NOTE TO READERS: ALL PRINTED PAGES ARE INCLUDED, UNNUMBERED BLANK PAGES DURING SCANNING AND QUALITY CONTROL CHECK HAVE BEEN DELETED EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE COUlNClL WASHINGTON. D. C. 20M2 THE WHITE HOUSE WASH I NGTON January 27, 1965 TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES: I am proud to transmit -- as I know the Congress will be proud to receive -- this review of the significant successes of our Nation's aeronautics and space efforts in the calendar year of 1964. The advances of 1964 were gratifying and heartening omens of the gains and good to come from our determined national undertaking in exploring the frontiers of space. While this great enterprise is still young, we began during the year past to realize its potential in our life on earth. As this report notes, practical uses of the benefits of space technology were almost commonplace around the globe -- warning us of gathering storms, guiding our ships at sea, assisting our map-makers and serving, most valuably of all, to bring the peoples of many nations closer together in joint peaceful endeavors. Substantial strides have been made in a very brief span of time -- and more are to come. We expect to explore the moon, not just visit it or photograph it. We plan to explore and chart planets as well. We shall expand our earth laboratories into space laboratories and extend our national strength into the space dimension. The purpose of the American people -- expressed in the earliest days of the Space Age -- remains unchanged and unwavering. We are determined that space shall be an avenue toward peace and we both invite and welcome all men to join with us in this great opportunity. In summary form, the accompanying report depicts the contributions of the various departments and agencies of the Government to the Nation's aeronautic and space accomplishments during 1964. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter I U . S . Aeronautics and Space Activities .. 1964 Summary ................ 1 Chapter I1 National Aeronautics and Space Council . 5 Chapter 111 National Aeronautics and Space Administration ............. 9 Chapter IV Department of Defense ........... 41 Chapter V Atomic Energy Commission ........ 63 Chapter VI Department of State ............. 69 Chapter VI1 National Science Foundation ........ 77 Chapter VI11 Department of Commerce .......... 81 Chapter IX Space Science Board ............ 93 Chapter X Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory . 99 Chapter XI Federal Aviation Agency .......... 103 Chapter XI1 Federal Communications Commission ... 113 Chapter XI11 United States Information Agency ...... 119 Appendix A- 1 U . S . Launching Record (Chart) ...... 124 Appendix A-2 U . S . Launching Record (Table) ...... 125 Appendix A .3 Successful U . S . Launches - 1964 ..... 126 Appendix B SNAP Radioisotopic Electric Power Units for Space ............. 151 Appendix C U . S . Space Launch Vehicles ........ 152 Appendix D Major Communications Satellite Ground Terminals ............ 154 Appendix E- 1 Historical Summary and FY I965 Budget Recommendations (New Obligational Authority) ................ 156 Appendix E-2 Historical Summary and FY 1965 Budget Recommendations (Expenditures) .... 157 Appendix E-3 Space Activities Budget ........... 158 Index ........................ 159 CHAPTER I U. S. AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ACTIVITIES 1964 SUMMARY Nineteen sixty-four was the year the United States began to reap significant dividends from the seven-year effort to conquer space. Almost commonplace were satellite storm warnings, television and communication transmissions spanning oceans and continents, all-weather navigational fixes for Naval ships at sea, precise map- making via satellite triangulation, and U. s. space launchings providing new infor- mation valuable to science and mankind on the average of once every five days. Coupled with these dividends was the development of a capability which would help maintain freedom of space for all who would explore there. The operational deploy- ment of two anti-satellite systems and over -the -horizon radar contributed security for the peaceful exploration of space. The addition of two more satellites to the nuclear detection system added greater safeguards for compliance to the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The United States did not keep its space competence as a closely held secret or its space benefits as a national monopoly. Over 60 stations throughout the world read- out pictures from U. s. weather satellites aiding local foreign forecasts, and 12 stations owned by other countries have been, or are being built to receive television and communication transmissions from U. S. communications satellites. As part of the U. S. program to assist other nations in placing satellites into orbit, the United Kingdom's ARLEL II was launched, and the U. S. assisted Italy in its success- ful effort to become the third nation to build and launch a satellite: SAN MARGO. Major accomplishments of 1964 included the photographing of the moon from a spacecraft, obtaining pictures 1,000 times clearer than those taken from earth observatories; the dispatching of a satellite on a picture-taking mission to Mars; and the orbiting of a large geophysical satellite. 1 Though the United States accomplished much towards its goal of space leadership during 1964, its chief competitor did not stand still. The Soviet Union successfully orbited a three-man spacecraft, also sent a spacecraft on its way towards Mars, and increased the number of satellites placed into orbit over the previous year 112 per cent. Their efforts reemphasized the Soviet intention to be the leading space power, and re-stressed the point that the U. S. cannot afford the luxury of complacency. To meet the Soviet competition, and to achieve the objective of placing men on the moon within this decade, significant milestones were reached in the development and testing of large rocket boosters. Three times, the large SATURN I orbited almost 39,000 pounds -'- a weightlifting record. Important successes were also made in the development of large solid, hydrogen, nuclear, and electrostatic powered rockets. In many respects as outstanding as the new rocket achievements was the reliability attained by our time-tested boosters. For example, over a period of eighteen months the Atlas launch vehicle performed 26 consecutive successful flights for a reliability record of 100%. Other boosters also showed fine reliability scores. By exceeding anticipated reliability, such performance resulted in savings to the tax- payers for the missions accomplished. Plans were studied to formulate goals for the space program after the manned lunar landing. Recommendations that Mars should be studied intensely with unmanned and manned spacecraft were given serious consideration. The U. S. view that space should be a cooperative effort of many nations for peace- ful purposes was forwarded by an international agreement with 19 countries for a global communications satellite system. The United States and the Soviet Union participated in a series of communication satellite experiments, and agreement was reached on the sharing of meteorological satellite data and the establishment of a direct Washington-Moscow data communications link. The flight testing of three military aircraft with supersonic speed capabilities furthered U. S. competence in the field of aeronautics. Also, design and materials studies leading toward the development of a commercial supersonic transport were conducted. Of particular note during 1964 were the following events and accomplishments. .. RANGER VII took 4,316 TV pictures of the lunar surface, showing details with 1,000 times the clarity of earth telescopes. .. MARINER IV started on its way toward Mars on a photographic mission. .. An orbiting geophysical observatory was placed into orbit to become the U. S. 's largest scientific satellite. Weighing more than 1,000 pounds, OGO I carried 20 different experiments -- a record number. .. SYNCOM 111 was launched into a "stationary" or synchronous orbit and provided live television coverage of the Olympic Games in Tokyo. 2 . .. The Department of Defense began to implement a decision to develop a military communications satellite system. They plan to use existing SYNCOM and RELAY satellites during the interim period. .. The NIMBUS weather satellite photographed and reported cloud conditions during both day and night, and accurately measured temperatures of the earth's surface. .. TIROS VII successfully tested the automatic picture transmission (APT) system which gave direct read-out of regional weather patterns to 60 stations -- government and private -- throughout the world. .. Three SATURN I rocket boosters were launched as part of the APOLLO test program. Record weights of about 39,000 pounds were orbited. .. The TITAN IIIA space booster was successfully launched for the first time. .. , Two anti-satellite systems became operational. .. The existence of an over-the-horizon radar system was announced. .. The VELA spaceborne nuclear detection project successfully orbited two additional satellites. .. Greater coordination of effort was attained in the space and aeronautics programs. Among major areas of such cooperation were: the use of the XB-70 aircraft to con- firm theoretical and laboratory data of the supersonic transport program; the estab- lishment of a national pool of instrumentation ships to meet the requirements of both NASA and DOD; and the common use of tracking, data acquisition, communication, and control facilities of the GEMINI