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Aviation History
1960
1960 - 2419.PDF
FLIGHT, 28 October 1960 663 Missiles and Space flight . . , r VANDENBERG COUNTDOWN A complete list of major missile and satellite launchings from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, since its inception as a launching site, is given in the table below. This is correct to October 20, 1960. Date Agency Missile Dec 16,58 SAC crew Thor Feb 28,59 AFBMD Discoverer 1 Apr 13,59 AFBMD Discoverer 2 ^pr 16, 59 RAF crew Jun 3, 59 AFBMDTun 16, 59 RAF crew Tun 25, 59 AFBMDAug 3, 59 RAF crew Aug 13, 59 AFBMD Aug 14, 59 RAF crew Aug 19, 59 AFBMD Sep 9, 59 SAC crewSep 17, 59 RAF crew Oct 6, 59 RAF crewOct 21, 59 RAF crew Nov 7, 59 AFBMD Nov 12, 59 RAF crew Nov 20, 59 AFBMD Dec 1,59 RAF crewDec 14, 59 RAF crew Tan 21, 60 RAF crewJan 26,60 SAC crew Feb 4, 60 AFBMDFeb 19, 60 AFBMD Mar 2, 60 RAF crewApr 15,60 AFBMD Apr 22, 60 SAC crewMay 6, 60 SAC crew Jun 22, 60 RAF crewJun 29, 60 AFBMD Jul 22, 60 SAC crewAug 10, 60 AFBMD Aug 18, 60 AFBMDSep 13, 60 AFBMD Sep 12, 60 SAC crew Sep 29, 60 SAC crew Oct 11,60 RAF crew Oct 12, 60 SAC crew Notes: AFBMD, US Strategic Air Command. Remarks SuccessfulSuccessful orbit Successful orbit—norecovery Thor SuccessfulDiscoverer 3 No orbit Thor Destroyed in flightDiscoverer 4 No orbit Thor SuccessfulDiscoverer 5 Successful orbit—no recoveryThor Successful Discoverer 6 Successful orbit—norecovery Atlas SuccessfulThor Successful Thor SuccessfulThor Successful Discoverer 7 Successful orbit — norecovery Thor SuccessfulDiscoverer 8 Successful orbit—no recovery Thor Successful (first night shot)Thor Destroyed itself (night) Thor SuccessfulAtlas Successful Discoverer 9 No orbitDiscoverer 10 Destroyed in flight Thor Successful Discoverer 11 Successful orbit—norecovery Atlas SuccessfulAtlas Destroyed in flight Thor SuccessfulDiscoverer 12 Successful launch, no orbit Atlas Destroyed in flightDiscoverer 13 Successful orbit, recovery Discoverer 14 Successful orbit, air catchDiscoverer 15 Successful orbit, re-entered away from planned area, sank in seaAtlas Unsuccessful — propulsion system failureAtlas Unsuccessful Thor SuccessfulAtlas Unsuccessful Air Force Ballistic Missile Division; SAC, The new 50,0001b thrust XLR-99 rocket engine (by Reaction Motors Inc division of Thiokol) being fitted recently to the third X-15 research aircraft at Edwards AFB, California. The motor is fully controllable and can be stopped and re-started during flight Five thousand miles' range and 700 miles' altitude were achieved by this Atlas, launched on October 13 from Cape Canaveral and carrying as passengers black mice Sally, Amy and Moe from the USAF School of Aviation Medicine at Brooks AFB, San Antonio, Texas (reported in last week's issue) FOUR BULLS FOR PATRICKHENRY It was announced by the US Navy on October 19 that between October 15 and 18 the second Fleet Ballistic Missile Submarine, USS Patrick Henry, fired four Polaris A-IP missiles down the Atlantic Missile Range with com- plete success. In previous launch- ings from Patrick Henry and her sister George Washington the launch point has been close to Cape Canaveral. These four firings, however, started some 500 miles down-range in order to "take advantage of the near- operational conditions which could be achieved by eliminating most of the restrictions and in- strumentation required when firing missiles near populated areas." It was stated that all four Polaris went the full programmed range and impacted in the target area. MILITARY/CIVIL SPACE CO-ORDINATION Top-management representatives of the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration and of the Department of Defense are now serving on the newly formed Aeronautics and Astronautics Co-ordinating Board to ensure "continuing co-ordination of the nation's aeronautics and space programs." Objects of the board are to review planning to avoid duplication; co-ordinate activities of common interest; identify problems requiring solution by either NASA or the Defense Department; and ensure a steady exchange of information. Co-chairmen of the board are the Director of Defense Research and Engineering and the Deputy Administrator of NASA— respectively Dr Herbert F. York and Dr Hugh L. Dryden. Specialized panels have been formed to study launch vehicles, manned spaceflight, spaceflight ground environment, unmanned spacecraft, supporting space research and technology, and aeronautics. WORLD RECORD ORBITS It was announced on October 4 by the International Sporting Committee of the Federation Aeronautique Internationale that agreement had been reached between the United States and the Soviet Union on the basic framework within which rules pertain- ing to space "records" could be drawn up. The FAI will in future recognize properly instrumented and supervised space flights which qualify for the title of "highest," "longest" or "greatest weight lifted." To qualify for consideration, each mission must reach an altitude of at least 100km (62.1 miles), bring back all living passengers unharmed and exceed the previous record by at least 10 per cent. The first corporate members of the British Interplanetary Societyare the Aviation Branch of Air BP Ltd, and Sud-Aviation. This new grade of membership is open to "industrial, scientific, educational andother organizations," and costs £100 per year. Among a number of studies in plasma physics, the Missile SystemDivision of Republic Aircraft Corporation is engaged in an advanced project concerned with anti-ICBM techniques. Theoretical studies arebeing made of the properties of plasma generated during nuclear explosions, evaluating its possible destructive effect on warheads andcommunication. The possible relationship is being examined, also, of microwave radiation transfer, concerning the interaction between amicrowave beam and the plasma sheath surrounding a re-entry or orbital object. 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