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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0109.PDF
FLIGHT International, 17 January 1963 Returned to Sender A fragment of the Sputnik 4 satellite, which fell on to a farm in Wisconsin on September 5 last, was accepted by the Soviet Embassy in Washington on January 5. The piece (illustrated in our issue of September 20, 1962) was originally offered to the Soviet Union at a meeting of the UN outer space committee on September 14, but was refused. A second, informal approach to the Soviet Embassy in Washington was made on Octo ber 19. Nimbus Station for Canada The USA and Canada are to co operate in the construction of a data acquisition station at Ingo- mish, Nova Scotia, which will be used in connection with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's forthcoming Nimbus meteorological satellite programme. Construction work will begin this year and should be completed in 1964. "Liquid-metal Flywheel" for Spacecraft Stabilization A novel stabilization system for spacecraft, using an electro-magnetic pump to circulate mercury around a closed loop of stainless steel tubing, has been announced by the US General Electric company. This "liquid-metal flywheel" is similar in principle to the conven tional mechanical flywheel, but is stated to respond 60 times as rapidly to directional changes. Scientist-astronauts Needed? Addressing the American Associ ation for the Advancement of Science in Philadelphia last month, Dr Homer Newell, Director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Office of Space Sciences, expressed the hope that scientists would be among NASA's next group of astronauts to be selected. On the first Apollo flight to the lunar surface, he sug gested, a geologist (in his late 20s and qualified to handle pilot and engineering duties en route) should be one of the crew. COSPAR for Poland The sixth plenary meeting of COSPAR (the Committee on Space Research of the International Council of Scientific Unions) and the organization's fourth International Space Science Symposium will be held in Warsaw, at the invitation of the Polish Academy of Science, in early June. 97 Big Satellite for Micrometeorite Study Industry proposals have been invited by the National Aeronautics and Space Administra tion for the design and construction of an erectable satellite of large surface area which will investigate the hazards of meteoroids and micrometeoroids. Weighing over 4,0001b and having a surface area of more than 2,000 sq ft, the satellite will have an estimated useful life of at least one year. The NASA Office of Advanced Research and Technology plans to conduct the experiment as a secondary mission for the eighth and ninth Saturn test flights. Berlin Awards Honorary degrees of doctor-engineer were awarded by the West Berlin technical university on January 8 to Dr Wernher von Braun and Prof Hermann Oberth. Both of the German-born scientists are now resident in the USA. Berlin Space Institute A new institute for space research, headed by Prof Eugen Sanger, is to be attached to the West Berlin techni cal university. Vigilant for Finland The Finnish defence forces have placed an order with British Aircraft Corporation for a quantity of Vigilant infantry anti-tank weapons. The Vigilants will be delivered this year. The Finnish Army chose Vigilant after attending firings of other European wire guided anti-tank weapons, and after a party of Finnish officers had taken part in a demonstration in which Vigilants were successfully fired against tank targets in bad visibility. Vigilants have already been delivered to the British and Kuwait armies. Cuba: a New Missile? According to observers, a new type of missile, presumably of Russian origin, was seen during the military parade through Havana on January 2 celebrating the fourth anni versary of the Cuban revolution. Six specimens were included at the end of the parade, and the official announcer described them as "surface-to-air or surface-to-sea coastal-defence rockets capable of bringing down any type of aircraft." Blue Steel Development Although no announcement has been made by either A. V. Roe or the Ministry of Aviation, unofficial reports claim that RAF Bomber Command will receive some 200 examples of a much-improved Blue Steel missile. It is not yet known whether the new weapon will be of an entirely new design, or merely a Blue Steel Mk 1 with improved propulsion and additional countermeasures. RN Polaris Last week ten Admiralty and Civil Service experts, lead by Sir Solly Zuckerman, chief scientific adviser, Ministry of Defence, conferred in Washington to prepare the ground for future more detailed co-operation to ensure smooth and rapid integration of the Polaris Fleet Ballistic Missile System into the Royal Navy. On January 10 a Conservative MP, Mr Julian Critchley, was quoted as having said at the Pentagon that Britain planned to build four submarines capable of being equipped with Polaris missiles, at a cost of $700m (about £250m). French Deterrent General de Gaulle has neither accepted nor rejected President Kennedy's offer of the supply of Polaris missiles. His Minister of Information recently said that there is no question of France making an immediate decision. She possessed neither nuclear submarines nor nuclear warheads for such missiles. "In the circumstances," said the Minister, "it is difficult to see the urgent nature of the offer. France is engaged in her own personal effort, and there is no reason why she should abandon it." The initial Force de Frappe, covered by the 1960-64 plan, involves 50 Mirage IV bombers, each carrying a 60-kiloton bomb. New FBM Depot Ship On January 9 the USS ffunley, 18,300 short tons, entered Holy Loch, Scotland, to relieve USS Proteus as depot ship of Subron 14, the first squadron of Polaris-firing FBM submarines. Hunley is the first ship built from the keel up as a Polaris tender; two more specially designed depot ships are under construction, and the second, USS Holland, is due to be launched tomorrow, January 18. In this lunar landing simulator built by Boeing, the pilot's side-arm con troller directs the movement of a television camera via an analog com puter, so that the features of the displayed relief map become larger as the vehicle "descends"
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