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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 0543.PDF
27 APril1961 Historic news in an historic city: Florence becomes aware of Major Charm's orbital flight during the week of the COSPAR meeting intensity measurements to 1 per cent over a small wavelength range and 50 per cent over a wide range. The resolution require- ment entails a pointing accuracy in the telescope of the order of one second of arc, and a major part of the study is devoted to means of achieving the necessary stability of the star image on the spectro- graph slit. The work on image intensifies in progress at Imperial College may lead to important applications in astronomical satellites. International Co-operation. A Canadian upper-atmosphere rocket has carried British instrumentation for the first time from Fort Churchill . . . With the co-operation of French scientists, British instruments have been carried in a Veronique sounding rocket. The Soviet Union. The main items of interest in the Russian national report included a full account, with dates and launch areas, of sounding rockets fired during 1960; an outline of the "spaceship satellite" programme which clearly indicates its singleness of purpose towards manned orbit; some results concerning the physics of interplanetary space; and the fullest indication yet of the 1961 programme for both sounding rockets and satellites. Extracts are as follows:— Rocket Exploration of the Upper Atmosphere. In 1960 launchings of 167 scientific rockets were carried out, including 11 launchings in the period of the International Rocket Week during September 16-22. Studies of the stratosphere were carried out with research meteorological rockets. Electrical resistance thermometers, thermal and membrane manometers were installed aboard all sounding rockets. Extensive material on the temperature pressure, and air streams in the stratosphere was obtained . . . In 1960 complex researches in the upper atmosphere were con- tinued by means of research geophysical rockets. Four rocket firings to an altitude of about 200km and three to an altitude of about 100km were carried out. New data were obtained on the upper atmosphere, solar activity and the behaviour of animals dur- ing a rocket flight. . . Cloud system photographs were taken. Spacecraft Satellites. In 1960 launchings of the first spacecraft satellites were carried out which paved the way for practical pre- parations of manned spaceflight. The main task of launching these heavy spaceships was to work out a system guaranteeing man's life activity during flight, safety of the flight and recovery. On board Soviet Spaceship 1 a hermetic cabin was located, equipped with everything necessary for manned spaceflight. In a cabin a load was placed which imitated a man's weight. The second spaceship consisted of two main parts: a cabin and an instrumentation section. In the cabin a catapulted container with two dogs and a number of other biological objects was placed. In *the cabin, instrumentation and equipment were located which •ensured life activities of animals, recovery and landing of the "container. In the instrumentation section and in the cabin, equip- ment was located which was designed to carry out medical and biological experiments and explore the physics of outer space. With the aid of the Soviet Spaceship 3 the verification of systems Ensuring flight was continued and medical and biological experi- ments and exploration of space were carried on. During the launching of the first three Soviet spaceships, firing and programmed flight of powerful rocket-carriers which secured the placing of heavy satellites in orbit were worked out. Control md orientation of the ships were achieved for several days. Reli- ibility of systems of air-conditioning, regeneration, thermo-regula- ion and other systems and equipment necessary for normal life ictivity during flight and landing were tested. An adequate radio :ommunication with spaceships which guaranteed transmission of nformation and commands was conducted. A television trans- nission from the ship was carried out which made it possible to nake direct measurements on animals in flight. For the first time in the world living creatures (dogs Belka and itrelka) were returned to earth from space flight to a definite place vith great precision. As the medical and biological experiments have shown, animals inder investigation (dogs, rats and all other biological objects) ompletely preserve their vitality and no considerable anomalies i basic physiological functions were recorded. 'hysics of Interplanetary Space. Investigations of the influence of adiation, the lower boundaries of radiation belts and the degree of adiological danger in manned spaceflights were made. Dosi- nelric instrumentation, which integrates two gas-discharge counters nd two scintillation counters, was used. Some pickups were Dented inside and some outside the container for animals. I group of United States scientists, including Dr Richard Porter (right, tanding), in a huddle outside the Palazzo Pitti. Whatever their deliberations, the local man remains calm 553 " Flight*' photograph During the flight, inner detectors recorded a total day dose equal to 8 millirad. The main contribution to this dose is made by primary cosmic radiation. The total dose per day measured by outer detectors amounts to approximately 0.5 rad. Thus the con- tainer envelope turned out to be a sufficiently good shield against the outer radiation belt particles at altitudes of about 320km. A picture is drawn of cosmic ray intensity distribution over the whole globe. Main intensity maxima are recorded in the region of Taimyr peninsula, in North America and South Atlantic. An investigation of the nuclear component of primary cosmic radiation was carried out with instrumentation including gas- discharge and Cerenkov counters . . . When spaceships crossed high geomagnetic latitudes streams of charged particles were observed. Measurements of solar radiation in the range of 1.4-lOOA were also carried out. These measurements were made with the help of secondary-electron mutipliers of an open type which were under conditions of natural vacuum. Programme for 1961. In 1961 the Soviet Union will continue the stratospheric soundings by means of meteorological rockets in the territory of the USSR and from expedition ships. The temperature, pressure and air streams in the stratosphere will be explored. Complete researches of the upper atmosphere will be continued at altitudes up to 500km in the mean latitudes of the European part of the USSR. Studies will be made with high-altitude geo- physical automatic stations. The following experiments are planned: (a) Measurements of solar X-ray and ultra-violet radiations andexplorations of the influence of these radiations on the upper atmosphere, (b) Investigation of radiation regime of the atmosphere and the Earth,(c) Exploration of the night airglow in different spectral regions, (d) Exploration of structural parameters of the atmosphere—measure-ments of ion and neutral composition by mass spectrometers and measurements of the air pressure by manometers,(e) Measurements of intensity of terrestrial and cosmic gamma radia- tion, "Flight" photograph
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