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Aviation History
1961
1961 - 1687.PDF
FLIGHT, 23 November 1961 791 Missiles and Space flight. .. more lengthy interval before the next launch. But launch sixfollows launch five in only three days—the shortest interval of all. And into the extra 15 days go two more launches, at seven-dayand six-day intervals respectively. It seems that a programme origin- ally planned for six launches was extended to eight. The Russiansfound it possible to go ahead further than originally planned. The communique for launches six and seven are very short, addinglittle. The last communique, following launch eight, sums up the series:— "On October 28 of this year in the Soviet Union was carried out thescheduled launch of a multi-stage carrier-rocket into the region of the central part of the Pacific Ocean over a distance greater than 12,000km."The flight of the rocket took place in strict correspondence with the set programme."The model of the penultimate stage reached the water surface with high accuracy relative to the calculated point of impact."With this launch the intended programme of scientific research is successfully completed."In the process of conducting launches of carrier-rockets valuable scientific facts have been obtained, essential for the further conquestof space. "The launches of multi-stage carrier-rockets with high accuracyover great distances bear witness to new major successes of Soviet rocket construction." How does this series relate to the Russian space programme?Some deductions are clear. Since January 1960 the Russians have been following a course designed to achieve and medically investi-gate manned flight in orbit—Phase 2 of their programme, according to the analysis given in Flight, August 17, pages 230-1. The direc-tion of this phase has been so unmistakable that the next step seems certain to be a close-orbital flight in a Vostok lasting from three toseven or more days. This will require virtually the same rocketry as previous Vostok launches. But we have the plainest evidence, in the first three launches ofthe recent series, that the Russians are ready to do something which will require an advance in rocketry. Perhaps the phase of close-orbital Vostok flights is already over. Perhaps there will be one more launch only. Phase 3 seems closer than anticipated. Itmay begin with the introduction of a heavier spaceship-satellite capable of significant changes of orbit; or with the injection of aVostok into a fairly elongated ellipse, with subsequent re-entry at near-parabolic velocity. So much for the meaning of the first three tests. In the secondgroup of five there is little doubt that we see early trials of a rocket the Soviet Union plans to use in a still later phase of her programme.With five successes achieved in a series of firings following each other so rapidly that any abortive launch would surely havecreated an obvious gap, the rocket has made astonishing progress. The final importance of the tests is that they throw new light onthe development of Russian rocketry. The tests of January 1960 introduced the Vostok rocket, which orbited the first spaceship-satellite the following May. All spaceship-satellites have weighed about 10,0001b. But Soviet spokesmen, Maj Gagarin among them,have repeatedly said that the rocket could orbit payloads many times greater. This seems logical for independent reasons (wemight expect up to, say, 40,0001b). The later tests in July 1960 and the first three launches of the recent series appear to representpreparation of the rocket for such heavier payloads. The July 1960 tests may in particular relate to the 14,2951b Sputnik 7 andthe Venus probe. In view of these considerations the last five launches of the recent series show up even more plainly as trials ofa basically new rocket. We can now formulate the progress of Russian launchingvehicles as follows:— First: For Sputniks1,2 and 3 Second: For Luniks 1, 2 and 3 Third: For spaceship-sats, Sputnik 7, Venus probe Fourth: For advancedspace explora- tion Oct 57-May 58 Jan 59-Oct 59 May 60-present Introductionprobably 1963 Original ICBM(probably two stages) Original ICBMplus extra boost and new final stage(probably three stages in all)Vostok rocket, tested Jan 60(probably three or four stages, withsame final stage as Luniks)Trials Oct 61 We are familiar with the performance of the first and secondvehicles. There is some information about the third, from which we can make a guess about the fourth. The next Soviet experiment,other than a close-orbital Vostok launch, should go far to clarify our concept of the key third vehicle. TONY DEVEREUX TRANSIT SUCCESS A successful double launch of the US Navy's Transit 4B andTRAAC (Transit research and attitude control) satellites was made by Thor-AbleStar vehicle from Cape Canaveral on November 15.Each satellite weighs approximately 2001b, and both were placed in similar 528-582 mile orbits with an orbital period of 105.8min. Transit 4B was stated to be the last of the present series in theNavy's experimental navigation satellite system tests. If its naviga- tion signals prove accurate enough, it may be used as the firstsatellite in a four-satellite system which the Navy hopes to have working by late next year to give navigational fixes to ships any-where in the world. It carries an atomic generator to power two of its four transmitters. The piggyback satellite TRAAC was designed to check thefeasibility of using the Earth's gravitational field to keep the satellite permanently stabilized with one side directed towards theEarth. Approximately two weeks after launch the attitude-control experiment will begin, using an extending 100ft copper-tube aerial. RANGER FAILUREThe National Aeronautics and Space Administration's postponed attempt to launch the Ranger 2 spacecraft into a 500,000-miletrajectory, by Atlas-Agena B rocket from Cape Canaveral, was unsuccessful on November 18, when the spacecraft failed to sepa-rate from the Agena second stage in orbit at 94-145 miles. This was the second failure in the Ranger series, although theRanger 1 launch of August 23, 1961 did obtain a certain amount of useful data. On this occasion the craft was placed in a low Earthorbit—105-313 miles—instead of the highly eccentric orbit planned. Both Rangers were designed to develop and test basic spacecrafttechnology required for lunar and planetary missions, and to carry a number of important scientific experiments. DISCOVERER SUCCESSThe experimental capsule of the USAF's Discoverer 35 satellite, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base by Thor Agena B onNovember 15, was recovered in mid-air some 650 miles west of Hawaii two days later. The payload included human and animaltissues and cells, and samples of silicqne, bizmuth, iron, lead, magnesium, nickel and titanium, in an investigation of radiationeffects in space. This was the tenth successful capsule recovery in the Discoverer series, and the seventh successful mid-air capsulerecovery. NASA's Bios (Biological Investigations of Space) experimentsuffered two failures last week. On November 15 a malfunction in the Argo D-8 vehicle caused an abortive launch; while on November18 the back-up vehicle apparently achieved the planned height (1,165 miles) but the recovery capsule descended by parachute "offcourse" into the sea and was lost. Dr Eugen Saenger, the West German rocket specialist, is reportedto have resigned in order to accept a post with the Egyptian Govern- ment. According to unofficial reports from Moscow, the Soviet Union is planning to launch a manned spacecraft on a lunar orbital mission early next year, probably from the Vostok launch site at Baikonur. Re-entry and recovery capsule of the ingenious but (on Nov 15 and 18) unsuccessful 8/os / (Biological Investigations of Space) experiment. Argo D-8 solid-propellant rockets were used in the launch attempts from Point Arguello, California. Details of the experiment were given last week maauenomm SLEEVE EXTU1S8U SM£LO£0 EMULSION CONTAINER taunts HEAT PROTECTION AND STRUCTURAL SYSTEM BKX.QOUUI EXPEBHE4T CAPSULES 8EACON ANTENNA HECOVEOT SYSTEH 4PARACHUTE) BIOLOGICAL EXPEHMtHT "CAPSULES
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