Sixth Simannual Report to Congress

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NATIONAL AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ADMINISTRATION

WASHINGTON25, D.C.


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For sale by the Superintendent of Documents. U.S. Government Printing OfliceWaahington 25, D.C. - Price $1.00


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September '7, 1862.

THE PRESIDENT,

The White nowe.Dear Mr. President : This Sixt h Semiannual Report of the National

Aeronautics and Space Administration, covering the period July 1through December 31,1961, is submitted to you-for transmittal to theCongress in accordance with Section 206(a) of the National Aero-nautics and Space Act of 1958. Part 1 of this report summarizesNASA accomplishments and progress; part I1 discusses them indetail.

The progress recorded during this period gives assurance that thenational space program is advancing as planned, and will continue toenhance the Nation's prestige and benefit its economy.

Respectfully,JAMES . WEBB

AdminStrutor.

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CONTENTS VI 1

CHAPTER 3-GEOPHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY PROGRAMS-Con.

Preliminary Findings-ContinuedExplorer X I1 Energetic Particles Satellite-Continued

Solar Pressure Again Demonstra ted_-- - - - - - - - - - -Solar Cell Experiment _ _ _ _ _- _ __ _- _ _- - - _ _- -_ _- _ _

Explorer XI11 Micrometeoroid Satellite - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Electron Density Profile Probe (P-21) - _ _- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Confirms Presence of Helium Layer _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Provides New D ata o n Electron Density _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Similar Midnight Launch Planned- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Rocket Exhaust Disturbs Tonosphere _ _ _- - - - - - - - - - - -

New Findings from Previously Launched Satellites- - - - - -Explorer I X Reports Thinning of Upper Air- - - - - - - -

Intermediate Changes in Air Density.. _ _ __ _ _ _ -Density Measurements at 420-Mile Altitude- - - - -Data Calculated by Watching Satellite--.. - - - - - - -

Explorer XI Da ta Contradicts One Theory of th eUniverse - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Satellites Under Development - _ __- - - - - - - _-_- -- - - - - - -- -Geophysics Program - - -- - - - _- - - _- - - - - - _-_- - - - - - - -Atmospheric Structure Satellite (S-6) - - - - - - - - - - -International SateteBites, UK No. 1 and 2 (S-51

and S - 5 2 ) _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ - _ _ _ - - - - _ - - _ - - - - - - - - - - -Topside Sounders _ _ _ - _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ - - -- - - - - -Orbiting Peophysical Observatory- - _- - - - - _- - - - -

Astronomy Program - -- - - - -- - - - - - -_- - _- - - _ - - - - - -- -Orbiting Solar Observatory- - - - - - - - - _- - - - - - - -- -Orbiting Astronomical Observatory- - - - - - - -- - - --

Sounding Rockets- _ - _ _ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _- _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _Play Many Parts in Space Program _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ - - - -Sounding Rockets and Geoprobes _ _ __ - - - - - - - - - -_ -Secret of Universe Disclosed- - - - - - - _-- - - _ _- - - - - _ -Solar Flare H azard Underscored-- - - - - -_ _-- - - - -- - - - -Upper Atmosphere Wind Studies _- _- - - - _- - - -- _- _- -Solar X-Rays Observed Above Atmosphere - - - - - - - _- -Study of Energetic Particles Over Northern Latitudes-Ionosphere Studies--- -- - - - _- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Test of louette Instrumentation--_ - _ _- - - - - - - - - - - -

Atmosphere-Entry Research - - _ _- - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - -

P R O G R A M S - _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - - ~ - -Spacecraft Supply Needed Data-- - -_ _ _- _ _-- - _- - - -_- - _- _Ranger- - - - - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - _- -_- - - - - _- -- - - - - -

Rangers I an d I1 Launched _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Agena B Malfunctions _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Rangers Performance Encouraging- - - - _- - - -_ _-

Rangers I11 Through V to Land Instruments - - - - - - - -Ranger I11 Readied for Launch _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Capsule Contains Seismometer - _- _- - - - - - _ - -- -To Transmit High-Resolution Pictures- -_- - -- - - -Other Surface Data _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Television System Contract Let _ _- - - - - - _ __ _ - - - - - -

Hydroge \ Fuel Studies _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ __ __ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _-CHAPTER 4-UNMANNED LUNAR AND INTE RPL ANE TAR Y

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XI I CONTENTS

CHAPTER 14-PR OCUR EME NT, CONTRACTS, AND GRANTS- _ _-Most Contracts Awarded to Private Industry _ _ _- - - - - - - -

Tota l Procurement_-- -__-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Awards to Business _ _ _- _ _ _- - - - - -_ _- - - - - - - - - - - - _ _-

Competitive Bidding - - - - - - - - - - - --- - - -_- - - - -Small Business Participated - _ - - _- - - - - _ _ - _ _- -

NASA Procurement Aided by Other GovernmentAgencies- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Procurement Management - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Major Contract Awards _ _ _ __ _- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Grants and Research Contracts- _ _- _ _- - _ _ _ _- - - - - - - - - - -

CHAPTEB 15-FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Further Improvements Made_-------------------------

Fiscal Year 1963 Program _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Financial Report, December 31, 1961 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

CHAPTER 6-OTHER ACT IVIT IES --- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Scope of chapter_______-____------------_---------^^-Educational Programs- - - - - _- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _- - - - - - - -

Spacemob i l e_ - - - - -_ - - -_ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Workshops and Other Programs _ _ _ _ __ _- - - -- - - - - - - - -E x h i b i t s _ _ _ _ - - - - - _ - - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - _Pub l i c a t i ons_ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Motion Pictures _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _H i s t o r y _ - - _ _ - - - _ - _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -NASA Open House at Langley _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Scientific and Technical Information _ _ _ _- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Documentation Facility-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Support of Abs tracts and Bibliographies _ _ _ _ _- _ _ _- -Dissemination of NASA Technical Literature- - - - - - - -

Scientific Translations- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -_- - - - - - - -Dict iona ry of Space Terms _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Compatibility in Information Retrieval Systems - - - - -

Contributions Awards - - - - _- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Interagency Cooperation and Coordination- - - - - - - - - - - - -

National Operational Meteorological Satellite System..International Meteorological Satellite Workshop--- - - -Supersonic Trans port - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Conference on Slush-Covered Runwa ys- __ - - - - - - - - - -Nuclear Rocket Development- - _- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -NASA-DOD Large Launch Vehicle Planning Group - -Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory - - - - - - - - - -Project Mercury _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

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CONTENTS XIII

APPENDIXES

A-Memberships of Congressional Committees on Aeronautics an d Space-%Membership of the National Aeronautics and Space Council- - - _ - _-C-Membership of the NASA-DOD Aeronautics and Astronautics Co-

ordin ating Board an d Vice-Chairmen of Panels to Board- - - - - - - -D-Membership of NASA Inven tions and Cont ribut ions Board- - - - - - - -&Memberships of NASA Space Sciences Steering Comm ittee an d Sub-

committees- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -F-Research Grant s and Cont racts - _ __ _ _ __ - _ _ _- _ _ _ _- _ _ __ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _G-R and D Contrac ts of $25.000 and Over - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ - _ _ _ _ - _ - - - - -

ILLUSTRATIONS

Manned space flight-major activities- _ _- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -- - - - - -Apollo spacecraft (artists conception) _ _- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Atlas launches primate-carrying Mercury capsule _ _ - _ _- - _ - - - - - - - - - - -Enos relaxes before his Mercury flight_-_ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Comparison of Gemini and Mercury - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _ - - - -- - -Project Geminis flight mission- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Gemini two-man spacecraft- - - - _ _- - - - - - - - - - - - - _ _- - - - - - - - - - _ - - - - - - -Satur n launch site nears completion at Cape Canaveral__-__---_-- - - - - -TIROS I11 meteorological satellite _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ - _ - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - -TIROS 111 photograph of Hurricane Betsy September 7, 19 61 -- --- -- ---Nimbus meteorological satellite _ _ _ _- - - _ _- _ __ _- - _ _- - _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Relay communications satellite-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Syncom communications satellite- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Technicians work on Explorer XI1 before launch - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Orbiting of Explorer XI1 ( and Explorer X) _- - - - - - - _-- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Radiation belt studies __- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -P-21 electron density profile probe (artists conception) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -International ionosphere satellite - . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Ranger spacecraft with lunar capsule _ _ _- _ _- - - _ _- - - - _ __ _ _- - - _ - - - - - - -Spherical lunar-landing capsule, type to be used in Rangers 111, IV, and V-Scout being readied for launch _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _Atlas-Centaur on launch pad a t Cape Canav eral___ _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -First successful launching of Sat urn from Cape Ca naver al- _ - - - - - - - - - - -Saturn C-1 first sta ge being prepared for October 27, 1961, flight te st- - - -I T L transporte r an d vehicle (artists conception) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Engines for manned flight - - - - - _ _- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Th e 1.5-million-pound-thrust F-1 engine - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -The F-1 liquid rocket kngine undergoes static test _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ - - - - - -Ground test stand for F-1 engine _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _-A 73,000-pound solid rocket awaiting s tatic test _ _ _ __ _- - - - - - - _ _ - - - - - - -Nuclear systems technology- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -NERVA engine, preliminary design- - - - - - - - - - - _ _- _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -SNAF-8 electrical generating syst em _ _ _ __ _- - _ _- - _ _- - - - - - - - _ - - - - - - -X-15 research airplane land ing at Edwards, Calif _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ - - - -X-15 typi cal landing pat tern _ _ _ _ _ _- - - _ __ __ __ __ _- - - - - - - - - - - _ _ _- - - - - - -Typ ical X-15 high-speed and high-altitude missions--- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Representative tilt-wing configuration of Vertol 76 _ _ _ _- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -prototype of radioisotope biochemical probe - _ __ - - _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Search for origin of life elements _ _ _ _ _- - - _ _ _ _ _ _- _ _- _ _- - _ _- - - - - - - - - - -Environmen tal simulation - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - _ - - -

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Steriliaing a space probe with ethylene oxide gas _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - - -NASA Atlantic Missile Range- - _-- _ - _- - - -- - - - - _ _ _- _ _- - - - -- - - - - - - --

Organizational c h a r t _ _ - _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ - _ - _ - -- - - - - - - _ - -- - - _ - - _ - - -- -

TABLES

1. NASA Satellite and Probe Launchings, July 1 through December 31,1 9 6 1 _ - _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ - _ _ _ _ _ _ - - - - _ - _ - _ - - - - - - - - - - - - - _ - - _ - - - - - - - - - ~ - - - -

2. NASA Launch Vehicles, December 31, 1961 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _3. Biological Investigat ions of Outer Space (Project BIOS) - - - - - - - - - - - - -4. Several Methods of Life Detection _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _5. NASA Budget Estimates, Fiscal Year 1963 _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - _ - - - _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _6. NASA Fiscal Year 1962 Appropriations, December 31, 1961-. .---_----7. Research Grants and Contracts, July 1 through December 31, 1961

(Appendix F) _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ - - - - - - - - -8. R and D Contracts of $25,000 and Over, April 1 hrough December 31,

1961 (Appendix G ) - - - - - - - - - - - . - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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Part I


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During the period covered by thi s report, NASA programs madesignificant progress in the all-out drive to achieve the space goalsand objectives of thi s Nation.

The achievements ranged from Project Mercurys second mannedsuborbital flight to TI RO S 111s discovery of Hurricane, Esthe r ; romthe agreement between NASA and AT&T to develop and test anactive-repeater communications satellite (Telstar) to the inaugura-tion of t he two-man spacecraft Project Gemini; and from dedicatingthe deep space tracking facility in Johannesburg to conducting thefirst International Meteorological Satellite Workshop.

The benefits derived from these and other achievements representgains ranging from new scientific knowledge to high performancespace systems.

The continuing goals of the National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministration as set forth by the President and the Congress in-

. clude the following:a. Manned lun ar exploration within th is decade ;6 . Unmanned lunar and planetary exploration programs ;e. Development and application of passive and active communi-

d . Development of launch vehicles and propulsion systems

e . Extended aeronautical research for both civil and military

f . Expansion of the ent ire body of knowledge relating to space

g. Broadened international cooperation in space research.Following is a summary of t he progress NASA made toward the

cation and meteorological satellites;

necessary for both exploration and application programs;

USeS;

and mans possible adaptability to it ; and

achievement of these goals and objectives.

Manned Lunar ExplorationIn carrying out the express will of the President and the Congress,

NASA is giving highest priority to the projects leading to mannedexploration of th e moon. Plans call for reaching this goal by thelat e sixties. The projects directly involved are Mercury, Gemini, andApollo.

Project Mercury, organized in October 1958, represents the firstphase in this effort. It s purposes are to orbit a manned capsule, toinvestigate mans reactions to space flight, and to recover both man

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4 NASA SI= SEMEANNUAL RESORT TO CONGRESS

and capsule. Such experience is a vital prerequisite toWithin the period, Astronaut Virgil I. Grissom successfully com-

pleted the second U.S. manned suborbital flight (first was completed

by Astronaut Alan B. Shepherd, Jr., on May 5, 1961). I n addition,two Mercury capstlles were orbi ted and recovered; one of these wasunoccupied, while the other contained the chimpanzcouraged by th e data f rom these experiments, NASA pfirst United States manned orbital flight and named Astronaut Joh nH. Glenn, Jr., as pilot. (Glenns histor ic flight will be covered in thereport for January 1-June 30,1962.)

Following early Mercury tests, NASA determined that an inter-mediate manned orbital project was necessary. The project, calledGemini, will conduct advanced earth orbit experiments. A tmo-passenger capsule, configured like Mercury but 50 percent larger,Gemini will perform sustained missions and will test the feasibilityof rendezvous and docking.

Apollo, the project geared to placing American explorers on themoons surface and returning them to earth , is the terminal phase ofth e first manned lunar landing objective. The Apollo spacecraft willcarry a three-man crew or orbits around the moon and subsequentlyfo r lunar land ing and exploration.

During this period, NASA held a series of conferences with poten-tial Apollo project contractors, solicited design and development pro-posals from eligible ones, and selected the prime contractor to designand build the spacecraf t and the second unit. I n addition, NASAselected the guidance-navigation system contractor, expanded facili-ties for launch, and awarded a contract to study the technical feasi-bility of manned space stations as a means of accelerating the lunar

program.Concurrent with the lunar exploration program, NASA improvedtracking and data acquisition networks. It completed the deep spaceinstrumentation facility in Africa, readied the Mercury network fo rmanned orbi tal flight, completed construction of Minitrack stations inAlaska and Newfoundland, completed one 85-foot tracking antennaand chose the site fo r another. NASA also chose R contractor tostudy th e feasibility of 200-250 foot diameter antennas. All networkswill support manned spacecraft, satellites, and planetary explor a onvehicles.

Unmanned Lunar and Ptanetary Exploration Programs

During the period, NASA gained significant additional knowl-edge of the earths space environment and the relationship betweenthe earth and the sun. Thi s information was derived from two geo-


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SUMMARY 5

es, a geophysioal probe, and 28 sounding rockets which

Explorer XII, an energetic particles satellite, transmitted data thatchanged th e accepted image of the Van Allen radiation region, re-vealed a definite outer edge to the earths magnetic field, and gavenew evidence of the effect of solar events upon the earth. ExplorerXI1 provided more useful data than did all previous satellites com-bined. Dur ing the 112-day life span it sent back over 3 billion bitsof useful information.

The information from the Explorer XI1 experiment directly bene-fits the manned space flight program, particularly with regard tothe areas of radiation to be encountered. It is also being used indesigning solar powered satellites-one of its experiments comparedthe protection varying thicknesses of glass coating afforded solar cellsagainst deterioration caused by radiation.

An electron density profile probe relayed information about theionosphere which should contribute to improved radio communica-tion and lead to greater accuracy in ground t racking of spacecraft.

Scientific information from other satellites of the Explorer series. included information on the density of the atmosphere and its re-

lationship to sun spots and on theories relating to the origin andevolution of the universe. All the information indicated the com-plexity of our environment and th e kind of satellites required forfur ther observation and study.

Satellites under development or being readied for launching in-clude some to study the composition of the upper atmosphere, othsrsto study the ionosphere, a geophysical observatory able to carry as

many as 50 different experiments, and a solar observatory designedor intensive studies of the sun and its phenomena. NASA is alsoplanning an astrono?r. cal observatory to provide knowledge aboutthe solar system, the stars, and the composition of space. Data willbe collected and sent back by about a thousand pounds of scientificequipment.

The data collected by NASA satellites and sounding rockets haveincreased knowledge of the radiation hazard presented to mannedspace flights by solar flares. These studies also returned valuabledata on temperatures, velocities, directions, and densities of windsof the upper atmosphere. They relate directly to weather research,high alti tude aircraf t, and rocket launching. Rockets have also beenused to give NASA information on the X-rays thrown out by thesun. Their data are unique because they carry X- ray photometersabove the earths atmosphere.

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6 NASA SIXTH SEMIANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS

Sounding rocket experiments have given increased understandingof the region of the atmosphere called the ionosphere. This knowl-edge can be applied to radio communications and tracking of space-craft and is a necessary type of research for our manned space flightprogram,

NASA is developing unmanned instrumented spacecraft to precedeman t o the moon and to the other planets. The vd ue of such cra ft liesin their ability to probide vital information about the unfamiliarenvironments of the moon or other planets, to help determine favor-able landing areas, and to proof-test many of th e systems which willlater be used for manned flight. I n addition, such craf t could ac-company manned expeditions to serve as supply or reconnaissancevehicles.

NASA plans to use instrumented probes in its broad lunar andinterplanetary research program to seek answers to such questions asthe origin of the solar system, the possibility of life on other planets,and the nature of space.

NASA launched two Ranger spacecraft which returned much val-uable data and permitted researchers to check out systems even thoughthey did not achieve the intended orbit. Ranger I gathered andtransmitted information on radiation, cosmic dust, and magneticfields, which will be used in readying subsequent Rangers. Th eRanger spacewaft support the accelerated manned lunar landingprogram.

Surveyor is another instrumented cr af t being developed by NASAfor a controlled landing on the moon. It will carry instruments togather, analyze, and transmit information about the surface and sub-

surface of the moon. The first Surveyor spacecraft are scheduledfor launch beginning in 1964.Another program to acquire scientific information on the atmos-

phere, surface, and magnetic fields of Mars and Venus is calledMariner. I n this program, it also is possible tha t information re-lat ing to the existence of lif e on these planets will be collected.Assembly and final testing of two Mariner R spacecraft moved to-ward the scheduled launching in the summer of 1962. The primarypurpose of the earliest Mariner flights will be to determine the surfacetemperature of Venus and to gather information on interplanetaryspace.

Thiscraft, to be designated Mcariner B, would have a capsule capable oflanding instruments on Mars or Venus to transmit data about thesurface and atmosphere.

NASA is also considering a follow-on to the first Mariner.


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I n the concept stage is a series of advanced spacecraft calledVoyager. These heavily instrumented spacecraft would be able togo into orb it about a target planet. They would have high resolutiontelevision cameras and instruments to collect data about the atmos-phere, magnetic fields, and radiation belts of the planet. Voyagermight also carry an instrumented capsule to be sent to the planetssurface to relay information. One of its tasks would be to pick upand analyze soil samples to determine whether chemicals are presentwhich would support life.

Development and Applicationof Meteorolog ical and CommunicationsSatellites

NASA made substantial pr og re s in developing operational meteor-ological and communications satellites. When developed, these satel-lites will have a profound effect on our daily lives and our economy.

Meteorological satellites will improve weather forecasting and thusprevent losses of li fe and property. Communications satelli tes pre-sent an enormous potential fo r increasing our long distance communi-cations resources.

During the period, NASA launched the third of its successful se-ries of TTROS experimental weather satellites. T IROS 111,launched Ju ly 12, not only discovered and provided the first data onHurricane Esth er ; t also transmitted timely storm-revealing picturesof cloud systems ( as well as infra-red data) from vast areas of theearth. From cloud-cover dat a furnished by this satellite, the U.S.Weather Bureau was able to provide national and foreign weatherstations with valuable weather data and to warn areas threatened bydangerous storms.

TIROS IV was nearing completion at the end of the period. Andwork progressed on more advanced weather satellites : Nimbus andAeros. Nimbus will be more nearly operational than TI ROS 111.Aeros, because of its more or less stationary position in relation tothe ear th, will maintain constant surveillance of weather systems inthe tropical and temperate latitudes.

These meteorological satellites mean tha t a global system of accuratelong-range and short-range meather predictions is in the offing.

Research, development, and testing continued on two systems ofcommunications sa te ll it eepass ive (reflecting transmissions received)and active (ret ransmitting received sign als) .

Preparations were almost completed for suborbital testing of apassive satellite larger and more rigid than the 100-foot Echo I (inorbit since August 1960), and studies continued on Project Rebound,


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8 NASA SIXTH SEMIANNUAL R E S O RT TO CONGRESS

designed to place three advanced Echo satellites in orbits from asingle launch.

Developmental work progressed on two active satellites: Relay andSyncom. Relay will be launched into an elliptical orbit. Syncom willbe placed in a 24-hour orb it; t ha t is, it will make an orbit each 24 hours,it s speed exactly coinciding with the earths rotation.

Dur ing the period, NASA cooperated with the American Telephoneand Telegraph Company on the Tels tar project. NASA assisted inanalyzing and processing data for research and development on thespacecraft and ground systems. I t also established environmental testspecifications fo t the spacecraft and arranged to supply the launchvehicle.

Communications satellites provide more economic means than newsubmarine cables for meeting the greatly increased demand for trans-oceanic services; they make worldwide television foreseeable; and

they make possible new forms for global communications, such asclosed circuit TV on an international basis.

LaunchVehiclesand Propulsion SystemsI n a broad sense, the manned spacecraft, t he unmanned exploratory

vehicles, and the experimental satellites represent the pay-off stageof NASAs efforts. Their effectiveness in achieving design and pro-gram goals, however, is directly related to the effectiveness of theirlaunch vehicles.

For this reason, NASA continues to improve the boosters andlaunch vehicles now being used and to accelerate development of thoseneeded dur ing the lat ter half of thi s decade. The former group in-cludes Scout, Delta, Thor-Agena, and ,Qtlas-Agena. The necessary

ones for the months and years ahead include Ti tan 11, Centaur, Satur n6 1 , he Advanced Satu rn (G5), and the Nova concept.

With the boosters and launch vehicles now in use, NASA madethese improvements: A new solid propellant fo r Scout enables it toorbit a 240-pound satellite (heretofore its limit has been 150 pounds).Deltas reliability made it feasible to extend the l ife of this workhorsebooster beyond the planned cutoff time of 1961 ; he manufacturer re-ceived a contract to fabricate 14 additional vehicles. NASA iscoupling the restartable Agena B as an upper stage with the T hor andAtlas; the Thor-Agena B was selected as the vehicle for launchingscientific and other applications satellites requiring polar (north tosouth) orbits. Atlas-Agena B was chosen f o r the advanced communi-cation, meteorological, and scientific satellites (Rebound, OrbitingAstronomical Observatory, and others) .

Beyond these, NASA chose the Air Force-developed Ti tan I1 as thelaunch vehicle for Project Gemini. This choice represents a means of


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SUMMARY 9

having the required amount of thrust without a costly and time-con-suming development program for a new booster. Captive firing testswere in progress dur ing this period. A significant advantage ofTitan I1 over earlier boosters: it uses a storable liquidfuel and thuscan be fueled well ahead of launch time.

Wi th the Atlas-Centaur, the launch vehicle planned to have a majorunmanned lunar and interplanetary role, NASA concentrated its ef -forts on the Centaur engines. (Centaur is the second stage of thelaunch vehicle.) The high-performance engine (designated RL-10)underwent. 20 successful r o u n d firings and passed its preliminaryflight rat ing test. on November 20, 1961.

The first stage (S-1) of Saturn C-1, designated for early Apollomissions, gave a near-perfect performance in its first flight on October27. Takeoff thrust mas 1.3 million pounds. This test supported theuse of engine clusters for the Advanced Satur n and th e Nova launch

vehicles. NASA also ground tested the second S-1 and began as-sembly of the thir d. The newly acquired Michoud Pla nt, near NewOrleans, mill be used by the contractor to build operational copies ofthe S-1.

The Advanced Saturn, representing the next step up the high-thrustladder, mill be a versatile, flexible launch vehicle for multiple uses inthe Apollo program. Dur ing this reporting period, research and de-velopment work on the first stage advanced sufficiently to permitNASA to negotiate with a specific contractor to design, develop, andproduce it. Development work was started on the second stage, anda contractor was selected to modify the thi rd stage.

The most powerful launch vehicle yet envisioned is the Nova ; NASAsett.led on the major features of Nova during this period : a first stageof eight 1.5 million-pound-thrust engines; a second stage cluster offour engines with a total thrust of 4 million pounds; and a thi rd stagesimilar to th at of the Advanced Satu rn. Nova will be able to launch185-ton orbiting space stations, 75-toil lunar spacecraft, or 50-toninterplanetary space ships.

I n addition t o its work with. launch vehicles, NASA continuedto attack propulsion problems on a broad front. It tested prototypesof lom-thrust, long-running electric engines; it contracted for initialwork in developing the first nuclear rocket engine an outgrowth ofthe Kiwi phase of Project Rover ; and i t advanced the work being donewith both liquid and solid chemical propellants.

Aeronautical ResearchNASAs aeronautical reEenrch programs continued to supply data

valuable in the development of spacecraft and air craf t. The sevenX-15 flights during the period added significantly to mans knowledge


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10 NASA SIX" SEMIANNUAL REpORT To CONGRlBB

of the stresses of space flight and of the, ability of materials to with-stand such stresses and heating, and showed khat man could operatesuch air craft under conditions of high acceleration and weightlessness.These flights also demonstrated the value of having a man aboard thespace vehicle to exercise his judgment and to take over if automaticsystems malfunction.

The X-15 research program has also added vital data on reentryto the earth's atmosphere and on manned control of large rockets dur-ing the powered phase of a spacecraft's flight.

The d ata derived from the X-15 research program has been appl iedto the Project Mercury suborbital flights and to design of the Apollospace vehicle. The information is also being used in studies of super-sonic transports which NASA is conducting for the Federal AviationAgency.

Knowledge gained from the X-15 program has also been useful in

saving time in the development of the rocket-propelled X-20 (Dyna-Soar) glider being developed by the Air Force with NASA technicalsupport.

The data gained on aerodynamics, the abilities of materials to with-stand the stresses of space flight, aerodynamic heating, control andother related topics du ring the research on the X-15 are al l applicableto the development program fo r the supersonic transport.

The Agency also continued to conduct research on vertical takeoffand landing aircraft, which have potential use in both military andcivilian applications. Several models of V TOL air cra ft are understudy in wind tunnel tests and others are in design stages. The dataaccumulated on these air cra ft is being used t o speed up their develop-ment, thus saving airport space and making it possible to locate air-par ts closer to metropolitan areas.

One of NASA's importan t responsibilities in aeronautical researchis to conduct investigations which will lead to increased safety ofoperat ion of commercial airc raf t. NASA has been conducting ex-tensive tests in conjunction with the Federal Aviation Agency onthe effects of runway slush on jet operation. The research indicatedth at the effect of slush on jets was twice as great as had previouslybeen thought. These findings led to a ruling by the Federal AviationAgency th at operatiops be halted when runway slush reached a depthof over half an inch.

li f e Sciences

I n the lif e sciences, NASA began a number of investigations relatedto conditions expected to be encountered in space travel. Radiat ion isone of the foremost hazards of space flight. Project BIOS is th e


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SUMMARY 11

NASA program particularly concerned with this subject. Its spaceprobes study the effects of radiation (and of weightlessness) onliving organisms. I n November, an Argo D-8 rocket carried alo ft

experiments to study the effects of the radioactivity of the Van Allenbelts on algae, bacteria, human blood cells, and of barley seed.

NASA is conducting research into life detection systems whichcould be carried by instrumented spacecraft (Mariner or Voyager)designed for reconnaissance of Mars and Venus. One such device isa radioisotope biochemical probe to detect the presence of microbeson Ma.rs. It is small, sensitive, and relia.ble but rugged enough towithstand luna r or planetary landings.

In frare d spectroscopes carried in high-altitude balloons or plane-ta ry orbiting spacecraft would be able to detect life-re lated com-pounds and to study and analyze a planets atmosphere. NASA plansto include such a spectroscope on the Mariner spacecraft. An infra-red spectroscope to be carried by a balloon above 80,000 feet is in theaesign stage at the University of California. It will be capable ofbeing automatically trained and focused to examine the Martiansurf aees for evidence of organic compounds.

NASA-supported research on the ability of microorganisms towithstand the conditions of space may answer questions about ext ra-t.errestria1 life and influence future planetary probes. One of thefindings was that the spores of several bacteria were able to survivefo r 5 days in a hard vacuum typical of space. This demonstratedthat the space vacuum cant be relied on to sterilize spacecraft.Another finding, derived from research into simulating the atmos-phere of Mars, was that several species of earths bacteria could con-ceivably exist on Mars. Addit ional research has isolated from the

salt flats of S an Francisco Bay microbes capable of surviving andreproducing in the absence of moisture. These bacteria could possiblyexist on Mars.

I n seeking to determine whether life exists on other planets, scien-tists must be sure that life forms th at may be found have not beenintroduced by a space vehicle. To preclude this possibility, NASAhas developed sterilizatioh techniques using liquid and gaseous steri-lants to decontaminate Ranger A-3-the first planned impact vehicle.Decontamination requirements for the compartments and subcom-partments of the Surveyor spacecraf t have been established, and adecontamination system for the entire vehicle is to be completed earlyin 1962.

.

roadened InternationThe National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 directs NASAto cooperate with other nations in aeronautics and space activities. As


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12 NASA SIXTH SEMIANNTJAL RESORT To


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S W Y 13

Finally, NASAs Office of Interna tional Programs assisted th e De-partment of Stat e and the United Sta tes Delegation to the UnitedNations in formula ting a UN policy on outer space.

_____-_______--_-_-_-- - -Even as this report is being prepared, NASA advances continue.

Major accomplishments since the termination date of this reportinclude the three-orbit flights of Astronauts Glenn and Carpenter;successful launches of TI RO S I V and TIROS V ; the lun ar impactof Ranger I V ; the successful launch and test of Telstar; and thereorientation of the Apollo project, providing for a two-man excur-sion vehicle to explore the lunar surface while the th ird crew memberorbits the moon in the Apollo spacecraft.

Individual chapters of this report contain the details of NASAaccomplishments of the Jul y 1-December 31, 1961 period. Thoseachieved aft er J anuary 1,1962, will be discussed in la ter reports.


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CHAPTER1

Manned SpaeeFlight

Mercury,Gemini, and ApolloMoveAheadDuring this reporting period, Project Mercury moved toward its

final phase. Astronaut Virgil I. Grisssm duplicated Alan B.Shepards May 5 suborbital flight; an unmanned Mercury eapsule,launched by an At las booster, orbited the ear th and was recovered;and a Mercury Capsule, carrying a chimpanzee, Enos, made twoorbits and was recovered from th e Atlan tic Ocean.

Manne d spaceRigM-majOi activities.

The NASA also initiated Pro ject Gemini as a follow-on to ProjectMercury. The Gemini spacecraft was planned as a Mercury-typecapsule designed to accommodate two astronauts and to t ravel in spacefo r a week or more. It would also be able to test rendezvous techniquesand thus provide experience and t rain ing fo r the Apollo project.

Gemini N ~ L S iewed as a preparatory step in the development ofmanned space vehicles leading to the larger, lunar- landing spacecraf tof Project Apollo.

17


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18 NASA SIXTH SEMIANNUAL RESORT TO WNGREBB

A t the same time, progress was made in accelerating work on Proj-ect Apollo. NASA awarded five contracts for the construction ofthe three-man Apollo spacecraft, its Satu rn booster, and the associatednavigation systems. I n addition, the Atlantic Missile Range, CapeCanaveral, was selected as the Apollo launch area and steps were

Artistswnceptionof the Apollospacecraft.

taken to enlarge its complex. Fur ther, NASA selected three new lo-cations for work on the manned lunar landing program : The MannedSpncecraft Center, Houston, Tex. ; the Michoud Plant, New Orleans.La. : and the Mississippi Test Facility, in southwest Mississippi.

The second successful manned suborbital flight in Project Mercurywas achieved on July 21, 1961, with astronaut Virgil I. Grissom aspilot of the spacecraft Liberty Bell 7. Objectives of th e flight wereto confirm data obtained during the first suborbital flight and tofurther test the Mercury capsule and its life-support and telemetrysystems.


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MANNED SPACE FLIGI-IT 19

Pli ght Detaik-The M R 4 flight, twice delayed by unfavorableweather, began with lift off from Cape Canaveral at 7:20 a.m. e.s.t.The capsule reached an altitude of 118 miles and traveled 303 milesdown the Atlantic Missile Range, landing in the planned recoveryarea at 7 :35. I n the course of t he trip, Grissom experienced 5 minutesof weightlessness. During the flight, he used the large window ofthe capsule to observe the earth, sky, and stars in the blackness ofspace. He visually confirmed such fi ght sequences as booster separa-tion, jettison of retrorocket, an d drogue and main parachute openings.

Grissom successfully maintained atti tude control with t he manualcontrol systems. He also manually triggered ignition of the retro-rockets from the capsule and exercised manual capsule-attitude controlduring the 22-second rocket firing which slowed the capsule forreentry.

Capsule Landed XuccessfuZly.-During descent and atmospheric

entry, the capsule underwent a maximum deceleration force of 11 gs.Grissom withstood the g forces without difficulty, making several voicecommunications during this period.

The capsule landed near th e predicted location northeast of GrandBahama Island, within sight of the recovery ships. Astronaut Gris-som delayed leaving the capsule until he had recorded certain data,then informed the pilot of th e Marine helicopter that he was readyfor a normal recovery or hookup procedure.

Liberty Bell 7 Lost.-However, before the helicopter could hookonto the capsule, the escape hatch was separated from the side of thecapsule by a premature firing of i ts explosive bolts. Water pouredin as Grissom pulled himself from the capsule and swam away. Af ter4 minutes in the water, he was recovered by a second helicopter andflown to the carrier U.S.S. Randolph.

Efforts to rescue $he capsule failed; it sank in the ocean where thewater was too deep for salvage operations. The cause of the prema-tur e actuation of the hatchs explosive bolts was not determined.

.

Mercury-RedstoneProgram ConcludedDespite the loss of the capsule, the M R 4 est w as highly successful,

clearly demonstrating that the Mercuryspacecraft was fully qualifiedfo r the orbital mission. However, the Redstone booster, developing78,000 pounds of liftoff thrust , wm not intended for ear th orbital mis-sions. For this purpose, NASA had selected the 360,000-pound-thrust Atlas booster.

Mercu ry Orbital FlightsUnmanned Mercury-Ath (MA-4) Makes XingZe Orbit.-On

September 13 , an unmanned Mecury-Atlas (MA4) was launched666299 %62---3


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20 NASA SIXTH SEMIANNUAL REPORT T O WNGRFdSS

from Cape Canaveral into an earth orbit. The capsule, an early ver-sion without explosive hatch or impact bag, made one complete triparound the earth, was brought back, and landed in the AtlanticOcean about 160 miles east of Bermuda. It was recovered by thedestroyer U.S.S. Decatur.

The M A 4 capsule contained a mechanical device to simulate hu-man respiration, voice tapes to communicate with the tracking sht ions,and a fully operational automatic attitude control system.

Mission,S.ucceeds.-The flight was highly successful, qualifying thelife support systems, the worldwide Mercury tracking network, and th espacecraft controls for manned flight. Voice transmissions betweenthe unmanned capsule and the ground stations were satisfactory, andthe tracking network stations sent data to Goddard Space FlightCenter computers swiftly and accurately for relay to the control ten-ter at Cape Canaveral. The capsules control systems operated as

programed, automatically firing the braking rockets and deploying theparachutes to land th e spacecraft safely.Two minor fau lts developed dur ing the flight. One problem arose

when an inverter (a device that changes direct current to alternatingcurren t) failed dur ing launch. However, a standby inverter wasautomatically switched into the circuit. An astronaut would havebeen able to correct thi s malfunction promptly. Th e second difficultywas a too rapid use of the capsules main oxygen supply. Th is re-sulted f rom vibrat ions which moved an emergency oxygen handle tothe on position, thus releasing oxygen at a highar than normal ratedur ing the 0rbi.t. Again, an astronant would have been able to elimi-nate this problem easily.

MA-5 CarriesChim~anzeenFina2 Test of Mercury Systems.-Despite the success of the M A 4

flight, NASA scheduled one more test of the Mercury capsule beforeorbiting a manned spacecraft. To simulate the conditions of mannedflight as closely as possible, it was decided to send a chimpanzee ona three-orbit tri p in a Mercury capsule.

Lawnched from Gape Cawvera2.--Preparations for the MA-5flight followed precisely the routine set for manned flight. Thechimpanzee-Enos, a 51/-year-old, 371/2-pound ma,le, trained by AirForce specialists-began the day a t 2:28 a.m. e.s.t., November 29,when he was dressed in a special space suit and zippered onto hisspace couch. He was next transported to the launch pad and securedin the Mercury capsule about 4:15 a.m. The launching, scheduledfo r 7 :30 but delayed by trouble in the telemetry system, took place at10 :07.


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MANNED SPACE FLIGHT 21

Atlas launches primate-carrying Mercury capsule.

PZight 2e.pmim.ztedAfter Two Orbits.-During the first orbit, allspacecraft systems functioned properly, and Enos carried ou t hi s fourmain tasks. The chimpanzee had a series of levers to move in s equence with flashing colored lights. These tests were designed toindicate any effects weightlessness and the stresses of space flightmight have on the animals perception and physical reactions.

Dur ing the second orbit, the capsules roll control system began tomalfunction, and th e stabilization jets took over. These jets, designed


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22 NASA SIXTH SEMIANNUAL RESORT TO CONGRESS

Enosrelaxes beforehis Mercury flight.I

to make major corrections during descent, consume large quantities

of hydrogen peroxide in exercising control. I f this fuel were usedexcessively during the orbital flight period, the jets might not beeffective during descent, thus endangering the outcome of the flight.I n addition, the capsules cooling system was letsting he cabin and theelectrical system become too warm. Consequently, Mercury ControlCenter decided tc terminate the mission.

Cupsule Landed and Recovered.-A ground command transmittedby the Poin t Arguello, Calif., tracking station fired the capsules retro-rockets as it approached the end of its second orbit. The capsule madea normal reentry, decelerating within 3 minutes from a speed of 17,500m.p.h. to 1,350 m.p.h. At 21,000 feet the drogue parachute opened,followed by the main chute at 10,000 feet. The landing occurred atabout 1:28 p.m. in the planned recovery area. Th e capsule and thechimpanzee were recovered by the destroyer U.S.S. Stormes and takento Bermuda. Enos was flown to Cape Canaveral, where examinationdisclosed no apparen t ill effects from the flight.


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-ED SPACE FLIGHT 23

Mercwy-Atlas Ready fo r Manned P2ight.-The test objectives ofthe MA-5 flight were substantially accomplished. A detailed studyof the spacecraft, booster, and tracking network operation indicatedtha t the Mercury-Atlas system was ready for manned orbital flight.The mechanical problems that developed during the second orbitwould have been corrected if a human as tronau t had been aboard.

At the conclusion of the successful MA-5 flight, NASA announcedthat astronaut John H. Glenn, Jr., had been selected as pilot for thefirst manned Mercury flight-scheduled fo r early 1962.

roject GeminiProject Mercury plans called for the development of a spacecraft

capable of carr ying one astronaut in earth o rbit fo r about 24 hours atthe most. The manned lun ar tri p of Project Apollo would requiremuch longer flight periods. For practical reasons, NASA decided toextend Project Mercury to develop a two-man spacecraft capable ofearth orbital flights of a week or more. This cra ft would providepilot training and experience for circumlunar and lunar landingflights, bridging the true in terval between the one-man Mercury flight

Gemini Planned as Mercury Pollow-on.-NASA planned ProjectGemini as the extension of the Mercury project to develop a new two-man Mercury-type capsule. It would have the same general shapeas Mercury but would be larger and more complex. Cabin spacewould be 50 percent greater and weight two or three times that of thecurrent 2,000-pound Mercury capsule.

Gemini would have generally the same life-support systems as

Mercury but their capacity would be greater. The instal lation ofmany subsystems, now located in the Mercury cabin, on the outsideperimeter of the new spacecraft would provide the increased cabinspace. This arrangement would also permit quicker replacementof defective units and allow for the jettisoning of exhausted containersor of systems no longer needed.

Gemini To Test 0rbita. l Rendemow.-Gemini will give an earlycapability to prove out the feasibility of rendezvous techniques. (Seealso Chapter 8, Space and Aeronautics Research Activities.)

Costs Estimated.-Preliminary costs for the Gemini program wereset at about $500 million, including 12 enlarged spacecraft and TitanI1 and Atlas-Agena vehicles. The Ti tan 11, produced by MartinMarietta Corporation, would launch the Gemini capsule ; and theAtlas, produced by Convair Division of General Dynamics Corpora-tion, would propel the Agena stage with which Gemini wouldrendezvous.

. and projected Apollo tests.


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24 NASA SIXTH SEMlANNuAL REPORT T O I30NGRESS

PROJECT GEMINIFLIGHT MISSION

I. ATLAS-AGENAB LAUNCHED 2. DETERMINE ORBITOF AGENAB

-----------..

I


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26 NASA SIXTH SEMIANNUAL REPORT To CWNGREBS

sign and fabr ication of the luna r spacecraft, its boosters, and its in -strumentation ; o expand launch facilities at Cape Canaveral ; nd toobtain bases in the Gulf-Mississippi River area for a Manned Space-

craf t Center, a manufacturing plant, and a test facility. (F or addi-tional details on Project Apollo see Cliapter 6, Launch VehiclePrograms.)

Saturn Successfully Tested

Another achievement related to the Apollo program was the October27 launching of the Satu rn booster. I n this ballistic test at CapeCanaveral, the Saturn perfoFmed as programmed, producing morethan i ts planned 1.5-million pounds of thrust.

ndustry Conferences He ld

To give industry the necessary background on Project Apollo,NASA held a series of briefings dur ing the report period. The Julymeeting, held in Washington, D.C., was attended by 1,200 represen-tatives from 300 companies to whom NASA officials explained theApollo concept and requirements. Companies were requested to esti-mate their capabilities for contributing to the project, singly or asmembers of industry teams.

A mid-August briefing, held at Langley Field, Va., was limited tocompanies eligible to bid on the vehicle complex, including the three-man lun ar capsule. This was a detailed technical briefing and in-dicated the contractual guidelines under which the proposals andpreliminary bids were to be submitted. A thi rd industry conferencewas held at New Orleans in September. Subsequently, NASA in-

vited contractors to submit proposals on certain major systems andsubsystems.

Early i n October, five indust ry proposals for the development ofthe Apollo spacecraft and the service module (car rying fuel, electricalpower supplies, and propulsion units for lunar takeoff) were sub-mitted to NASA. Each proposal was evaluated by a team of NASAand DOD engineers, scientists, and management personnel.

On November 28, NASA announced the selection of North Ameri-can Aviation, Inc. (N AA ) to design and build the three-man Apollospacecraft an d the second unit. NAA will be assisted by a large team

of subcontractors. Details of the contract, expected to exceed $400million, are to be worked out in negotiations between NASA andNAA officials.


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MANNED SPACE FLIGHT 27

Saturn Contracts Announced

I n November, NASA announced th at it had selected the ChryslerCorporation with which to negotiate a contract, ultimately t o cost$200 million, to build, check out, test, and launch the first stage ofth e Satur n launch vehicle. Under the contract, Chrysler will fabri-cate a total of 20 first stages at the NASA Michoud Plan t. The firstSaturn stage manufactured by Chrysler, is scheduled for shipmentto Cape Canaveral in 1964.

I n December, NASA selected the Boeing Company with which tonegotiate a contract to develop, construct, and test th e first stage ofthe Advanced Sa tu rn launch vehicle. The contract, to extend through1966, covers work on 24 flight boosters as well as several ground testversions.

This stage is also to be assembled a t the Michoud Plant and tested

at the NASA Mississippi Test Facility; the NASA Marshall SpaceFli gh t Center will direct the work.Also in December, a contractor was designated for the Saturn thir d

stage. NASA indicated th at it would negotiate with Douglas Air-craft Company, Santa Monica, on a contract to modify the SaturnS-IV stage for advanced missions. Th e modified stage, the S-IVB,will have its power increased by the installation of a 200,000-pound-thrust Rocketdyne 5-52 liquid hydrogen-liquid oxygen engine.

.

Guidance Contractor Selected

I n August, NASA announced that it would negotiate a contractwith the Massachusetts Insti tu te of Technology Instrumentat ion Lab-oratory, Cambridge, to develop the guidance-navigation system forthe Apollo spacecraft. The contract with the Laboratory, first mem-ber of the Apollo contractor team, will cover development of groundsupport and checkout equipment as well as the on-board system.Under the contract, the Laboratory will design and build the first fewsystems; later, contractors will be selected to manufacture the variouselements of the systems under the technical direction of MIT.

The guidance-navigation system contractor was chosen earlybecause development of this system is basic to the overall Apollomission.

Expanded Facilities Required

Apollo Launch Si te Set.-The size and power of the Apollo launchvehicles present problems of lethal noise levels and tremendous explo-sive forces. NASA had to consider these factors in selecting theApollo launch site, as well as the need to develop such facilities in


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NASA SIXTH SEMIANNCSAL RESORT TO O N G R E B S28


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MAXNED SPgCE ' FLIGHT 29

time for preliminary Satur n tests in 1963. A decision was made to en-large the At lantic Missile Range (AMR) a t Cape Canaveral by ac-quiring 80,000 acres nor th of the existing range.

NASA. also contracted fo r the building of the second ladnch Sat urncomplex (No. 37) and an assembly building.

Gulf Area Bases Obtained.-NASA also took over the %millionsquare-foot Michoud Ordnance Plant, Michoud, La., as a manufac-turing and assembly site for Satu rn stages. I n ad&ition, NASAacquired the Mississippi Test Facility, 50 miles east of New Orleans,as a static test site for Sat urn and Nova-class vehicles.

Manned Xpacmraft Center Added.--In September, NASA an-nounced th at the administrative, testing, and tra ini ng headquartersfor the manned spaw flight program- will be located in Houston, Tex.The facilities will be built on a 1,620-acre plot-1,020 acres deededto the Government by Rice Universi ty, 600 acres purchased by NASA.


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CHAPTER 2

Satellite Appli~ations

Advances Continue

NASA progressed in its development of an operational meteoro-logical satellite and continued research on technical problems yet tobe solved before operst ional communications satellites can beestablished.

TIR OS experimental weather satellites continued to make meteoro-logical history. TI RO S I11 wfts launched-the th ir d launch, with-out a failure, of this family of satellites-and soon began tracking anddiscovering Atlanti c hurricanes and Pacific typhoons. TI RO S 11, ayear in orbit on November 23, provided valuable pictures until Augustand limited data almost to the end of the report period. Althoughno longer transmitting data, TIR OS I continued to be t he subject ofnumerous technical reports, an d demands fo r its pictures increased.

The TIROS satellites proved so useful that it was decided to at-tempt to keep one in operation at all times until the first of th e suc-cessor series-Nimbus-is launched. Work on TIR OS I V wasundertaken, and the satellite was nearing readiness fo r launching atthe end of th e report period. ( I t was launched February 8, 1962,from Cape Canaveral.)

Development of Nimbus continued, and initi al in-house studies wereunder taken on Aeros, planned as the first weather satellite to be placedin a 24-hour stationary or bi t- on e synchronous with the rotation ofthe earth.

Research, development, and testing continued on two systems ofcommunications satellites-passive (reflecting transmissions received)and active (retransmitting received signals). Prepara tions were al-most completed fo r suborbital testing of a passive satellite larger andmore rigid than the 100-foot Echo I (in orbit since August 1960), andpreliminary investigations continued on Project Rebound, designedto place three advanced Echo satellites in orbits from a single launch.

Developmental work progressed on the Relay, Telstar, and Syncomactive satellites.

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32 NASA SIXTH SEMLANNUAL RESORT TO CONGRESS

~ e t e o r o l o ~ c a latellitesTiros 111

Launched from Cape Canaveral, July 12, 1961, by a Delta launchvehicle, TIROS I11 achieved a near-circular orbit at an altitude ofabout 475 rni1es.l

Discovers Tropical Stom.-The first weather sate llite to discoverand provide the fimt da ta on a fully developed hurricane-Hurricane

TIROS111meteorologicalsatellite.

1 See NASA's Fifth Semiannual Report to Congress, Chapter 9, rgatelltte Development, forimprovements in- TIROS I11 over earlier weather satellites.


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SATELLIT& APPLICATION8 33

Esther, on September 11-TIROS I1 transmitted timely storm-revealing pictures of cloud systems (as well as nfrared data) from vastareas of the earth. For example, TI RQ S I11 pictures televised on the

same day t he satellite discovered Hur ricane Esther provided data onseveral othe r widespread storms extending fr om Hurricane Debbie inthe mid-Atlantic to Typhoon PauIa near Formosa.

TIROS111photographof HurricaneBetsySeptember7, 1961.

I n th e ocean areas west of Baja, Calif., the satelli te discoveredseveral tropical storms and established the locations of others. Itthus demonstrated that meteorological satellites can provide data ofimportance to areas, such as these, that normally are almost com-pletely withou t sources of continued weather information and thatcarry on important economic activities, such as fishing.

Provides Valuable Weather Data.-TIROS 111 proved its abilityto help overcome the deficiencies of other methods of weather observa-tion. Cloud pictures it transmitted on September 24 and 25 showed


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34 NASA SIXTH SEMIANNUAL RESORT M CONGRE8S

that Typhoon Sally had not degenerated, as weathermen relying onconventional data had believed.

From cloud cover data furnished by TIROS 111, the Weather

Bureaus Meteorological Satellite Laboratory and National Meteor-ological Center were able to provide United Sta tes and foreign weatherstations with valuable weather and cloud maps and analyses and toflash special alert messagw to areas threatened by dangerous storms.At New York, cloud analyses and pictures were used to brief pilotsflying the Atlantic and incorporated in weather kits carried by them.

TIROS I11 has transmitted over 35,000 pictures. These and theinfrared data it has recorded on the working of t he earths weather-making heat balance are being used to increase meteorological knowl-edge through research. _1

Att itude Changes Stud&d.-In late October, atti tude changes inTIROS I11 could not be explained by the design or operation of thecontrollable magnetic coil t ha t influences its attitude and the directionin which its cameras point. NASA scientists are studying thesechanges in an effort to relate them to what is known of the earthsmagnetic field.

N ow an Engineering Experiment.--TIROS 111s infrared detec-tor s obtained no usable data af ter October 30, and its television cam-eras npne af ter December 5. This satell ite is therefore now littlemore than an engineering experiment. (TIROS I11 was turned offshortly aft er T IR OS I V was successfully launched and w as working.)

Internutiom1 Aspects.-NASA and the Weather Bureau invited allnations belonging to the World Meteorological Organization to makespecial ground observations when TIROS I11 was over their terri-tories. Twenty-nine nations took par t in the program.

NASA and the Weather Bureau sponsored the Interna tional Mete-orological Satel lite Workshop, held in Washington, D.C., November13 through November 22, 1961. Thirty-nine participants from 27nations took part; 1 additional nation sent an observer only. Thepakticipants attended lectures on research progress on meteorologicalsatellites and laboratory sessions on processing and interpretingTIROS data.

Tiros I ITIROS I1 was still transmitting an occasional usable picture in

December, a year afte r launch. Although its radiation sensors canno longer provide da ta of meteorological value, the tape recorders andelectronic systems fo r recording meteorological information continue

to function and to provide valuable engineering data.Fourth Pair of Spin- Up Rockets Fired.-A fou rth pai r of the

rockets controlling spin rat e were activated on ground command after


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SATELLITX APPLICATION8 35

the satellite had been more than 10 months in space. Fi ri ng of theserockets increased the spin rate by two revolutions per minute, two-thirds of design impulse.

TIEOS II Datu Studies Continued.-The Weather-Bureau and theNavy Hydrographic Office continued to study pictures of the Gulfof St. Lawrence televised by TIROS I1 cameras during Janua ry andMarch 1961.

During the report period, Goddard Space Flight Center, assistedby the Weather Bureaus Meteorological Satellite Laboratory, proc-essed radiation data transmitted by T IR OS I1 and recorded this dataon magnetic tapes for research use with computers. Radiation chartswere produced from these tapes. The tapes and charts for 50 orbitswere made available to United States and foreign scientists, whosecomments will be considered in establishing the best method for re-ducing and presenting similar TI RO S I11 data.

Tiros I

Although the first satellite of the TIR OS series has yielded no use-ful data for more than a year, it continued to be written about anddiscussed. The first of its cloud pictures mere placed on public salein July, and a complete catalog of these pictures was issued in thefall.

.

Tiros I V

Plans call for the launching of four additional TI RO S satellites,one about every 4 months, with the last launch overlapping the first

Nimbus launch.TI RO S I V, the next of th e TI RO S series, was nearing completion

at the end of the repor t period. One of it s cameras has a new me-dium-angle lens. Although this lens somewhat reduces the areaphotographed, it gives more detail and produces less distortion thanthe wide-angle lens of previous T IR OS cameras. As a result, meteor-ologists will be able to locate and evaluate TIRO S I V cloud picturesmore precisely.

Some of the wavelengths observed with the scanning radiometerhave also been changed to determine whether the deterioration i n pre-vious T IR OS detectors resulted from (1) the action of the space en-vironment or the suns ultraviolet radiation on the filters or (2 ) the

physical location of the detectors in the satellite.Vibration tests were satisfactorily completed early in Decemberand were followed by thermal-vacuum tests.

666299 0--62----4


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36 N h S A SIXTH SEEMIANNUAL RESORT TO UONGRBSS

Work progressed on the Nimbus experimental weather sateilite,

scheduled to be launched in1963.

Nimbus Trill carry improved equip-ment that will make it more useful and more nearly operational thaiiTIRQS 111. I n addition, it will be launched into a quasi-polar orbit

cameras will be focused on the earth at all times. As aresult, i t will be able to provide ful l coverage of the daytime cloudcover of the entire ear th every 24 hours?

Equipment Passed Tests.-The prototype medium-resolutioii rad i-ometer transmit ter successfully passed en+oninental tests, and thevibration model of t he spacecrafts sensory ring passed certain flight

IS ee NASAs Fifth Semiannual Report to Congress, Chapter 9. Satellite D e r e l o p n t e l i t ,

for additional information on this satellite.


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SATELLITE APPLICATIONS 37

level tests. Acceptance testing of the preprobtype control and sta-bilization systems w as started but could not be completed because ofdeficiencies in th e testing facilities. Furt her testing was suspendednnt il improved testing facilities are completed at the General Electricplant at Valley Forge, Pa.

AerosNASA undertook init ial in-house studies and research and develop-

ment on components eventually to be incorporated int o the Aerosmeteorological satellite.

Constant Weather SweiZlunce.-Aeros will be placed in an equa-torial orbit at an altitude of 22,300 miles. Its unusual feature will beits more or less stationary position in relation to the earth. It willmaintain constant surveillance of weather systems in the trop ical andtemperate latitudes and will therefore be able to continuously track a

storm developing or moving within these latitudes.Aeros is expected t o have a camera for viewing major cloud systemsand another for viewing any selected area in greater detail.

National Meteorological Satellite SystemNASA will participate extensively in the National Operational

Meteorological Sate llite System (NOMSS), to be managed by theWeather Bureau under legislation enacted by Congress September 30,1961. NOMSS will eventually enable meteorologists to use satelliteobservations as routinely as they now use ground and balloonobservations.

NOMSS will be based on the Nimbus program. NASA and theWeather Bureau have informally prepared a Preliminary ProjectDevelopment Plan for the Nimbus Operational System (NOS), thefirst phase of NOMSS. Unaer the plan, NASA will be responsiblefor developing qnd launching spacecraft, developing ground com-mand and da ta acquisition stations, and acquiringdata from the satel-lite. NASA and the Weather Bureau will process these data, whichwill be analyzed by the Weather Bureau for use in operational weatheranalyses and forecasting. The data will also be retained fo r researchand development an d climatological use.

Communications SatellitesEcho

mil0 studies of the environmental behavior of Echo I continued,work went forw ard on the larger and more rigid Echo II.3

8Deseribed in NASAs Fifth Semiannual Report to Congress, Chapter 9, SateliiteDevelopment.


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38 NASA SIXTH SEMIANNUAL RESORT M CONGRIWS

Langley Research Center conducted a successful vacuum tank infla-tion test of the Echo I1 rigidized aluminum-plastic laminate sphere.This test was a preliminary to suborbital tests of the ejection andinflation of the sphere scheduled for Ja nuary 1962.

ReboundNASA is studying a technique by which a spacecraft launched by a

single launch vehicle will eject three o r more Echo satellites (later,active satellites as well) individually at predetermined intervals sothat they will be equally spaced in a circular earth orbit. The pur-pose of this projec tReb ound-is to reduce the cost of establishingmultip le low-altitude communications satellite systems. Thesestudies are expected to lead to two launches in 1963, using Atlas-Agena B launch vehicles.

Rebound Design Contract Awarded.-The Douglas Aircr af t Cor-poration completed, under NASA contract, th e init ial design sbudy ofthe multilaunch Rebound spacecraft. NASA reviewed the studyand concluded that further work on the spacecraft design is neces-sary. It is planned to extend the contract for three months.

RelayThe objective of Project Relay is to test t he ability of an active sat-

ellite to transm it transoceanic multichannel telephone, telegraph, andtelevision messages.

The 125-pound Relay experimental communications satellite, whichwill have 1 one-way T V channel or 12 two-way voice channels, is to belaunched by a Thor-Delta rocket system into an elliptical orbit witha perigee of about 900 and an apogee of about 3,000 miles,

Design and Fabrication Program Adsancing.-Ra&o Corporationof America, the prime contractor fo r the Relay spaw craft, completedmost of t he electronic design and constructed the shock and vibrationand th e thermal models.

Ground Stations Being Constmcted-NASA initiated prepara -tions for constructing a ground test station at Goldstone, Calif., forProject Relay. Under a $1,200,000 contract, the Philco Corporationis furni shing a 40-foot antenna for this station.

The United Kingdom and France also carried on construction workon ground stations to be used in Project Relay as terminals in trans-Atlanti c communications experiments. Representatives of NASA

and of these and other countries interested in the project reviewedground station planning a t a conference held in Washington, D.C.,December 8 and 9.


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SATEiLLITE APPLICATIONS 39TELEMETRY A NTENNAS

TWT POWER SUPPLY

SOLAR CELLSRADIATION EFFECTS

RECEIVER EXCITERTWT POWER SUPP

AlTlTUDE COI

SUB CARRIER DEMOD

RECEIVER8 TWT EXCITERRADIATION SENSORS

WIDE BAND ANTENNA

ProjectRelaysatellite.

TelstarA Cooperative Project.-NASA and the American Telephone and

Telegraph Company are cooperating on the Telstar project. Theobjective is to investigate the transmission of wideband communica-tions by an active communications satellite. To meet th is objective,NASA plans to launch two Telstar spacecraft from Cape Canaveralduring 1962. A backup launch 2 months later is planned for eachscheduled launch should a failure occur. Telstar's orbit will be ellip-tical, with a n apogee of about 3,000 miles, a perigee of about 500 miles,and an nclination of 45" to t he equator.

NASA and the American Telephone and Telegraph Company(which is assuming all costs) have the following responsibilities fo rthe project :

NASA-Establishing environmental test specifications fo r thespacecraft, obtaining the launch vehicle, launching the spacecraft,and acquiring orbita l data.


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40 NASA SIXTH SEMIANNrJAL REPORT TO (XJNGRESS

A.T. & T.-Developing the spacecraft and ground stations.NASA and A.T. & T.-Analyzing and processing data fo r

research and development on the spacecraft and ground systems.

T o Receive and Send Signals.-The Tels tar spacecraft will benearly spherical, 34 inches in diameter, and weigh about 170 pounds.Its communications equipment is designed to receive radio signals andimmediately amplify and retransmit them on another frequency.This equipment will also be able to accommodate one standard T Vchannel or 60 two-way telephone channels. Electrical energy willbe furnished by 3,600 solar cells, which convert sunlight in to electricalenergy.

Th e spacecraft also is planned to carry equipment to record theeffects of radiat ion and environment on i ts critical components.

G r d tat ion Being Comtructed.-The American Telephone andTelegraph Company is constructing at Andover, Maine, a groundstation to suppor t Telstar. The station, which is to have a 60-foothorn-type antenna, is also to be used fo r Project Relay.

InternathmZ Aspects.-Plans call fo r Telstar also to use groundstations being constructed for Projects Relay and Rebound by theBritish General Post Office, the French Center for Telecommunica-tions Studies, the West German Post Office, and the Brazi lian Depar t-ment of Posts and Telegraphic Communications. Other countries,notably Canada, Japan , Italy, and Argentina, are actively interested.

yncomSyncom, under a NASA contract, is to be built by the Hughes

Aircraf t Company. I t will be the first NASA communications satel-

lite in a 24-hour orbit, that is, making an orbit once each 24 hours,its speed exactly coinciding with the earth's rotation. Inclined 33"to the equator, Syncom will appear to an observer on the earth'sequator to move back and forth daily from a point directly over 33"north latitude to one over 33" south latitude.

Th e Syncom spacecraft is cylindrical, 25 inches high, and 28 inchesin diameter. It will weigh about 125 pounds, of which 70 poundswill be the weight of the fourth-stage "apogee kick" rocket motor-which adds the thrust required to place the spacecraft at the apogee(24-hour) altitude. Syncom's communications equipment will re-ceive radiotelephone and radiotelegraph messages from the earth andimmediately retransmit them.

Two Luzcnchings Planned.-Project Syncom has two objectives:(1 ) to develop the capability to launch satellites into 24-hour orbits,using existing launch vehicles and apogee kick rocket motors; and (2 )to test the li fe of the communication equipment, power supply, and

-


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att itu de control system at th e 24-hour orbit alti tude (22,300) miles.To meet these objectives, NASA plans two Syncom spacecraft launch-

in gs -o ne lat e in 1962, the other late in 1963. A backup launch isplanned, if either of th e scheduled launchings fails.Orbited b y Fourth-Xt Rocket Motors.-Delta vehicles have been

selected to launch the ncom spacecraft from Cape Canaveral.About 53$ hours after launch, the satellite will be over the southeastcoast of Africa at the apoge of a long, narrow elliptical orbi t (peri-gee will be at 125 miles). he fourth-stage rocket motor will thenbe fir& to impart enough additional velocity to place th e spacecraftin a nearly circular, approximately %-hour o rbi t; the rocket motorwill not, however, impart enough velocity for the spacecraft to appearstationary .

Vernier Rockets f o r Positi&nq.-The earth will turn underSyncom, which will appear to drift back westward. When thesatellite arrives over the desired longitude, enough of its 10 ver-nier rockets will be fired to provide the additional velocity necessaryto make it appear to stop near the selected meridian. At this time


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42 NASA SIXTH SEEMIANNUAL REPORT TO ONGREISS

the satellites two nitrogen jets will be operated by ground commandto make the h a 1 adjustment necessary to bring th e satellite to theselected position and to orient it properly so that its antenna beamis pointed toward the earth.

D O D Participating in Project Syncom.-NASA and the Depart-ment of Defense have the following responsibilities for ProjectSyneom :

NASA-Developing and launching the spacecraft and acquir-

DOD-Developing the ground station.NASA and DOD-Analyzing and processing data to support

research and development on the spacecraft and ground systems.The fixed ground stations under construction for Project A d v e n t

a Department of Defense program to develop a military communica-tions satellite-may also be used fo r Syncom.

ing an d processing orbital data.


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CHAPTER3

GeophysicsandAstronomy Programs

Experiments Expand KnowledgeDuring this period significant advances were made in knowledge

of th e earths space environment and the complex relationship betweenthe earth and the sun. To achieve these advances, NASA launchedtwo geophysical satelIites, a geophysical probe, and 28 soundingrockets. (For details of the satellites and probe, see table 1, p58.)

The major contributor to th is knowledge was Explo rer XII. Thissatellite transmitted valuable data that (1 ) altered the accepted imageof the Van Allen Radiation Region, (2) revealed that the earthsmagnetic field has a definite outer edge, and (3 ) furnished new evi-dence of how solar events affect the earth.

The individual discoveries described in this chapter should be con-sidered in the ligh t of a broad program designed for greater under-standing of the ear th and the universe. Eventually, enough of therelatively isolated pieces of information will be acquired to formcollectively a great ly improved picture of an area of science. Suchincreased understanding could lead in time to vast practical benefitsfor mankind.

xplorerXI1 En er~ etic art~cles atelliteNatureof Charged

Explorer XII, launched August 15 by a Delta vehicle, carried instru-ments for making an intensive and extensive study of energetic parti -cles in space. Such particles are. free ranging protons and electronsstripped from atoms (usually hydrogen) and coursing through spaceat speeds approaching that of light. These particles constitu te muchof th e dangerous radiation in space.

ange of lnst~umentationExplorer XI1 carried instruments to monitor particles trapped in

the magnetosphere (a region of space extending from the earths

surface to bhe upper edge of earths magnetic field) ; articles stream-ing from the sun, including those which are hurled outward duringa solar flare and ar e termed the solar wind; and cosmic rays (ex-

43


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44 NASA SIXTH SEMIANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS

Technicians workon ExplorerXI1before launch.

tremely high-energy particles) for correlating data on particles withdata on magnetic fields which deflect, guide, or tr ap particles speedingtoward ear th from space. (Simultaneous measurements of particlesand magnetic fields help establish influence of the fields on movementof particles.) Pack ing of 10 different particle-detecting systems intothe small (27-inch diameter, 19-inch high ) satellite represents a mile-stone in engineering.

The orbit of Explorer XII, initially 180 miles a t perigee and 47,800miles at apogee, was very close to th at planned. This extremelyeccentric orbit made possible acquisition of data from regions near theear th to interplanetary space beyond the earth's magnetic field.

More useful data were obtained from Explorer XI1 than from allprior satellites combined. During its 112-day operat ing lifetime, Ex-plorer XI1 radioed more than 3 billion bits of useful information toearth. About 80 percent was stored on 5,600 spools of magnetic tapewhich if unwound and laid end to end would stretch approximately


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GJGOPHYSICS AND ASTRONOMY PROGRAMS 45

Orbiting of Explorer XI 1(and Explorer X).


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46 NASA SIXTH SEP/IIANNUAL REPORT n) CONGRESS

Radiation belt studies.

2,500 miles. It has been calculated that 5,600 spools u-ould record anestimated 100 million five-letter words and t ha t a stenographer typing60 words per minute would have to work continuously for more than3 years to do a comparable job.

Uf h o r ~An unexplained failure abruptly halted Explorer XI1 broadcasts

on December 6. NASA had programed the satellite for a year ofoperation. NASA is testing and evaluating a satellite essentiallyidentical with Explorer XI1 for later launch into a similar orbit.

Nem Image of Vun AZZen Radiation Region.-Data from ExplorerXI1 reversed previous conceptions of the Van Allen Radiation Region.They disclosed that relatively slow-moving protons as well as electronsare itschief constituents and that the entire Region is actually a singlesystem of charged particles instead of tvio distinct belts. These par-ticles are trapped in the earths magnetic field.

Pe rti de Dis tribution ilr(apped.---The mixture of charged particlesvaries from altitude to altitude. For example, at 2,000 miles, thepredominant part.icles ar0 protons with energies of tens of millions of


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GEOPHYSICS AND ASrrRONOMY PROGRAMS 47

electron volts (MEV) ; at 8,000 miles, protons with only a fractionof an M EV predominate; and at 12,000 miles, protons with energiesbetween 0.1 and 4 MEV and electrons with energies up t o 2 MEV pre-dominate. (An electron volt is a scientific yardst ick for distinguish-ing the relative energy levels of charged particles. It represents theenergy th e part icle would acquire by moving through a n electric fielddifference of one volt.)

Outer Area Contains MumyLow-Energy Protons.-Data from Ex-plorer XI1 showed that the outer area of the Van Allen region con-tains a large number of low-energy proto-which pose li tt leradiation hazard to manned space flight-and th at th e intensity of theelectrons in this area is 1,000 times less than interpretations of previousmeasurements had indicated. (The Explo rer XI1 data did not mate-rially change previous findings tha t th e inner area of the region isdominated by high-energy protons.)

Implications of New Radiation. Region.-Slower-moving protonspose less of a radiation hazard than high-energy electrons. Menpassing quickly through the outer area of the radiation region-with i t s low energy protons and high energy electron-n th e wayto the moon or beyond would be in litt le danger from the protons butwould need to be protected from X-rays generated by the electrons.However, even in heavily shielded vehicles, prolonged flight in orrepeated passages through the inner area of the region of energeticprotuns would be deadly.

Geomagnetic Field Hm Distilzct Bodary.--The earths magneticfield, instead of gradually merging into interplanetary space, has adistinct, sh arp outer boundary where both particles and magnetic fieldstop. Beyond the boundary is a turbulent region about 12,000 milesacross, marked by fluctuating magnetic fields and solar winds; beyondthis, interplanetary space begins.

Solar Wind Affects Magnetic Field.-Explorer XI1 showed thatthe magnetic fields outer boundary ranges fr om 30,000 to 40,000 milesfrom earth. Data from Explorer X, NASAs magnetometer satel-lite, had indicated that the boundary of the earths magnetic fieldwas at a distance of 80,000 miles. Explorer XI1 measurements weretaken at a point between the sun and the earth, and Explorer Xmeasurements were taken over an area of earth a t an obtuse anglefrom the sun. The figures suggest th at the solar winds-clouds ofcharged particles thrown from the sun-compress the earths mag-netic field on the suns side and blow it out on the other side.

Solar Event Effect on Earth.-Explorer XI1 monitored effectsof four solar flares. On one occasion, September 28, Explorer XI1instruments detected energetic charged protons within a few hours


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48 NASA SIXTH SEMIANNUAL R E P O RT 0 CONGRESS

after a solar flare. Intensi ty of the protons died down after fivehours. Two days later, Explorer XI1 reported a sudden increase .in low-energy protons in the vicinity of the earth. Simultaneously,a magnetic storm erupted on earth, and briglit auroral displays oc-curred at low altitudes in many places, including Washington, D.C.It is theorized that the flare hurled low-energy protons which, drag-ging the solar magnetic field, traveled from sun to earth at about1,000 miles per second. Dur ing such an event, lethal radia tion wouldendanger space travelers between the earth and the moon.

Solar Pressure Again Demomtrated.-Sunlight pressure was firstsatisfactorily demonstrated when its effects were observed on the orb itsof Vanguard I and Echo I. It was again evidenced on the 83-poundExplorer XII. Beating upon the satellites four broad solar cellpaddles, the pressure of sunlight increased the satellites spin ratefrom an init ial 27 to 33 revolutions per minute on December 6, when

Sixth Simannual Report to Congress

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