearly ahead of the Soviet Union. But this matter of the weight-lifting capability of our launch vehicles continues to be a real limiting factor in the conduct of space exploration; and the development of a new launch vehicle can't be accomplished overnight -- like the development of a new type of aircraft, it takes several years.

Government and industry are working together to remedy this deficiency as rapidly as possible. New launch vehicles are being developed that will greatly increase our capability to undertake major missions of space exploration. I should like to review them with you briefly. In comparing the expected performance of these new launch vehicles, it is necessary to use a common yardstick. The yardstick we have chosen is the number of pounds of payload each launch vehicle will be capable of placing in orbit at an altitude of 300 nautical miles above the earth.

To date, the most powerful launch vehicle used in our space exploration program is the Thor-Delta, which employs the Thor IRBMbooster as its first stage. It became available for use last year and was used to place the Echo satellite in orbit. It can place a 500-pound payload in a 300-mile orbit above the earth, a considerable advance in only two years' time over the 31 pounds of Explorer I and the 55 pounds of Vanguard I, the first two united States satellites with which we began space exploration early in 1958.

During this year, our weight-lifting capability is taking a giant stride forward with the new Atlas Agena B launch vehicle. With this vehicle, we will be able to place a 5,000-pound payload in a 300-mile orbit. This, however, will bei! quickly exceeded by another new vehicle which, for the first time, will add an upper stage to the Atlas fueled by liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen. This is called Atlas-Centaur and should be undergoing intensive development testing in 1962. Centaur will be capable of placing an 8500-pound payload in a 300-mile orbit and sending 2500 pounds as far as the moon.

Nsither of these launch vehicles, however, will match the present Soviet capability in the launch vehicle field. As you know, the Soviets have recently reported the launching of large orbiting spacecraft weighing approximately seven tons . The vehicle which will enable us to exceed by a substantial margin anything the Soviet union has demonstrated to date is the Saturn, our top priority launch vehicle. The first stage of Saturn will consist of sight engines of the type used in the Thor and Jupiter IRBM's, clustered to produce one-and-a-half million pounds of thrust, or roughly four times the thrust of the Atlas ICBM. This will be combined with upper stages utilizing liquid hydrogen-fueled engines e In its initial configuration, which we call Saturn C-1, it should be ready for its first operational mission some time in 1964. The C-1 is designed to place 19,000 pounds, almost 10 tons, in a 300-mile orbit: and it should also be capable of sending a 5,000-pound payload to the vicinity of the moon and a 2500-pound payload to Mars or Venus. A later and more powerful configuration of Saturn, called C-2, is also under development. By 1967, we expect that the Saturn program will give the united States a capability of launching spacecraft weighing over 20 tons.

.. * -...... - . . . _...... _...... -. . .~...... ,

Looking beyond Saturn, we have under development an engine designed to produce one-and-a-half million pounds of thrust in a single chamber, roughly the equivalent of the entire thrust of the first stage of Saturn. This tremendous engine, which will not be available for use until the latter part of this decade, may be clustered in a launch vehicle to produce a total thrust of up to 12,000,000 pounds in the take-off stage. We have used the term Nova to refer to the concept of a launch vehicle employing such a propulsion system, but the configuration of such a vehicle has not yet been determined. It will probably be the first vehicle with sufficient power to accomplish a manned landing on the moon by direct flight from the earth.

Now what does NASA intend to accomplish with this array of powerful launch vehicles during the next several years? As I mentioned earlier, the space exploration program may be regarded as having three main subdivisions. First, the conduct of scientific investigations in space by means of unmanned spacecraft to increase our basic scientific knowledge. Second, the exploration of space by man himself. And third, the development of practical applications of space technology for the economic benefit of mankind.

Up to the present time, the first of these areas, the space science program, has been responsible for the greater portion of our launchings. It has been a remarkably successful program, far overshadowing in scientific output the efforts of the Soviet Union. In a recent report to the House Committee on Science and As- tronautics, NASA noted that nearly all of the highly original work that has been done in space research to date has come out of the Uhited States program. The conclusions of the report were summed up in the statement that the Soviet Union's space science program "has dis- sipated some of its momentum after the initial successes of the Sputnik launchings, while the United States program has picked up momentum from a standing start and now surpasses the USSR effort in its breadth of interest, originality of concept, and volume of research." Time does not permit an account of the scientific observations and discoveries which have been made as the result: of the united States space science program during the past three years, but I should like to mention just one example in passing which represented a great achieve- ment in space technology as well as space science. You will recall that just about a year ago Pioneer V was launched successfully in orbit about the sun between earth and Venus. Weighing only 95 pounds, it contained a variety of useful instruments designed to investigage interplanetary space and to test extreme long-range communications, The project was highly successfu1, transmitting data back to earth for a period of 106 days. When communication finally ceased, Pioneer V was 22 and one-half million miles from earth. This distance was 50 times farther into space than man had previously communicated and approximately five times farther than the Russians claim to have communicated with their Venus probe launched last month.

During the next few years, as more powerful launch vehicles become available to us, we plan to place in orbit a number of very complex satellites which are known by such impressive names as Orbiting Solar Cbservatory, Orbiting Geophysical Observatory, and Orbiting Astron- omical Observatory. As their names indicate, they will have different objectives which determine their operating characteristics,

The Solar Observatory, which is scheduled for launching this year, will be stabilized in space in such a way as to point its instrumentation steadily at the sun throughout the course of its orbit. By contrast, the Geophysical Observatory, the first launching of which is scheduled for 1963, will be stabilized so that the same axis constantly points toward the earth. It will be equipped to conduct a wide variety of studies of the earth's immediate environment -- for example, the atmosphere and ionosphere in the unexplored regions above the poles.

9 The Orbiting Astronomical Observatory will be a very large, complex satellite weighing over 3,000 pounds. It will have a stabilizing system to lock astronomical equipment, on the star, sun, or planet it is observing. With its fine pointing control, it will be able to track a star with an accuracy of one- tenth of a second of arc, roughly the equivalent of locking onto a basketball 500 miles away. Telemetry equipment will relay the satellite's observations back to earth. The first of a series of launchings is scheduled for 1963.

The scientific program does no* stop with earth- orbiting satellites. It also includes exploration of the moon and the nearby planets with unmanned spacecraft. During 1962, three launchings are planned of spacecraft designed to make a rough landing on the moon. This spacecraft is being designed to carry a 300-pound capsule which will survive the shock of im- pacting the mom at almost 300 miles an hour. In addition to depositing highly sensitive instruments to take readings on the moon's surface, this spacecraft will be equipped with high resolution television cameras which will transmit approximately 1QO pictures of the moon during the approach to landing. The last picture, taken at about 20 miles above the moon's surface, will view a 2,000-foot square and have a resolution between 10 and 20 feet.

We have called this series of hard landings on the moon Project Ranger, It will be followed by an extensive series of launchings commencing in 1963 of spacecraft designed to land gently on the moon at a speed slightly slower than a manned parachute landing on earth. This project we call Surveyor. The space- crgft for this project is now under development and will carry a variety of scientific instruments, including several TV cameras which can relay back to earth pictures of the moon's features. me of its

10 most interesting features is a drill which will be designed to penetrate at, least 18 inches into the moon's surface. As it drills, small fragments will be brought into the spacecraft and subjected to chemical analysis. One of the TV cameras will be used to monitor this operation so that scientists on eaqth can watch the process on their TV screens.

By 1966 or 1967, we should be ready for the next step in unmanned lunar exploration --. the landing of a mobile laboratory, a sort of "moan jeep," on the moon. This project we call Prospector. Xt should be capable of exploring the moon's surface throughout a radius of perhaps 50 miles, terrain permitting, and thus obtain vastly more useful data than could be obtained with stationary craft. By mapping areas of greatest interest, Prospector should be an invaluable forerunner to manned exploration of the moon.

When the Centaur vehicle becomes available next year, it will be possible to launch spacecraft to fly close to the planets Mars and Venus to obtain scientific observations not only of those planets but of the interplanetary environment en route. In the second half of the 196O's, when Saturn becomes available for planetary exploration, it is planned to launch a spacecraft called Voyager to orbit Mars and Venus. It would be designed to eject a landing capsule capable of surviving entry into the planet's atmosphere and even landing on the planet itself. Thus, the orbiting mother spacecraft would observe the planet and its atmosphere from an altitude of several hundred miles, while the landing capsule would make detailed measurements during descent and on the planet's surface. Data from the capsule, including TV pictures, would probably be relayed to earth by the mother craft. The target date for this project is the 1966 to '67 period.

All of this exploration with unmanned spacecraft is an indispensable prerequisite to manned exploration of the moon and the planets.

When we turn from unmanned spacecraft to the exploration of space by man himself, an entirely new dimension of activity opens up. It is the prospect of man escaping from his earthly environment that makes the whole business the most exciting enterprise of our age. It is the thought of man being projected into a totally alien environment -- whether in orbital flight about the earth, or standing for the first time on the moon, or circumnavigating another planet -- that stimu- lates the human imagination as nothing else has done since the first days of powered flight a half century ago.

NASA's program of manned space exploration is pointed toward the landing of men on the moon at the end of the present decade, and eventually toward manned exploration of the nearer planets of the solar system. me goal of manned flight to the moon will determine the content and dimensions of our total space exploration effort more than any other factor during the next ten years. In fact, it is already doing so. NASA's biggest single project to date is Project Mercury, the program for sending an astronaut in orbital flight about the earth. If all goes as planned, some time late this year

11 the first Mercury Astronaut will be boosted into orbit from Cape Canaveral and will circumnavigate the globe three times in four-and-a-half hours before returning to join his earth-bound fellow men, Xn that brief journey, at an altitude of 100 miles and a speed reaching 18,000 miles per hour, lie will have traveled incomparably higher and faster than man has ever done before.

Project Mercury is but the first limited, though very significant, step toward our long-range goal -- manned flight to the mom and the nearby planets. It is the simplest way to learn what we need to know at the earliest possible date about how man behaves, physically and mentally, under the conditions of space flight. Our long-range plans are based on the assumption that man can and will be an active and useful participant in space exploration: but until we take this first step, no one can know for sure.

Exploration in the vicinity of the moon will require that man be absent from the earth, living in an artificial environment, for at least a week. To explore Mars or Venus will require more than a year for the round trip. Before undertaking such missions, it is essential that man's behavior under prolonged periods of space flight be carefully investigated. What is needed for this purpose is an earth-orbiting laboratory in which men can live and operate for increasing periods of time.

Project Apollo, which will follow Project Mercury in the manned space exploration program, is designed to meet this need. It will be able to carry two or more astronauts on flights of considerable auration. However, in addition to serving as a manned orbiting laboratory, the Apollo spacecraft will also be able to take men on journeys around the moon and back to earth. In these circumlunar reconnaissance flights, which are now planned for the 1968-1970 time period, it is hoped that many of the prcblems to be encountered in landing men on the moon will be solved.

- I*-.._I__._.. . .- _-...... _" ...... ~ . . This brings us to the final category in our program -- the field of practical applications of space technology. At the present time Chs two most promising areas are weather satellites and communications satellites. The Chief of the United Stakes Weather Bureau has said that the meteorological satellite is the most significant development in meteoroJ.ogy of all times -- perhaps of greater importance than the invention of the barometer itself. You will recall that NASA took the first steps on the road to a revolution in weather forecasting with the launching last April of Tiros I and last November of Tiros 11. During their active life, these satellites took more than 35,000 remarkably fine photographs of the earth and its cloud cover. The value of these pictures to weather forecasting and meteorological research has exceeded all expectations. For the first time in history man has been able to perceive cloud patterns visually on a global scale. Tiros also obtained meteorological information from many sections of the world where weather information had previously been virtually nonexistent,

The Tiros series of satellites, of which two more are scheduled during the next 12 months, will be followed by a more advanced version called Nimbus, commencing in mid 1962. This spacecraft will contain as many as six television cameras to photograph the clouds covering the earth and will also carry infrared equipment for measuring solar and terrestrial radiation. It will be launched into a polar orbit at an altitude of about 600 miles, permitting the cameras to photograph the entire earth in each 24-hour period.

We feel we are well along the way toward achieving for the first time in man's history the ability to make virtually continuous observations of weather phenomena over the entire globe, including the polar, oceanic, and desert areas that presently are not producing much sig- nif icant data.

The use of satellites for world-wide communication looks equally promising. Here we have under investigation

13 two essentially different systems. The first of these is the passive reflector satellite, which carries no communications equipment but merely reflects the signal from a transmitting point on earth to a receiver at another point on earth, thus extending line-of-sight transmissions to intercontinental ranges. The other system is the active repeater satellite, which carries equipment to receive, amplify, and retransmit the signal.

Project Echo was a satellite of the first kind, a purely passive reflector. With it we have made communications history, as it has successfully demonstrated that a satellite can be used to transmit over very long distances telephone calls, teletype messages, facsimile mai!. and photographs.

NASA is also undertaking the development of the first active repeater satellite designed to be able to receive and simultaneously rebroadcast communications -- the type which presently appears most promising for commercial use on a global scale. However, it is still uncertain as to which type of system will ultimately be the best, both from the economic as well as the technological standpoint. NASA will continue its research in both types of systems to demonstrate, to the extent possible, their technical feasibility and to make sure that the choice of an operational system is made on the most informed basis.

The potentialities of satellite communications are enormous and promise a virtual revolution in the fields of world-wide telephone, telegraph, and television transmission. I think the most significant indicator of the shape of things to come is the tremendous interest which a great variety of industries are showing in the new field of communications. In the telephone and telegraph areas alone, there appears to be virtual unanimity that satellite communications will provide a more economical means than new submarine cables for meeting the greatly increased demands for transoceanic services which can be anticipated during the coming decade. For the first time, world-wide television becomes foreseeable: and entirely new forms of global communications, such as closed-circuit TV on an international basis, are made possible.

From this survey of our nation's space exploration program, I think we can all agree that one of its most striking aspects is the variety and diversity of activities that are in prospect. Whole new fields of scientific investigation are opening up. The frontiers of manned flight are being immeasurably pushed back, and space activities of immense practical benefit are already in sight. On the basis of what we know today, man can look forward, with justifiable hope, to an era of unprecedented scientific discovery and technological progress -- the era of the Space Age.

But there is another side to the coin, and it is a. side with which lawyers should be particularly concerned. Today man looks outward toward space not only with hope but with fear. The new technology which can be employed for his benefit may also be used for his destruction.

What is needed is regulation and control -- a rule of law, and effective international organization for its administration. The needed controls should not shackle progress. If properly designed and properly administered, they should have the effect of freeing space for peaceful exploration, while reassuring the peoples of the world that their own safety is not being jeopardized by such activities. Today, much of the activity in outer space has an ambiguous quality about it which, if allowed to continue, may eventually have an inhibiting effect or! all space exploration. If reasonable restraints are not imposed, unreasonable ones may be demanded.

The United States has made its position clear, both in the Disarmament Conference and in the General Assembly of the United Nations. It has proposed that there be prohibited by international agreement the placing into orbit or stationing in outer space of vehicles capable of mass destruction and that an international organization be given effective powers to determine compliance with

15 such an agreement by requiring prior notification of proposed launchings of all space vehicles and undertaking on-site inspection of such launchings, The Soviet Union appears not to be in basic disagreement with this proposal, but the whole subject has become entangled with the disarmament question. It remains a major problem for constructive statesmanship.

There are other problems of international organization and control relating to space activities which deserve attention. The United Nations Ad Hoc Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space, reporting in July, 1959, listed a number of these on which agreement is needed to insure the orderly conduct of space exploration. Among them are the proper and adequate allocation of radio frequencies for use in communicating with and among space vehicles; identification and registration of space vehicles, and coordination of launchings; avoidance of interference between space vehicles and aircraft, and possibly even among space vehicles; and protection of public health and safety, including safeguards against contamination of outer space or from outer space.

In addition to these problems of international organization and control, there are problems of a more purely legal nature which will require solution. Some of these involve primarily the extension or application of established legal principles to a new field of human activity -- space exploration, For example, liability for personal injury and property damage caused by space activities. Shall the disposition of such cases be governed by a rule of absolute liability, regardless of fault? Also, as another example, what should be the rights and obligations of the launching state and the host state in the case of unscheduled landings of spacecraft and personnel? Should the launching state have the right of immediate repatriation of personnel and re- possession of the spacecraft, assuming that there is still something worth repossessing? These legal problems do not pose essentially new legal questions from the lawyer's point of view. Established principles and

. .. -...... _.^...... i ._ ...... rules are available for application: and it is perhaps not too difficult to predict the probable course of legal development in such areas, even in the absence of an international agreement specifically dealing with them.

On the other hand, there are some entirely new legal problems raised for the very first time because of space activities. I shall cite three of these. First, is there or should there be an upward limit to territorial sovereignty? Second, assuming such an upward limit, what is the legal status of outer space beyond it? And third, what is the legal status of celestial bodies? Are they or are they not subject to exclusive appropriation by any state on earth?

These three new legal problems are unavoidable, regardless of what may or may not be done about establishment of international controls over space activities. They should, in fact, not be confused with the subject of space controls.

Let us consider first the question of the upward or outward limit of territorial sovereignty. The 1944 Chicago Convention on Civil Aviation explicitly recog- nizes the sovereignty of every nation in the "air space" above its land and territorial waters: but it contains no definition of air space. The USSR is not a party to the Convention, but its own domestic law affirms the same principle. Because of this legal principle, every nation has the unquestioned right to exclude any foreign power, or the nationals of any foreign power, from entering its air space, and to specify the conditions on which entrance into and utilization of its air space is to be permitted.

Despite some of the arguments of the past, no one today seriously contends that such a rule should apply in outer space. During the past three-and-a-half years, numerous satellites launched by both the United States and the Soviet Union have repeatedly passed over the territory of every nation on earth. No permission was sought in advance; none was expressly given by any state; and not a single protest has been registered by any state. It would appear that a new principle of international law has already been established by the actions of the great powers engaged in this activity and the unanimous acquiescence of all other states. This principle is that outer space is not subject to claims of territorial sovereignty, that no state has the right to exclude other states from the use of any part of it, and that it is therefore freely available for exploration and peaceful use by all. This does not mean, of course, that activities which threaten international peace and security are to be permitted in outer space, nor does it mean that a state is not free to take legiti- mate self-defensive measures in outer space. The extent of territorial sovereignty is not the criterion in judging such matters.

If outer space is free (and this principle was given cautious endorsement in June, 1959, by the Legal Subcommittee of the United Nations Ad Hoc Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space) while air space is subject to the sovereignty of the underlying states, the inescapable question for the lawyer is, "Where does the air space end, and where does outer space begin?" It seems to be generally conceded that air space ought to include everything as high as the upper limits of flight by vehicles deriving their support solely from the atmosphere -- that is, craft operating on purely aerodynamic principles. At the present time, such craft have ascended to only about 25 miles, but theoretically this can be pushed to perhaps twice that height, although it seems doubtful that it will be attempted. On the other hand, a satellite can orbit freely at altitudes of about 100 miles above the earth without en- countering appreciable atmospheric drag. Below this point the speed is retarded quickly, and rapid descent occurs.

The United Nations Cormnittee recognized this question of a boundary between air space and outer space as a legal problem but concluded in 1959 that it did not

I". I. .. .. ___ ...~ . . . . - _. . , .. . . -. . demand priority treatment since no other legal or practical problems appear at this time to dc3pend upon it for their resolution. My own opinion is that there is no good reason for postponing an effort to reach agreement on this question any longer. It is not the kind of question which will be answered by the accumu- lation of scientific knowledge or by further experience in the conduct of space activities. Speaking for myself, I think the boundary should be set lower rather than higher -- at 25 miles, for example -- rather than 100 miles, thus enlarging to the maximum extent the freep rather than the closed, portion of the total space over our heads.

By clearly delimiting the territorial air space at a relatively low altitude, we would remove once and for all the old bugaboo of sovereignty from the space above that altitude. Then, with a legal regime in outer space akin to that of the high seas, we could concentrate on what activities should, by international agreement, be prohibited in that area and what degree and form of regulation would be appropriate for those which are to be permitted.

Another legal problem that should be settled sooner, rather than later, concerns the possibility of claims to all or a portion of the moon or other celestial bodies, The Usflited Nations Committee, in 1959, expressed the view "that serious problerns could arise if states claimed, on one ground or another, exclusive rights over all 03: part of a celestial body."

The time is clearly ripe, I believe, for a forth- right declaration by the united Nations that celestial bodies shall be deemed legally not capable of appropriation to national sovereignty. This is, in fact, the position which the United States has expressed in the General Assembly. Let us hope that this question will be settled before the competition gets too hot.

I should like to close by repeating a view 1

19 expressed to the House Committee on Science and Astro- naucics two years ago:

"I think we must recognize that unless collective steps are takep to subject the exploitation of outer space to an orderly restraint, it is quite probable that fear, rather than hope, will dominate man's attitude toward theee promising new developments, and that national security, rather than scientific advancement and the economic benefit of mankind, will keynote every new effort. It is the task of law and international organization to prevent such a disaster."

20 .. NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

1520 H STREET. NORTHWEST ’ WASHINGTON 25. D. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6325 . EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE: THURSDAY PM’S March 23, 1961

Release No, 61-58

NEW LITTLE JOE SCHEDUUD

A Project Mercury flight test, using a solid- propellent Little Joe launch vehicle in combination with a production version Mercury spacecraft, will be conducted from Wallops Island, Virginia, within the next few weeks. Robert R. Gilruth, Project Mercury Director, said there will be an additional Little Joe flight test conducted since the test objectives of the March 18 test were not achieved, Purpose of the test was to check the performance of a production Mercury capsule and its escape system during an escape maneuver initiated at the highest air loads anticipated during an Atlas launch for orbital flight. The flight test data now available indicates that the escape rocket, which is attached to a 16- foot tower above the Mercury craft and is used to pull it away from a malfunctioning launch vehicle, fired prematurely. This resulted in the imgkoper sequencing of other Mercury systems. A ground command signal was later used to effect capsule separation. Several shingles on the spacecraft were damaged in the test but the capsule generally is in good condition. It will be flown again in the next Little Joe test, The capsule has been airlifted to The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, Saint Louis, Mo. where it is being prepared for reuse in the forthcoming Little Joe test. Preparations at McDonnell, prime NASA contractor for the capsule, are expected to require approximately two to three weeks. Another Little Joe launch vehicle is now at Wallops Island and is being made ready for the repeat test. The Little Joe is a solid-propellent launch vehicle developed especially for Project Mercury to test the Mercury escape and landing systems. , Little Joe, a relatively inexpensive vehicle, is1 capable of creating flight conditions during initial flight through the atmosphere closely approximating those of the Atlas - the launch vehicle to be used for Mercury's orbital flight mission. Mercury-Little Joe launchings are being conducted concurrently with capsule flight tests aboard the Redstone as well as Atlas. The Little Joe rocket itself has performed properly in each of its six flight tests to date.

END

-2- NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

1520 H STREET, NORTHWEST ' WASHINGTON 25. D. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6325 . EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE: Immediate RELEASE NO. 61-59 Monday April 24, 1961 NASA TO LAUNCH GAMMA RAY ASTRONOMY SATELLITE (s-15)

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is scheduled to launch, in the near future, a gamma ray astronomy telescope satellite (S-15) to detect and measure cosmic gamma radiation from space. The primary objectives of the experiment will be to detect high energy gamma rays from cosmic sources (such as from our own galax , and neighboring galaxies such as the Magellanic clouds7 and map their distribution in the sky. This exploration will be the first attempt of this kind of space astrcnomy from a satel1i;e. Scientists are now limited in their study of extrateri.estria1 gamma radiation because their measurements are interfered with by existing radiation in the earth's atmosphere.

GAMMA RADIATION Gamma radiation is electromagnetic in character, as are visible light, infra-red radiation, ultraviolet radiatior, and x-rays. Gamma rays have specific wave lengths as do x-rays, and ultraviolet radiation and differ of course in their source of generation. Gamma radiation holds particular interest because it is associated with nuclear activity, which involves energetic processes unmatched elsewhere in nature. Gamma rays are not deflected by magnetic fields. There- fore, their source in space may be determined by the direction from which they come. This is not true of charged particles such as protons. Over much of the current century, studies have been made which .. ,-

have given scientists a greater understanding about the natural processes occuring in the region immediately surrounding this planet. Up to now the conclusions are that very fast and very small charged particles (protons- the so-calied primary cosmic rays) bombard the air above us in the earth's atmosphere. The earth's magnetic field deflects the protons and they scatter through the upper atmosphere, interacting with the constituents of the atmosphere. These interactions result in the unleashing (breaking away) of atomic particles and the generation of , gamma rays. Laboratory and theoretical studies lead scientists to conclude that similar processes also occur in near and distant "outer space". As the cosmic rays, atomic particles and gamma rays are directed toward earth, they react with the more dense atmosphere. The earth's atmosphere is so active in particle and gamma ray generation -- so "noisy", in scientific parlance -- that gamma rays generated beyond the atmosphere cannot be distinguished from local ones. Researchers have concluded, after many balloon flights designed to study cosmic and gamma rays, that the only way to solve the problem is to get their instruments beyond the atmosphere. The S-15 satellkte will give scientists an opportunity to explore beyond the curtain of the earth's atmosphere.

PARTICIPANTS The experiment will be conducted by two professors at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Drs. William ICraushaar and George Clark. The S-l5's gamma ray telescope was developed and built at MIT. The Marshall Space Flight Center was responsible for designing and building the S-15'~structure, as well as the supporti'ng electronic equipment for the gamma ray instrument package. Bill Greever is the MSFC project manager . The aoddard Space Flight Center provided scientific management for the project. Dr. James Kupperian of Goddard is project scientist and John M. Coogan is GSFC project

manager. 1 The Headquarters Program Chief is Dr, Nancy Roman and the project officer I. L. Cherrick.

-2-

. _. . -. . . . .I .. .- .. __,. ,_...- ... -. . A four-rstage Juno I1 rocket, to be furnished and launched by the Marshall Center, will be used to boost the satellite into orbit. Thd Juno I1 is composed of modified Jupiter, eeveloped by Marshall personnel, and three solid- propellant upper stages, provided by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of Fasadena, California. THE GAMMA RAY ASTRONOMY SATELLITE IS-15) Resembling an old-time street lamp, the 82-pound Sr15 looks unlike any satellite orbited to date. It combines, structurally, a 12-inch-diameter, 23-1/2-inch-lmg octagonal aluminum box mounted on a 6-inch-dimeter, 20-1/2- Inch-long aluminum Instrument column. The box provides both a housing for the gamma ray telescope 2nd four of the external surfaces for the satk:llitets solm cells, The 44-inch-long fourth-stage rocket will remain with the satellite. This extension will act as a section of a transmitting antenna and provide the additional length and weight needed in attaining S-15ls hunblixlg action. The fourth stage (burned aut)weighs 12.8 pounds. Solar cells, which recharge the system's 12 nickel cadmium batteries, are also located aTound the face of a 17-lnch-diameter octagonal plate fitted on the top of +.he box. A thin aluminum shield covers the encl of the housing, protecting the telescope from damaging mlcixmetearites. This shield can be removed by radio commalnd fmn the earth. In orbit, the gamma ray astrommy satellite will tumble end-over-end at the rate of about 1.0 times every minute. This motion will enable the gcmia yay telescope, aimed out through the end of the octagorial box, t~ scan a portion of surrounding space every six secoznds. Sun and earth sensors, peering out th-ough snall apertures in the micrometeorite shield, will pemit scientists on the ground to know at all tlxes the exact orientation of the satellite with respect t3 th.e earth, sun and stars, thus pinpointing the direction frm which gamma rays are coming. An insulated temperature sermor, also directed out through the thin shield, is designed to study the thermal radiation balance of' a body in orbit. To effect this necessary tumbling or propeller-like action on achieving orbit, the satellite is ec;u.ipped wLth a unique damping mechanism. This device, fitted into the after end of the fourth-stage rocket's motor case, ls a hollow, mercury-filled cylindrical adaptoil, reaembling a retainer ring. When injected into orbit, S-15 will be spinning about Its longitudinal axis at about 380 ~pm. Although it would eventually slow down and begln tumbling by the very nature of its structure, scleatists want a controlled tumble, beginning shortly after the satellite has gone into orbit. - 4- The heavy, free-flowing mercury will aid in slowing the spinning satell-ite.

INSTRUMENTATION

The gamma ray teleacope has a plastic scintillator covering the top and stdes. Inside this cover is a sandwich of crystal layers, composed of sodium iodide and cesium iodide, A third element of the telescope is a Cerenkov detector. A Cerenkov detector is simply a 8olid layer of clear plastic working in conjunction with photomultiplier circuitry so that only charged particles arriving from the forward direction Ere counted, The heart of the telescope is the sandwich of crystals, When a gamma ray falls on these crystals, an electron and a positron are emitted. These react with the crystal structure in such a way that scin- tillation occurs. Other particles also strike the sandwich, but they are charged, and therefore cause light flashes in the outer plastic scintillator before striking the crystal layers. The outputs of the photomultipliers which monitor the light flashes from these three telescope components are fed into the electronic system which includes auto-coincidence circuits. These circuits, when commanded to do so from the ground, will cancel out all light flashes not related to incoming gamma rays from the forward direction. The electronic system is quite versatile in that the experimenter on the ground can, by issuing the proper commands, observe other particles imping- trig on the telescope, The experimenter can also observe the performance of different parts of the electronic system,

S-15 will contain two transmitters, one for tracklng and transmitting continuous data and one for tape recording readout, Both transmitters will be under ground command control, A IO-channel command receiver will control the experimental functions.

.. . .. ,...... -- . .. - I_ _.____I^_...... -. .'

.. .. The data transmitter, using a "four leaf" loop antenna projecting out from the instrument column beneath the telescope housing, will operate on a frequency of 107.97 megacycles with a power output of approximately 125 milliwatts, The tracking transmitter will operate on a frequency of 108.06 megacycles with a power of 20-25 milliwatts, The antenna for this transmitter Is the entire satellite.

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. .- , ~IXI.*...... I - . .." . . . _. ..

TRACKING AND DATA REDUCTION The satellite will be tracked by She world-wide Mini- track system over the 108.06 megacycle beacon frequency during its useful life, estimated at about one year. Ten initract stations, under the direction of the Goddard Center, will participate using interferometer tracking techniques. An interferometer uses the phase difference of two signals received on two antennas. a measurable distance-apart, to determine the direciion from which the satellite is transmitting, These stations are located at Woomera, Australia; Johannesburg, South Africa; Santiago, Chile; Antofagasta, Chile; Lima, Peru; Quito, Ecuador; Antigua, British West Indies; San Diego, Calif.; Ft. Myers, Fla., and Blossom Point, Md. In addition, a network of "quick look" stations will include the Marshall Center's doppler stations at Hunts- ville, Ala., and Cape Canaveral, Fla.; the Amy Rocket and Guided Missile Agency's doppler station at Redstone Arsenal, Ala., and the Goddard Centerls Mlnitrack station at Cape Canaveral. Goddardls portable doppler stations will also furnish "quick look" information from: Atlantic, N.C.; Paynters Hill, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico. Minitrack stations at Blossom Polnt, Johannesburg, and Woomera will gather similar data. Three other doppler stations participating in the "quick look" program will be located at the Ballistic Research Laboratories, Aberdeen, Md.; Fort Monmouth, N. J.; and the Jet Propulsion Laboracory at Camp Irwin, California. This "quick look" data will be transmitted as soon as possible to the Marshall Center, vhere it will be evaluated qulckly to determine the Juno II vehicle's performance, injection parameters and initial orbital elements. 'Phis processed data will then be transmitted to Goddard for use, along with the Minitrack tracking data, to determine a more precise set of orbital elements and to compute predicted tracking and telemetry station acquisition times.

-7-

.. . -_I __ - ...... I -. . . .~ . -. .I - .. _...... - DATA €EDUCTION The data transmitted by the S-15 satellite and recorded by the Minitrack stations will be processed and reduced at Goddard Space Flight Center, The composite detected signal will be separated into five channels by the use of filters. Discrimina- tors convert this data to voltage amplitudes, which will be displayed on an oscilloscope, then recorded on 35mm film. An orbit's worth of data will be processed in a little over ten minutes and recorded on about 36 feet of film. Also, the light pulse characteristics, elapsed time, and time marks will be recorded on binary tape in a format compatible with the experimenters' computer program. A few inches of tape will be required for each orbit. This data will then be sent to the experimenters at MIT, who will conduct the final data analysis. ORBITAL DATA The satellite will be launched into a planned elliptical, low inclination orbit in order that (1) the initial spin axis of the payload will be in such a direction that the telescope will scan the sun during the early part of its lifetime; (2 it will have a lifetime in excess of' six months; and 2 3) an appreciable fraction of the time will be spent below the inner Van Allen radiation belt. Scientists plan that S-15 will orbit at an inclination near 28 degrees to the equator. Preliminary plans call for an apogee of about TOO miles and a'perigee . of about 300 miles. It is intended, in this orbit, to circle the earth approximately every 98 minutes. Its orbital lifetime should be over three years,

.._ . __. .._ . . -- - , "__" ._. l..l.." ...... ~ .... THE JUNO I1 LAUNCH VEHICLE

The Juno I1 carrier vehicle is the same four-stage rocket used to launch Pioneer IV and Explorers VI1 and VIII. It is based on the Jupiter rocket, developed by Marshall personnel before their transfer from the Army to NASA. The vehicle consists of a modified Jupiter missile serving as the first stage and the three-stage cluster of solid propellant rockets placed in a spinning Irtub" .on top of the first stage. This high-speed upper assembly, supplied by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, is identical to that of the Jupiter-C, as is the vehicle's staging technique The aluminum alloy-constructed Juno 11 measures 76 feet in height and weighs about 60 tons at liftoff.

First Stage: ' The Jupiter booster has been modified for this space role to increase its fuel capacity by some 20 seconds of burning time. The booster section and fuel tanks are extended three feet. Fuel for the booster propulsion system is a high-grade kerosene, combined with liquid oxygen as an oxidizing agent. A bell-shaped thrust chamber is used to combine high altitude efficiency with maximum performance at low altitude. The chamber is gimballed to allow use of the engine thrust vector in controlling direction. To provide cooling for the chamber during operation, fuel for the engine circulates through the chamber walls before being fed through the.injector into the combustion area. Moving the fuel and oxidizer through the engine at tremendous flow and pressure rates is the engine's turbine assembly with twin pumps roughly equal in size to household

- 9- pressure cookers, The turbine itself is driven by hot gases provided by combustion of the main propellants in a gas generator. Exhaust from the latter is added to the thrust created by the engine, Upper Stages: The upper sta es of this Launch vehicle were developed for the Jupiter-C Composite Reentry Test Vehicle). The upper assembly is fitted7 into a rotating "tub" or launcher. The rotation imparted by the tub plves stability during burning of the last three stages, much a8 a rifle bullet is stabilized by spinning. The assembly is rotated by motors mounted in the instrument compartment. The second stage of the roclcet consists of a cluster of 11 solid propellant motors. Inserted into this ring is the third stage of three rockets. Atop the third stage is the single rocket whiah makes up the fourth and final stage. The three top stages provide the final horizontal im- pulse needed to place the satellite into orbit. At burnout of the main stage, the rocket is travelling at about 11,000 miles per hour. The upper stages ignite in rapid succession -- requiring little more than 25 seconds -- and push the velocity of the payload to the desired level. Shroud: A specially-desig2ed shroud encases the launching vehicle's high-speed uF>eT assembly and payload. The shroud has three main functions: to elininate the dynaniic forces to which the upper stages :.roilId othe-wise be subjected; to pro- tect the assembly from the heet generated by air friction; and to provide support fo;- the angle-of-attack meter which is required in this contiguratlon to give adequate control during initial stages of flighf. Gui danc e : The small stabilized platform, located in the upper section of the booster, is aligned very precisely to the "Ca.rget" in space. Fxm thc rnoment the rocket 1-ifts off the earth and through the entire propelled flight, the platform is constrained to the same angular direction, The rocket tilts and arc8 through $he sky, but the platform remains constant, or "space-fixed. !I

Any undesired deviatioys in vehicle attitude relative to the stabilized pla5fx:m r,eaulti,rg from wind or thrust misalignment are gensed alnd +,he infomation is fed into the vehicle Is compute??. Necessaily corrections are issued auto-

.. .-_-_..I ...... __...... _...... I . . . . - ._ .~ .-

matically by the system's control computer to keep the vehicle continuously directed on path. After the corrections have been issued by the "brains" of the vehicle, the rocket's attitude is altered accordingly by swivelling the nozzle on the booster engine for control in the pitch and yaw planes, and swivelling the turbine exhaust nozzle for roll control. Flight Procedure : During the burning, time of the first stage, approximately three minutes, the rocket is tilted into a trajectory inclined at apredeteminedangle. A few seconds after cut- off, the booster (combined tank and engine section of first stage) is separated from the instrument compartment by explosive bolts, the springs exert a gentle push on the instrument compartment and separate it cleanly from the booster. This is followed by the firing of four small lateral kick rockets contained in the booster which cause the boosteT to slow down slightly in speed and move to the side. This eliminates the possibility of the booster interfering with the flight of the separated upper stages. The booster falls into the Atlantic, while the upper assembly continues on its path. The nose cone of the shroud is removed by explosive bolts and springs, and a kick rocket moves it to the side, After a coast period of about five minutes, the second stage of the rotating upper assembly within the shroud-encased tub is ignited. The assembly, rotating at about 380 rpm, rapidly pulls out of the tub, and the third and fourth stages are fired in quick succession. The fourth-stage boosts the payload to orbital velocity and remains with the satellite. Total-time from the liftoff to the injection of S-15 into orbit will be about nine minutes. NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

1520 H STREET. NORTHWEST ' WASHINGTON 25. D. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6325 . EXECUTIVE 3-3260

FOR RELEASE: IMMEIXATE March 24, 1961

Release NO. 61-60

KELLY APPOINTED NASA CONSULTANT

Mervin J. Kelly, research engineer and electronics scientist, has been appointed a special consultant by James E. Webb, Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. He will investigate a number of areas where space science and technology may have practical applications at an early date, and will advise the Administrator on matters of related space sciences. Widely known for his work in electronics and communications, Dr. Kelly was associated with the Bell Telephone Laboratories for 41 years, retiring as chairman of the board two years ago. Since then he has been serving as advisor to the president of the International Business Machines Corporation. He has been engaged in many public service activities, and was chairman of a task force on research for the Hoover Commission on Reorganization of the Government.

END NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1520 H STREET. NORTHWEST . WASHINGTON 25. D. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6325 . EXECUTIVE 3-3260

FOR RELEASE: Wednesday AM"S March 29; 1961 Release No, 61-61

Following is the text of a memorandum of understanding between the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the Comite des Recherches Spatiales (French Committee for Space Research) : "In inf omal technical discussions in Washington, March 20-21, 1961 representa-tives of the U. S, National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the French Comith des Recherches Spatiales affirmed a desire for cooperation in space science research of mutual interest.

"Looking toward 8 continuing program for such cpoper- ation, the two organizations plan the following initial steps:

(1) The Comite expects to make detailed proposals for experiments in the VLF, auroral and air- glow, and biological fields, with the expec- tation that these experiments will be prepared by the Comitd and flown, as mutually agreed, in appropriate scientific sounding rockets by NASA.

(2) Further arrangements are contemplated for the, preparation of these experiments by the Comite for incorporation in satellites to be launched by NASA, assuming favorable results are obtained in rocket soundings as appropriate. (3) The two organizations will exchange infomna- tion regarding the design, equipment and operation of a scientific sounding rocket launching site, Such exchanges will include technical visits as necessary. -2- (4) As an initial step toward mutual exchanges of personnel for training and familiariza- tion, NASA will accommodate in its space science centers technicians sponsored by the Comite as may be agreed."

(signed) Hugh L. Dryden For the National Aeronautics and Space Administration

(signed) Pierre Au er For the Comit I? des Recherches Spatiales

(signed) Pierre Piganiol Pour la Delegation Generale a , la Recherche soientifique et technique

END File : Int Programs

!vlar. 24, 1961

French and American represenzatives have reached agreement in principle for a joint space probe in which French frogs and rats will be sent up in a Scout rocket, Erench Space Committee officials said today. It will be atteqpted late in 1962 or 1963.

Frogs ;rere chosen because it wculd be easy to study the results

of strain on the vestibulary nerve at the opening 0- their ears. .. - '7 Q NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION I520 H STREET. NORTHWEST . WASHINGTON 28, D, C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6325 . EXECUTIVE 3-3280 FOR RELEASE:

Release No. 61-62

ENGLAND AND FRANCE WILL PROVIDE GROUND STATIONS FOR COMMUNICATIONS SATELLITES

A cooperative program for the trans-Atlantic testing of experimental communication satellites provided and launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Administra- tion was announced today jointly by agencids of the United States, England, and France. The British General Post Office and the French Center for Telecommunications Studies have agreed to provide ground stations in Europe for transmission of multi-channel telephone, telegraph and television signals using satellites to be launched by the National Aeronautics and Space Admin- istration during 1962 and 1963 in Projects Relay and Re- bound. The stations will be equipped with advanced radio facilities having extremely accurate tracking and antenna pointing qualities and capable of conducting tests with active and passive satellites at high frequencies and low power. Surveys are currently being made to determine their locations. Project Relay, NASA's low altitude active repeater satellite programmed to be launched in 1962, will weigh less than 100 pounds. The spacecraft will contain.instm- ments to detect radiation damage and other environmental

I effects on critical components as well as communication experiments. FroJect Rebound is a follow-pn of N/.@A's first passive reflector communioation satellite program, Echo. It proposes to glace several rigidized ipf lated spheres in orbit by using a single launch vehicle. The first launch to orbit three spheres is programmed during 1963. Relay and Rebound are research and development projects to demonstrate the feasibility of basic concepts and technological approaches and to evaluate various systems to be employed in communications satellites. The cooperating nations will welcome participation by other countries should they desire to provide additional ground facilities for the experiments. NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1520 H STREET. NORTHWEST WASHINGTON 25. D C TELEPHONES DUDLEY 2-6325 EXECUTIVE 3-3260

FOR RELEASE: Immediate Narch 28, 1961 RELEASE NO. 61-63

EXPLOiSER X REPORT

NASA scientists at the Goddard Space Flight Center today said they consider Explorer X "a success" and are "very pleased with the quai?tity of information obtained from the experimezts" aboard the 78-pound probe launched f'rox Cape Canavem;, ??IC-@ ~at;;~3.ay. From "quick lo&'' ciata, it appears that magnetic fields encou?tered z4t great dfstances from the earth--more thm 60,030 miles t:, apogze--viex considerably stronger thas expected, This inf'cmatfe? came from data transmitted to the Blc~ssmPGLr:t (Md.) Minitrzck Statim. Further informatls: will not be availible ur,til additional tape recordings ax obtsi_r,ed fronz other tracking stations around the world. Signals from the txcsmitter aboard the probe became very weak about 11 ctcl.ock last night, after nearly 60 hours of contirILro-cs operation. Life of the batteries had been estirr.atcd at zbou+, 55 hours.

Before it ceased to function completely about 2:3O a.m. today, Exploxr X tr*asmitted valuable information frGm its rubidim vapo- magnetometer, two fluxgate magnetometers and plasm. pmbe. This information will be sent to the Goddard Spac? Flight Center for reduction and azelysis. This iz~.LysL?is expected to take sweral weeks. Preliminary t:-;ckfr?,g hfo,mation indicates Explorer X reached its apogee--about 112,500 miles from the earth-- about 3:40 a.m. yesteerd-sy. It is expected to reach perigee--its closest approzch to earth--about 10 p,m. today. At perigee it will be abmt 110 miles above the earth at a point over the Pacific Ocean, south of the southernmost island cf Jzpan.

Tracking operations begun when the probe was launched at 10:17 a.m. EST Saturday were secured after it was determined that all trensmisaion had ceased. NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1520 H STREET. NORTHWEST * WASHINGTON 25.. D. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6325 . EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE: Immediate March 28, 1961 Release No. 61-64

DR. RANDT RESIGNS AS LIFE SCIENCES DIRECTOR

Dr. Clark T. Randt has resigned as director of the Office of Life Science Programs, effective April 1, to return to medical teaching, research and consultation practice. No successor has been chosen. Dr. Randt, a Clevland neurologist, joined NASA April 1, 1959 to evaluate personnel and facilities available in the life sciences fields as potential resources for support of the nation's space effort. He was named director of the Office of Life Science Programs when this fifth major division of NASA was established on March 1, 1960. During the two years Dr. Randt was with NASA, he played an important part in planning future medical support of manned space fligpt and the utilization of the space environment for fundamental biological research. As director of the Office of Life Science Programs, he mobilized the talents of groups of scientists ir universities, military service laboratories and industry to develop a series of biomedical space experiments in weightlessness, radiation and the search for extraterrestrial life. Under his auspices, a Life Sciences Laboratory was started at the NASA Ames Research Center in Palo Alto, Calif. Dr. Randt said he expects to maintain an active interest in the space program. A native of the Cleveland (0.) area, Dr. Randt, his wife and three sons live at 21300 Claythorne Road, Shaker Heights, Ohio.

. ._ __ l._.-..l." .... .- . . . , , , ._ , .. . -. . - __.. . __I._. ... ^ ~ - ...... _ __ __r ...... -...... _ NEWS RELEASE NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION 1520 H STREET. NORTHWEST . WASHINGTON 25. D. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-6325 . EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE: IMMEDIATE 28 March 1961

Release No. 61-65

BACKGROUND BRIEFING ON THE BUDGET

Tuesday, 28 March 1961, 10:30 a.m.

- PRESENT :

0. Bo' LLOYD, JR., Director, Public Information (Fdoderator). JAMES E. -WEBB, Administrator. HUGH L. DRYDEN, Deputy Administrator.

ROBERT C. SEAMANS, Associate Administrator.

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~...... " . .~ ...... , . .. . - ...... - .. .- WC 2 MR. LLOYD: This is the background briefing on the budget. We made one little change, A lot of this type of briefing is not for distribution; this is.

We have with us Mr. Webb, Dr, Dryden, and Dr, Seamans . The information you get here, as well as the material that is outside the door, which I believe you have all picked up, is necessarily held for release until the White House sends its budget request to the Hill.

We expected that to go up about noon. It appears there may be a delay. It is expected to go up today, We are asking you to hold until it gets to the Hill. MR, WEBB: Ladies and gentlemen, there is nothing formal about this. I didn't realize we were going to be sitting here in quite this formal a way, but nevertheless we perhaps might start out to give you a quick review of what is involved in the changes made by the President.

I would like to start by saying that the previous budget submitted by the previous Administration called for new authorizations of $1,109,000,000~ This is being increased by 11.3 percent. The increase amounts in dollars to $125,670,000. The total will then become $1,235,300,000,

On the expenditure side, the previous Administration's expenditure estimate was $965,000,000. That is being increased by $85,000,000 to a figure of $1,050,000,000. This is an 8.8 percent increase in expenditures for the fiscal year 1962.

I think it will be obvious to you that the decisions made by President Kennedy not only relate to increased expenditures in 1962 but also require a higher level of expenditures in future years. Indeed, the increase in new authorizations being 11.3 percent as against the 8.8 percent increase in expenditure is an index of that effect on future years.

I would also like to say that the changes result from a careful review, a full consideration by the President, the Vice President, and all appropriate officials of the factors related to the U.S. position in space, science and technology,

Dr. Dryden, Dr. Seamans, and I, all three here, will answer questions today, and were afforded a full opportunity to present the results of our studies and not only to answer 3 the President's questions but to discuss with him at length the considerations involved and the implications for the future years,

It is the opinion of the President -- and we all three agree -- that the revised program to be submitted at noon toaay -- I guess it will be a little later than noon; I wrote this thinking it would be noon -- represents a strong and vigorous space effort. In line with what the President has directed, we expect to manage and control every phase of this large effort so as to insure a maximum return for the resources invested.

The major effects of the augmentation are to speed up the booster and propulsion components necessary for further development of both manned and unmanned exploration of space. This includes increased launch facilities,

In order to take full advantage of the potentialities of the communications satellite for both industry and governmental uses, industry financing of research and development costs is postponed and full governmental financing is provided. Ten million dollars is added for this purpose.

Increased research and development effort related to the supersonic transport is included. The Space Agency has a large management responsibility. With industrial contracts requiring expenditures of close to a billion dollars a year, a high level of both administrative and technical competence is required, President Kennedy's recommendations add strength in these areas.

It seemed to me it would be most useful to you if Dr. Dryden could have a minute or two to go into the specific changes that will indicate the policy decisions in support of the short statement I have made, If it is your pleasure, I would like to ask him to point out the particular changes from the previous budget,

MR. DRYDEN: Those of you who were present at the original budget briefing will recognize these charts, We have simply taken the old summary, overall, and written in the new red figures.

This column for 1962 has in it the $49,000,000 sup- plemental for 1961. I hope this does not confuse you. We didn't take time to do this chart over again.

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What I want to talk about is the detailed items. I think you have a sheet headed "Adjustments to the fiscal 1962 estfmates". I will take them in order of magnitude rather than in the order in which you have them here.

The first change that Z would like to talk about is the major decision to start and accelerate the Saturn C-2. You are, I think, familiar with the Saturn program. There is no change in the funds for C-1. C-1, you will recall, will put about 19,000 pounds in a 300-mile earth orbit. Its principal use is for a possible earth orbiting laboratory for developing spacecraft for hyperbolic re-entry and for initial flight tests at some future date of a nuclear stage. The Saturn C-2 version steps up the capacity from 19,000 pounds to 45,000 pounds in the 300-mile orbit. Its use is primarily in future manned circumlunar flights, in unmanned planetary flights, and for the possible soft landing of mobile vehicles on the moon.

The total funds involved in Saturn C-2 are the $56,000,000 that is on your sheet under the research and development appropriation. There are two facilities that Dr. Seamans will talk about in a few minutes, amounting to $15,000,000. There is some money in support of NASA plant and salaries and expenses amounting to $7,000,000 more, giving a total of $78,000,000 in this budget for accelerating the C-2. It is estimated that this will result in bringing forward the use of the Saturn C-2 by about one year.

The seventh flight of C-2 would be advanced fr0m 1967 into 1966 by this budgetary change.

The next one I will discuss, the next largest, is the Centaur, where there is an additional $25.6 million. Most of you are familiar with this project. In fact, at the moment we do have some problems with it. It is expected that this financing will advance again the later Centaurs by a substantial number of months.

The next item is under liquid propulsion; first, the nuclear systems technology. On Rover there is fc,ur million dollars in our budget and an additional ten nillion dollars in the AEC budget. This brings the financing in 1962 from $15,500,000 to $17,500,000 so far as NASA support. This provides for an accelerated program of reactor development, and the four million dollars is our part in advanced turbo- pump and nozzle work to match the accelerated reactor development program of the Atomic Energy Commission. 5

In the item Liquid Propulsion there is an addition of $9,320,000, This is additional money on the F-1 engine. We hope with this financing to have a flight engine about 1965.

The minus eight million dollars is an adjustment between R&D and C&E that will be discussed by Dr, Seamans. Mr, Webb has already talked about the communications satellites,

You will notice under salaries there is an increase in support of NASA plant which goes along with the increase of 780 employees under salaries and expenses, The total there is $6,700,000. This increase in personnel is for two specific purposes.

So far as the advanced research centers are concerned, it is to accelerate a program in the field of materials and structures, stability and control problems connected with the supersonic transport in support of the program which is initiated by the FAA.

The remaining personnel are intended to strengthen our technical and administrative personnel who are engqgdd in contract management of the nearly billion dollars that we put out in contracts with industry and non-profit institu- t ions

Now I will turn it over to Dr. Seamans to review briefly the changes in construction of facilities.

biR, SEAMANS: The first item that I will discuss with you is headed "Saturn C-2 launch pad", which shows as an eleven million dollars item,

I believe you all know that there are actually two complexes at Cape Canaveral, one is Complex 34 and the other Complex 37, which are for the launching of the Saturn vehicle. Complex 34 is entirely for the C-1 configuration, and the initial funding for Complex 37, on which we have $10,961,000 in 1962, is also for the C-1 configuration. What we are adding here is a second pad, Pad B, for Complex 37, which will permit us to have the facilities ready in time for the program that Dr. Dryden has already discussed with you., This item includes both the brick and mortar and the ground support equipment, 6

The next item I would like to mention is the Saturn static test facility of $4,000,000. This is a facility to be located at Huntsville. It gives us a backup for the first stage of Saturn. As it is now, we have one facility these that is capable of testing the first stage, and it is felt that with the increased emphasis on the Saturn that we should have a backup facility.

The next item that I would like to mention -- two items; because they are related -- are the launch operations development, where we show a reduction of $8,000,000, and it modification to Complex 36-B, where we show an increase of $6,000,000. These are related items.

In the original budget submission we show under launch operations development $9,500,000. This includes studies of approximately $500,000 in magnitude, some advanced instrumentation amounting to $1,000,000, and $8,000,000 was in the original budget submission for Complex 13 and Complex 14. These are for Agena and Centaur backup.

We were planning to supply only the ground support equipment for these two complexes. The Air Force was to supply or to furnish the brick and mortar.

The other complex, 36-B, shows up in the original budget submission at a level of $12,800,000. This is for ground support equipment.

In the course of this review the Bureau of the Budget discussed this matter with the Congress and it was felt that it would be preferable to have either ourselves or the Air Force fund a complete complex. Consequently, we are taking on the full responsibility for Complex 36-B, which is for Centaur, and the Air Force is taking the full responsibility for the modifications to Complexes 13 and 14, This accounts for the $8,000,000 deletion and the $6,000,000 increase . Moving along to the next item, we show under ground instrumentation a reduction of a little over $1,000,000 -- $1,050,000. This ground instrumentation is for the comunications satellite program. We found as a result of our in-house review and review in the White House that we can accomplish the communications program with the present facilities and those currently under construction. We will continue to use facilities other than government facilities such as the Bell Telephone Laboratory facilities at Holmdale. 7

I would like to emphasize that this reduction in no way indicates a reduction in capability but is rather a more efficient use of our funding.

The final item involves Vivarium, where we show a reduction of $700,000, This relates to our life sciences program, I think you all know that the life sciences program has two obJectives. One is the study of the effect of the extraterrestrial environment on living organisms, and the other is the biomedical and bioengiheering effort required for our man-in-space program.

In reviewing our effort, we of course noted that the Defense Department has a considerable capability in biotechnology. We are using this capability on Mercury and will continue to use this capability on our follow-on man in space effort,

We planned in our original submission to build up an in-house capability at the Ames Center. We are still planning to go ahead to build up this capability in support of these objectives. We will also use, in this support research work, the Department of Defense, universities, and industry ,

However, we found as a result of the review that we did not need as extensive facilities as we had originally anticipated, and consequently the facility that is already in existence at Ames can be modified to take care of all the required in-house effort.

I believe that this concludes our formal discussion, I think we have covered all the items on the agenda,

QUBSTION: Mr. Webb, will you go back over the expenditure figures? I didn't catch any of those and I can't find them in the material, MR. WEBB: Yes. The expenditure figures in the budget submitted by President Eisenhower were $965,000,000. Of course, you understand this is an estimate of what is anticipated will go out under the programs recommended, To that figure needs to be added $85,000,000 as a result of the recommendations being made by President Kennedy and our review, The resultant total will be an expenditure estimated at $1,050,000,000 for fiscal year 1962,

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QUESTION: Where do those increases take place, the $85,000,000 extra?

B6R, DRYDEN: That is not broken down in any detail, Some overall estimate was made of the rate at which money is obligated, based on past experience,

QUESTION: Are there any particular programs that get the bulk of it?

MR. WEBB: I think you can look at the authorization figures to give the indication of emphasis, The recommended authorizations do provide for work that will go forward in 1962 and then will carry forward into future years, And I think the emphasis can best be determined froan the new authorizations rather than from the expenditure estimates. However, I think we can look at those and maybe sap a word about them, if you need it.

MR, DRYDEN: Salaries and expenses are spent during the current year. Construction and facilities usually go over, as do most contracts.

QUESTION: Mr. Webb, I wonder if you could go over in more detail the change which you have made on the csmmuni- cations satellite program, with particular emphasis on two points: (1) Would this hamper or preclude a private company from coming in and having the government launch a communications satellite? I am thinking particularly of the AT=. And (2) does this represent any change in basic policy from that enunciated by the Eisenhower Administration in the closing days, of partnership development of communicatkons satellites?

MR, WEBB: The basic change is simply to postpone, until we know more than we know today, the real decision as to how this new result of space sciences and technology can be most usefully applied,

The provision in the Eisenhower budget was that is an estimate of as much as $10,000,000 would be received fr0m private industry during that fiscal year, This was not specifically allocated to any particular feature. It was simply an adding up of all of the things that were to be done and then an arbitrary reduction of $10,000,000 which it was estimated could be obtained from private industry. 9

As we have looked at this whole problem, it has seemed to us it was too early to start negotiating with private industry to come in. First of all, it was not fair to private industry to ask them to assume risks which were unknown at this time. I think the people in private industry have found that there were a number of fac-rs, including risks, and perhaps costs of failures on launch, that simply had not been taken into account or were so uncertain that it was beyond their capacity to estimate what would happen if they undertook these responsibilities,

MR, DRYDEN: bfay I emphasize that the program is the same, John, the program of four flights that you have heard outlined in great detail. This is merely an estimate as to whether the Treasury would recover money. It seems to be such an uncertain thing at this time that we prefer to have the money in hand, to carry it forward to the test program.

QUESTION: So it does not represent any modification policy-wise at this point of the Eisenhower Administra- t ion?

MR. WEBB: It represents a policy decision to have a good hard look at this before making commitments. I think that is a fair statement,

MR, DRPlbEN: That is a fXir statement, QUESTION: Without any increase in Apollo funding, does the budget as it now stands represent a continuing cautious attitude toward the feature -- MR, DRYDEN: It depends on your definition of the word "caution". There was, in the Eisenhower budget as we described, $29,500,000 for Apollo, This coverad such items as high-speed re-entry testing using Atlas, Agena, and Saturn vehicles; it included further work with the Mercury capsule in the life support and development of equipment areas; it included some early work on escape systems; it included work on mission analysis, OS research studies of the loads and heating *problem, materials and structures problem, the radiation problem, flight support, and so on. This is a question which becomes a matter of engineering judgment. As you know, there are problems connected with radiation which are being investigated,

We certainly are getting a good bit more information about the space environment from the probe which was just 10 launched which mabled simultaneous measurements of several qualities. We would be a little bit happier if we had Mercury under our belt and had additional life sciences work under our belt.

As you know, we have had design studies and we shall continue study work in this field. But we will not go forward to contract or to build a capsule similar to the McDonnell contract at this time.

QUESTION: Sir, of course the Air Force is going forward with the Dynasoar at this time?

MR. DRYDEN: We are very much engaged in Dynasoar. As you know, that is a cooperative project between NASA and the Air Force. It is organized along the plan of the X-15 with the difference that the Air Force is in the chairman's seat and they will execute the technical program. We have many NASA people assigned at Wright field in the Dynasoar project office. We have a great deal of work in process at our laboratories supporting this project . QUESTION: Does this represent a decision on the part of this Administration that Dynasoar is the route that one would take to man in space and that Apollo is not the route?

MR. DRYDEN: I take the view that both projects are going forward consistent with the state of the technical development at the time,

QUESTION: bfr. Webb, could you explain why no increase was made in the solid technology, why all the emphasis at this point is on the liquid propulsion?

IYIR. WEBB: Dr. Dryden?

MR. DRYDEN: I think perhaps I should try to answer that. In the first place, the Eisenhower budget steps up the money for studies in the solid propellant field and such experimental work as you are familiar with has been done under our contracts -- $1,300,000 to $3,1QO,OOO. In addition, under the Scout development there will be developments fm- proving the capability of this vehicle amounting to a little over a million dollars. This three million dollars will go into many experimental projects dealing with light-weight nozzle configuration, thrust vector, velocity controlp and 11 so on, to extend the contract that we have to larger segments, and at some stage of course we will move forward into a vehicle development in this area, either the Air Force or ourselves. As most of you know, there is a national launch vehicle program, an agreement that neither DOD nor NASA will go forward with the new vehicle in the large booster area without the concur- rence of the other.

A decision will be made at some point to go forward with the vehicle. This is not made at this time.

We are very much interested in the promise of solid propellants. We use them in every flight we make in the upper stages of vehicles. I don’t think this is the place to do anything more than state the facts. It is not proposed to go forward with a vehicle development at this time, which in my opinion would be a vehicle somewhere in size perhaps between a Thor or Atlas based vehicle as the next logical step in the development of solid propellant vehicles.

QUESTION: This money for Rover, sir, could you tell us the total for 1962 funding for that program, including NASA and AEC; and is this increase designed to cut the time on availability of the engine?

MR. DRYDEN: This is more reactor tests, many more reactor tests than were in the original program, About doubling the number, as I recall, with greater variations in design of the internal construction of the reactor. Our part of it, I had the figures as $17,500,000. The AEC is much more. I don’t happen to have it with me.

MR, WEBB: We checked it yesterday. I don’t know if we got the detail. Our figures run with the AEC program. This is a balanced program in which we both share. MR. DRYDEN: We have, of course, discussed the various estimates, the various possible add-ons and their effects. We keep step with the consistent action in both AEC and NASA. That figure is available from Harry Finger, if you will call him up.

QUESTION: In looking at this, I wonder if most of these additions that you have made here are not just restorations for the most part of cuts made by the Budget Bureau and the Eisenhower budget. Maybe Dr. Dryden could answer that, MR, DRYDEN: No, I don’t think that you would find that to be true, There may be some coincidence of numbers c12 12

that you are thinking of, but this was a completely fresh look and the raising of policy issues, and very important policy decisions were! made, I think.

QUESTION: Going back to the communications satellite thing, I don't know who would want to answer this: The AT&T made a presentation before the FCC, I believe it was last May, in which they represented themselves as being interested in the $170,000,000 program to put up their own satellites and so forth. In view of this change of putting the $10,000,000 back into the federal money instead of on a reimbursable basis, have you had any indication that AT&T has taken a new look at the desirability of this?

MR. DRYDEN: Let me answer that. We have had no concrete proposal submitted by ATW or anybody else for private development with government aid.

QUESTION: Never had that?

MR, DRYDEN: Never had that, There has been much conversation and discussion. There has been no submission of a formal proposal. When it is, Mr. Webb and I will deal with it

MR. WEBB: I think it is fair to say that just as the government is taking another hard look at this, so are the other people interested in it. More information is known now, there arb features invoXved, far beyond the question of science and technology, and the physical capability.

I think it is fair to say that not only AT&T but the other companies interested in this whole area are making a very thorough exploration of it, doing some real soul searching as to what can be done here that will be useful to everyone 13 MR. DRYDEN: Let me emphasize again the research and development program is going forward without interruption. This is not affected by this discussion which is concerned with who shall pay for the first stages of it.

QUESTION: What about the continuation of the four launch vehicles? Don't these look pretty soft now? Don't you think Congress will be inclined to drop those?

MR. DRYDEN: No, Why would you think they would?

QUESTION: You seem to be backing away from the idea of pushing this thing as hard as the Eisenhower Administra- tion.

MR. DRYDEN: Not at all. The program is exactly the same. It has been driving forward. The bid tlqte was extended early in April because of some discussions of the frequencies which the Europeans found --

QUESTIBN: I am not talking about your program for the active communications satellite, I meant the provision of launch vehicles for industry. As I recall, $10,000,000 was an estimate of industry payments for launch vehicles which you would order today, would provide --

MR. DRYDEN: We are going to acquire the launch vehicles which we paid for with Government funds. The difference is that three years later there won't be a check deposited in the Treasury by somebody. This is the only way that this can be handled at the present time. The Government has to lay out the money.

QUESTION: Could we pursue that further. In other words, you are going to have the launch vehicles on hand. If it subsequeptly develops that ATW is willing and capable of laupching a communications satellite, you will have the launch vehicle for it?

MR. DRYDEN: The program is exactly the same. I can't emphasize that enough. All we are talking about is whether in some later year a private concern is going to deposit a check to the U.S. Treasury to reimburse the Government for part of the money it has laid out.

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MR. WEBB: And you understand that this $10,000,000 is a relatively small part of what is involved here. It is simply a decision not to freeze this program at this time into any pattern until we really know a great deal more about what would be in the total interest of this nation, including the requirements for commercial communications systems.

QUESTION: I wonder if Dr. Dryden would go back over what he said about the mach 3 transport. I got lost there.

MR. DRYDEN: You will find in the FAA budget I believe the sum of $14,000,000. This was announced by Mr. Bell in his testimony yesterday beginning with industry studies of a supersonic transport. I don't know whether mach 3 was specified, but a supersonic transport.

It is obvious that as soon as this hits industry we are going to be hit with many demands for information and studies. Corresponding to this, we have been given, I believe, the sum of $2,O(xO,OOO -- is the number I remember -- essentially in increased personnel at the research centers, primarily in the fields of materials, structures, stability, and control.

QUESTION: How much?

MR. WEBB: Slightly over $2,000,000.

MR. DRYDEN: It is 160 people, and whatever it takes to support 160 people.

QUESTION: On the matter of liquid propulsion, Dr. Dryden, you spoke of further development of the F-1 engine. Is there anything in this budget for the development of something for the F-1 engine to fly? MR. DRYDEN: No.

QUESTION: When are you going to get around to building a carcass for this? MR. DRYDEN: Other than studies for Nova -- I don't know whether you were here when the original budget was presected -- I discussed this at some length. As you know, even the Saturn C-2 could not go to the moon except by a rendezvous process, assembling a number of Saturn C-2's in orbit and 15' building a new vehicle which would go to the moon, land, and return. We are studying the various vehicles, the current state of technology, that would have the capability of landing people on the moon; the rendezvous technique with Saturn C-2; the use of a nuclear stage in connection with the Saturn C-2 and other vehicles; and the all chemical system.

We have used this name Nova to indicate whatever comes beyond Saturn C-2. We don't at the moment know exactly where that decision will go. It will be necessary to make it, as I recall it, in 1963. I think in 1963 it will be necessary to make a decision which route you are going to take, and they are very different routes. We are proceeding with the flexibility to go in whatever direction seems to make sense.

QUESTION: You said you would have the F-1 flight engine about 1965. My question is, what do you propose to do with it?

MR. DRYDEN: It will be a component of whatever vehicle comes beyond Saturn C-2.

QUESTION: But definitely it will not be a single chamber 1, 500 ,000 pounds?

MRb DRYDEN: No. The intent is to use it clustered.

QUESTION: In the advanced liquid propulsion technology, is it possible to break down some of the things you are looking into? Are you looking into the high-pressure liquid hydrogen, liquid oxygen system?

MR. DRYDEN: I think you could pursue this with Ostrander. It is a rather detailed technical question.

QUESTION: Is NASA supporting any of the work at Cornell on a small nuclear engine to be used for space investigation?

MR. DRYDEN: Cornell? I do not recognize this. Do you, Bob?

MR. SEAMANS: I don't know. Cornell Aero Laboratory?

QUESTION: There are two engineers at Cornell, on the 16 faculty, who claim to have devised a liquid hydrogen system for propulsion thatis small enough to be practical.

MR. WEBB: My. Lloyd can get you the answer to that ques- t ion . QUESTION: The Weisner Report was critical of emphasis made on project Mercury because it appears that the Russians are going to beat us into space with a manned orbiting vehicle. To what extent does this attitude of the Weisner Report relate to your decision to a contractor selection on the Apollo program?

MR, DRYDEN: I think perhaps you ought to talk to Mr, Weisner, He is in a different position now than he was when the report was written. He has expressed his best wishes for the early success of the Mercury project.

MR, WEBB: And participated actively in the consideration of the scientific side of these and other budget proposals put forward.

MR. DRYDEN: He has been present at the budgetary discussions.

QUESTION: Does the space program &l&k pretty much on what happens to Mercury, the manned spaced program?

MR” WEBB: Maybe you had better answer that. I was going to say that obviously you learn from everything you do a ma DRYDEN: I think obviously if you found some obstacle in Mercury that you didn’t foresee, this would have a profound effect on future programs, We don’t expect this. Most of you who have seen the picture of Ham and his flight for five minutes at zero-(;, I suppose a man is as gqod as a chimp as far as this is concerned.

MR. WEBB.:, I think in connection with that, you might revert to the words I used, which I chose very carefully, when I said that the major effects of the augmentation are to speed up the booster and propulsion components necessary for further development of both manned and3 unmanned exploration of space. This includes increased launch facilities. 17 I think it indicates to you that we are not drawing back from an aggressive, forward program in both of these fields.

QUESTION: Mr. Webb, one overall political question.

During the campaign there were frequent complaints by the present incumbent in the White House that we were lagging in the space race. I wander, now that you are in office, do you feel, one, we are lagging in the space race, and two, does this budget, with an 11 percent increase, in your estimation represent a sufficient effort to overtake Russia in the space race?

MR, WEBB: I think the first thing you have got to say is that following the election of the President he and those of us who share responsibility with him have taken the time to do a careful and thorough review of the factors involved here, This review has been made in the light of the U.S. position in space, science, and technology. It has been made in the light of possible rates of progress from resources invested. It has been made in the light of the acceleration that was provided post-election in the Eisen- hower budget, and in the light of all the other requirements of the Government.

We certainly are in what you might call a stern chase so far as the lift capacity boosters are concerned. This I would say provides a further capacity to close the distance in this field. It does provide specifically those things we think are most appropriate to the United States space program and to things we hope to accomplish. They are not aimed at exact:@uplicationof what it is the Russians have in mind or are doing.

QUESTION: Then do I understand you to say that we are not necessarily regarding ourselves in a space race at all; we are going to go ahead and do what we think is necessary without regard to what the Russians do?

MR. WEBB: That is right. But we are not oblivious to the position that they occupy and the results thereof.

QUESTION: Then the Kennedy Administration's position must be about the same as the Eisenhower Administration's position, namely, that there is no space race. Is that correct? 18

MR. WEBB: No, I don't think you can use those precise words. Certainly the President, by adding $125,670,000 to this budget at a time when dollars are very hard to come by in the Federal budget, has indicated the importance of this program and the fact that some of the things not recommended in the previous budget need to be done. He is recommending the Fesources to move up and get them done.

QUESTION: Sir, on the line of your approach of putting more emphasis on boosters and launch facilities, do YOU feel that boosters and launch facilities are pacing items?

MR. WEBB: At this time they are the most needed. You have to consider this right now, in 1961.

QUESTION: In other words, you don't feel that by defer- ring decisions on the selection of the Apollo contractor that it will affect the ultimate launching of an Apollo vehicle because the pacing items, the longest lead-time item, is the C-2 system?

MR. DRYDEN: May I make a technical item, if you will excuse me, from the political discussion.

First, on tk Apollo question, I don't think anybody knows whether you will get there sooner by knowing more about radiation and reentry and a few other-things before you freeze a vehicle design. You recall that in Mercury we went ahead in the absenqe of considerable knowledge; that we made rather expensive changes during the course of it. I donOt think anyone can answer your question as to whether this gets there earlier or later.

On the broad question there is no doubt that this additional sum of money in this area increases the rate of CPO- sure. The difficulty, of course, is knowing What is going on within Russia. I have said this before to some of you9 and on the Hill: everything that the Russians have done SO far has been done with a single basic booster, about 800,000 pounds thrust. They have improved the upper stages. They have improved the weight performance by some improvement, using usually larger upper stages. Until we know the date that they bring forth the next jump, and how big that jump is, we won't have very much idea as to exactly what the relative rates are. 19 This is the problem from the technical point of view. There is no question that moving up Saturn C-2 by a year increases the rate of closure. If the Russians do not bring out something new before Saturn C-1, we will surpass them for the moment. I don’t think any of us expect the Russians are standing still, but we do not have any accurate measure until we know what their next step is.

MR. WEBB: And a basic decision by the President is to move forward and be in this field, to increase our knowledge and ability in space science and technology. It is very important now to be moving forward in this field. If you are ignorant or do not have capacity in this field, you may find yourself wishing very much that you did have,

HR, DRYDEN: One other technical comment, again which most of you know: for purely scientific purposes the Saturn C-2 is about as big a vehicle, with possibly very few ex- ceptions, that you could justify. In other words, a decision to go forward with the big vehicle is, to my mind, inevitably hinged with going forward in manned flight. Otherwise it would make no sense to go to the very large boosters.

QUESTION: Was Dr, Glennan in on your consultations and review also?

MR. WEBB: No. Although I have had extensive telephone contact with him.

QUESTION: Excuse me, sir. Every time the question is raised about Apollo, the technical comment is always made that we need to know more about radiation and reentry, It seems to me, from my point of ignorance, that the first Apollo which flies on a C-1 in a low orbit, a manned orbiting laboratory, has no particular radiation problem; they have plenty of knowledge that the Van Allen Belt simply does not extend down that far to create a danger,

MR. DRYDEN: I would agree with you that if you decided that you are not going any further than a manned orbiting laboratory and you pushed for this alone without consideration of anything beyond, then the program decisions would be different. But we are assuming that we are going forward beyond the manned orbiting laborabory, and we are trying to 20 use our resources so that you can both do that and still be in position to go forward with the other.

l& l& WEBB: And this relates to that basic decision made, that we are going to push a program which gives us increasing knowledge, capacity, wisdom, and power prediction in this field,

QUESTION: Yes, sir, but following up this one point, do you mean that the laboratory that you orbit with three men, that you are going on the assumption that this will carry tons of lead for radiation protection that it may not need?

MB, DRYDEN: No. It will be so designed that both the heat shield and the radiation shielding can be added without starting from scratch on a completely new vehicle.

VOICE: Thank you very much.

(The press conference was concluded at 11:23 a.m.) h

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Number of employees at end of fiscal year Appropriations 1960 1961 1962 1960 1961 1962 Actual Estimated Estimated Actual Actual Requested

NASA Headquarters...... 784 $10,913,000 $13 3021000 Langley Center.....O...O.OObI. 3,220 30 9 253,000 31 451 00 Ames Center..ee..o~o.....~.e.. 1,437 15,568,000 16,134,OOO 1/ Lewis Centero...... oe.....oo.. 2 ,741 26,554,000 27,800,000 - Flight Center.....oo....o...e. 419 3,919 ,000 4,268,000 3 Goddard Center....,...... 1,998 26,094,000 35,684 000 Wallops Station.e...~..O.OOo.O 299 2,901,000 3,118,000 Marshall Center...... ,.... 5,511 60 t 190,900 65,319 9 000 Western 59 766,100 1,107,000 AEX-NASA Nuclear Office, ...... 4 27,000 211,000 Life Scieizccs Station.....,... me- 21 98,000 476 .OOO 11 Total...... 10,286 16.493 200,100,000- Transferred to Research and De~lopment.ee...... b....~~....~o...... ~.~~e.....e.... +5 50,000 ------Less anticipated reimburse- ments...... ~....,~.....~...~...... ~e.....~...... e..~.... - 6 ,524 000 - 3,414,000

Tot& appropriations...... ~...... o...... $91,400,000 $170,760.000 $196,686,000 -1/ Totals include 180 additional positions and $1,230,000; aistribution between research centers to be determined. 00000000000000000000 01I 000000000000000000008~~~011 9999999999999999999999 I OI 000 O~OO~OOOOOOOQODOOO0 n rlo cu8omo ~~-ooouocuooot-ooun yr) rl \OW 0 C-CO CUW CU n0 nMrl OCO Q-DW-Ch3 d \o 0 --.-----4--h--*-h .I P--f--cOC-A-~f--cO3A-O\O\rloOCC)CO\Oco~M~~~rn C- \ooajr-curl rl C- a ma sM rl * ti cu Ch

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NA!KtONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

FISCAL YWR 1962 ESTIMATES SUMMARY OF CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM23

Fiscal Year 1960

Langley Research Center...... $4,535,000 Ames Research Center...... 6,305 7 000 Lewis Research Center...... 6,910,000 Flight Research Center...... 1,775 7 000 Goddard Space Flight Center...... 14,070,000--- i Wallops Station...... Jet Propulsion Laboratory...... 7,755,000 Marshall Space Flight Center...... --- Atlantic Missile Range...... 5 7 200,500 Pacific Missile Range...... 450, OOO Various locations: Tracking facilities...... Propulsion development facilities...... Sounding rocket facilities...... Damage repair and special construction...... Advanced facility planning and design......

Total...... 99,625,000 119 075 7 000 Transferred from Research and Development ...... -15~000,000 -3, 5 38, Ooo Total appropriations ...... $84,625,OOO $122,787,000 $119,075 ,OOO March 28, 1961

NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE MIMINISTRATION

FISCAL YEAR 1962 E53"mS

SuMMAEiy OF 1962 CONSTRUCTION PROGRAM

LANGLFY RESEARCH CENTER (Hampton, Virginia)...... $3,980,000 Equipment for magnetoplasmadynamics research...... $2,500,0~ High-vaccum space structures facility...... 1,480,000

AMFS RESEARCH CENTER (Moffett Field, C83-ifo2pia)...... 5,680,000 Hypervelocity free flight facility...... ~...... ooe...... ~.e 4,880,000 Modifications to the flight operations laboratory...... 800, ooo LENIS RESEARCH CENTER (Cleveland, 0~0)...... 3,590,000 Hydrogen heat transfer facility...... ~...... 2,550,000 Modifications to a space environment tank...... 1,040,000 GOD- SPACE FLIGIPT CENTER (Greenbelt, Maryland) ...... 9,212,000 Environmental testing laboratory...... 7,287,000 Advanced data processing equipment...... 1,150,000 Isolation laboratory...... ~. 775,000 WAI;LoPS STATION (Wallops Island, Virginia) ...... Advanced tracking systems...... 4,845,000 Dynamic balancing facility...... e 843,000 Modifications to range safety systems...... 225,000 Rocket storage ~ea...... 400,000

JET PROPULSION LABORA'llORY (Pasadena, C83-ifo2pia) ...... 3,642,000 Physical sciences laboratory...... 1,285,000 Addition to vehicle assembly building...... 610,000

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VARIOUS LOCATIONS...... $18,186,ooo

Tracking facilities: Minitrack network ...... $6,260,000 Deep-space network...... ,...... 9,501,000

Propulsion development facilities: Facilities for F-1 engine program...... 425,000 Facilities for 200-K engine program...... 750,000 Sounding rocket facilities...... 500,0oo Damage repair and special construction...... 750,000 ADVANCED FACILITY PUNNING AND DESIGN ...... 5,000,0oo

TOTAL PROGRAM...... $119,075,000,

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I .. --1_1--.- ^- .-~I--I-._--- ...... I__. .~ I t ,: NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE RDMINI5TS;. ,-;#ON 1520 H STREET. NORTHWEST * WASHINGTON 28. 0. C. TELEPHONES: DUDLEY 2-8325 EXECUTIVE 3-3260 FOR RELEASE: Narch 29, 1961 RELEASE NO. 61-66 INTERNAT1ONAL SATE;LLITE AND SPACE PROBE SUMMARY The following space vehicles are in orbit as of this date: LAUNCH DATE TRANSMITTING Jan. 31 ,''3958 No Mar. 17, 1958 @Yes Jan. 2, 1959 No Feb. 17, 1959 No Mar. 3, 1959 No m@;*7, 1959 No Sept. 18, 1959 No act. 13, 1959 Yes Mar. 11, 1960 No Apr. 1, 1960 Yes Transit I-B i&S) Apr. 13, 1960 No Spacecraft 1 (USSR) # May 15, 1960 No Mldas 35 (US) May 24, 1960 Yes Transit 11-A (US) June 22, 1960 Yes NRL Sa.i;elllt5 (US) June 22, 1960 Yes Echo I (US) Aug, 12, 1960 No Courier I-B (US) oct. 4, 1960 Yes Explorer VI11 (US) Nov. 3, 1960 No , Nov. 23, 3-960 Yes Jan. 31, 1961 No Venus probe Feb. 12, 1961 No Feb. 16, 1961 No Feb. 17, 196J No Feb, 18, 1961. No Transit III-I3 & LOFT1 (US) Feb. 21, 1961 Yes Explorer x (US) Mar. 25, 1961. No *In solar orbit: qthers in Earth orbit. CURRENT SUNDIARY (March 29, 1964 ) COMPZETE SUMMARY (Launched to date) Earth Orbit: us - 21 Ewth Orbit: us-- 37 USSR - 1 USSR - ll* Solar Orbit: us - 2 Solar Orbit: us - 2 USSR - 2 USSR - 2 Transmit t ing : us - 9 Y Lunar Impact: USSR - 1 USSR - 1 *Lunik IIX pased once around Moon, $hen into Earth orbit. -- of outer space. M+P Re~;at93: Sputnik VI11 acnieved Earth orbit and, while orbiting, laulnched an instrumented probe towarc Venus , blfdlmot Sputnik VI11 down Feb. 25, 1961. Venus probe - indefinite.

Lifo-Olf Weight: Not disclosed D~~~~~I~~~~~:Not disclosed

Prweam ?lace satellite in Earth orbit and launch probe toward area of Venus. PwP~rnkmlt5: Orbit achieved and probe launched toward Venus. Venus Probe :*E PCWI~OO(k!:l~~)t 66.7 million from Sun !nckmion: 0.3' to Ecliptic ApOgQQ (&ih)t 94.6 million from Sun P&o& 300 days

V~loclty: 26,173 mph at final stage burnout.

Venus Probe: D~FWHI~QRS:80 in(. . long; 41 in, diameter Pcryiod Wetgh~o~1419 lbs. Weight of without antennas and solar paddles. Sputnik VI11 not disclosed. Buyload Codigu~a~ionrCylindric a1

lnotrurnctnta~i~ntMeasure cosmic rays; magnetic fields; charged particles of interplanetary gas and corpuscular sunbeams; record micrometeor impacts; temp. control, telemetry, attitude control ad stabilization systems. VPanmfHerot 922.8 MC on command. Soviet Union announced they were unable to establish radio contact with probe on Feb. 27, 1961. Powor Supplyr Chemical sources charged by solar batteries,

Addl~lonelDatal *Russians predict probe wiil pass within .62,500 miles of Venus on May 19-20. Orbital figures computed using periodical position reports issued by U.S.S.R.

I &UPOC?O~ VNOFFICIAL from U.S. and Soviet press and radio. I , 1961 i .. , . . .. SPUTNIK IX { U. 3. S. R)

PrcPjacP: Sputnik IX ' (1961 Thetaj khf~C1;;ocrivh Further testi.::; or con- stmetion of' the space nhl::i and (~piicee~aftI IV) system to insure necessary con- ProJoc?CfrPretlorr: U. S. S. R ditions for manned flight; test in- f luence of cosmic radiation on living beings LaunclsoB: March 9, 1961 Moiw t:osd*ss Orbit achieved and cabin recovered in predeGemined arca of' Fmt h'ot disclosed the Soviet Union., Animals reported alive and well on recovery, Ll4~h~Cabin recovered March 9, 1961

Plrght ?qrm c Launch Vohicla: ;.:lxlti-stage rocket .

Lib-Off Weight: Not disclosed. Diffls85h3s: :\lot disclosed

Program: Place space ship into Earth orbit, and recover.

Program RWU~PS: Orbit achieved and ship recovered , , Inchtion: Not disclo sed . Pdd: Not disclosed.

Velocity: Not disclosed.

Dimensions: Not disclosed.

Payload Configuration: Not disclosed.

lostrunontotion: Included radio and television equipment relaying infomation on condition of animals on board.*

\- Tronnrnitters: Not disclosed,

Power Supply: Not disclosed, . AfJLi~:.rondData: *Vehicle reportedly carried one dog ( Chernushka) weighing about 13 lbs., guinea pigs, black mice, insects and seeds of several plants.

Lo~ccs: UNOFFICIAL from U.S. and Soviet .*"1 $-.,s*, e and radio, cate: Prepared March 20, 1962 .4 .4 ,..I SPACE AC TI V/TIES SUMMARY TRANSIT III-B

Pmjoct: Transit 111-B and LOFT1 (Low Maior GbiCCtitrt~S (a) Develop ~LL-IEz'A~~, Frea.uency Trans-Ionospheric Satellit ) . global navigational s~Lte:lllte (1961 Eta) system for ships and airc?2f'L; in- Project Direction: U. S. Navy crease accuracy Gf geodetic me.xm.rz- ments; (b) measure intensity of VLF signals through ionosphere. Launched: February 21, 1961 Maior Fkdt5: Orbit achieved but two 10:45 R.m. EST satellites failed to sepam.h 23 From: Atlantic Missile Range planned, Both transmitters working . Eliptical orbit hampered quality of Lifotimer Est. several weeks Transit data.

F//gbt Program @

Launch Vehicle: Thor-Able-Star. Stages: (1) Mod.ified Thor (2) Able-Star with restart capability.

Lih=OffWeight: 120,000 lbs. ( Approx. ) Dimens~sns:79.3 ft. high; 8 ft, bese diameter Program:' Place satellites in near-circular Earth orbit.

Program Rerults: Orbit achieved. February 28, 1961: I Perigee (Miles): 117 Inclination: 28.36' to Equator Apogee (Miles): 511 Period: 94.5 minutes

Velocity: At perigee: 17,911 mph ~t apogee: 16,102 mph

4 Payload And Instrumentation

Dimensions: 36 in. diameter Payload Weights: 250 ~bs,(Approx. ) 1 20 in. diameter 57 lbs. Payload Configuration: Sphere ringed aroxnd midsection by 6,600 solar cells. Aluminum sphere with 6 solar cell patches.

Inatrurnaritatlon: (a) Two transmitting systems, command system, memory system, te?.eietry systex, despin system, SECOR experiment.* (bl Telemetry system, transmitter, command receiver, 2 VLF receivers. Tran rmittors: MC; SBCOR - 224,42L 448 MC powered with nickel-cadmium storage batteries.

Ad$itionel Data: *SECOR - Sequential Collation of Range - to obtain accurate ground station-to-satellite range messuremelnts.

Sources: U. S. Navy Department of Defense Date: Prepared March 20, 1961. SPACE ACTNITIES SUMMARY

P PO ioct Direction: Kd1,L!.C\

Launched: Feblwary 24, 1951 Mrrioi Resultc: Malfunction shortly after 7:13 pen. EST bo~etarseyratfon resuited in loss of payload 2elemetry and failure of 'i;hfrd and fmrth stages to ignite. Lifetime: Not applicable Orbit r,ot achieved., n

FIight Program 8 LaunchVahicle: JU30 11. Stages: (1) Modified. Amy Jupiter IPB4. (2) 11 solid propellant motors; (3) Three soXG rockets (4) Single solid rocket,

Lift-off Weight: 121,000 Ibs. (Approx. 1 Ehtm~i~n~:76 f t high; 8-3/4 f t. base dfFaneter Program: Place satellite in highly elliptic~~lE2321 orbit

Program Rosultr: Wbft not aeh&ev@d.

, Payload And lnotrumontafkm

two antema;

T~anrmitters:Single trmsmitter brsadcast%ag(3; 8fx frequencies 8, wu?ying Eii Peqze3.s of power: 20,005; h.013; 41,010; L38,CQ; 3610.09; 96002??.MC. 2 Power Supply: Solar cells and nickel czcirtrS.su3. batteries, $i

Additional Data: