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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 0753.PDF
Two of the 19 boilerplate models of the Apollo spacecraft (command module) under construction by North American Aviation at Downey, California. They will be used for preliminary spacecraft testing Missiles and Spaceflight ANOTHER WEST FORD ATTEMPT Continued from page 724) number of dipoles involved in the forthcoming West Ford experi ment was too small adversely to affect astronomy. The project had been scaled down from a full-blown communications project to an interesting scientific experiment, he said, and interference to radio telescopes would be limited to one narrow frequency ofthe spectrum. Opposition to this type of experiment being carried out without consultation with the international scientific community has been voiced frequently by many scientists, and was reiterated on May 6 by Sir Bernard Lovell, Director of the Nuffield Radio Astronomy Laboratories at Jodrell Bank and Professor of Radio Astronomy at Manchester University. On May 9 a USAF satellite was launched by Atlas Agena from Point Arguello, California, into a high, near-circular, near-polar orbit. Elements included period, J66.5min, inclination, 87.42 ; apogee, about 2,300 miles; perigee, about 2,250 miles. On May 12 the Lincoln Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Tech nology announced that the West Ford dipoles had been placed in orbit, but they did not give the launch date. The Laboratory stated: "The dipole fibres released from the dispenser are Still in a compact cloud, centered about the dispenser package and circling the Earth every 166min, in a near-polar orbit some 2,000 miles high at an inclination of approximately 87°. This cloud is expected to spread out slowly in both directions along the circular orbital path, 40,000 miles in circumference, until the dipoles form a complete narrow ring or belt in several months." The fibres would have a life of not more than five years, the announcement stated. "By that time the solar radiation pressure will have forced all the dipole fibres down to lower altitudes where the atmospheric density is greater, and they will disappear harm lessly." Although still not confirmed officially at the time of going to press, it is clear that the West Ford package was placed in orbit from a USAF payload launched as satellite 1963-14 on May 9 by Atlas Agena from Point Arguello. TELSTAR 2 IN BUSINESS The launch of the American Telephone and Telegraph Company's Telstar 2 experimental communication satellite from Cape Can averal on May 7 resulted in the satellite achieving an orbit some 150 miles higher than scheduled. During initial communication tests, excellent reception of signals transmitted from the USA was reported by the British GPO station at GoonhiJBy, Cornwall, and by t%> French station at Pleumeur Bodou. ** 726 FLIGHT International, 16 May 1963 On May 8 the National Aeronautics and Space Administration stated that the satellite had achieved an orbit having an apogee of 6,713.3 miles, a perigee of 604 miles, an inclination of 42.7° and a period of 225.4min. The planned orbit had corresponding figures of 6,559 miles, 575 miles, 43 and 221min. RECENT ORBITS The following list covers all satellites known to have been launched between January 1 and May 10. It includes the three already reported in our "Recent Orbits" item of January 31, in order to correct a misprint in the quoted designation of one of these satellites. January 1-7 (possibly January 1-3, but exact date uncertain). 1963-01. Unidentified spacecraft, believed to be a Soviet satellite which was tracked by the USA. Radio signals appearing to come from a Russian satellite were reported by a Swedish ground station on January 10 (Flight International, January 17). According to later unofficial reports, however, it appeared that these signals might have come from an earlier Cosmos satellite which had been silent for a period. Spacecraft possibly descended late January. January 7. 1963-02. USAF satellite launched by Thor Agena D from Vandenberg Air Force Base into orbit at 82.23°, 127-249 miles, period 90.54min. Lifetime 16.3 days, descended January 24. January 16. 1963-03. USAF satellite launched by Thor Agena D from Vandenberg into orbit at 81.89°, 285-331 miles, period 94.66min. Estimated lifetime 15 years. February 14. 1963-04. Syncom 1, launched by Delta from Cape Canaveral into orbit at 33.2°, 21, 375-22, 823 miles, period 24hr 45min. ("Spacecraft Log," Flight International, May 9). February 19. 1963-05. USAF satellite launched by Blue Scout from Point Arguello into orbit at 100.48°, 314-492 miles, period 97.79min. Estimated lifetime 30 years. March 21. 1963-06. Cosmos 13, launched from the Soviet Union into orbit at 64.97°, 119-201 miles, period 89.77min. Possible lifetime seven days, possible descent date March 28. April 1. 1963-07. USAF satellite launched by Thor Agena from Vandenberg into orbit at 75.4°, 125-254 miles, period 90.66min. Descent date, April 26. April 2. 1963-08C. Soviet Earth satellite from which Luna 4 spacecraft (1963-08A) was launched. Possible inclination 65°, possible period 90min, possible lifetime one week, possible descent date April 9. April 3. 1963-09. Explorer 17, launched by Delta from Cape Canaveral into orbit at 57.63", 158-598.54 miles, period 96,4mm. ("Spacecraft Log," Flight International, May 16). April 13. 1963-10. Cosmos 14, launched from the Soviet Union into orbit at 48.95°, 157-310 miles, period 92.1min. Estimated lifetime seven months. April 22. 1963-11. Cosmos 15, launched from the Soviet Union into orbit at 65°, 107-230 miles, period 89.77min. Descent date. April 27. April 28. 1963-12. Cosmos 16, launched from the Soviet Union into orbit at 65°, 129-249 miles, period 90.4min. May 7. 1963-13. Telstar 1, launched by Delta from Cape Cana veral into orbit at 42.73°, 605-6,713 miles, period 3hr 45.1min. May 9. 1963-14. USAF satellite launched by Atlas Agena from Point Arguello into orbit at 87.42°, approximately 2,250-2,300 miles, period 166.5min. ISOLATION TEST COMPLETED: BREEN'S PERFORMANCE Advanced manned missions in space will require astronauts to spend long periods of time confined within their spacecraft, within orbiting space laboratories and stations, and between and within various extraterrestrial bases. At present, basic information is lacking concerning the ability of human beings to function in these unusual situations and to carry out their duties satisfactorily. Studies to supply the needed technical information are concerned with life support and human performance in a systematic and integrated manner on Earth and in orbiting space laboratories. In the space environment, men will be subject to many stresses— psychological, physiological and physical—which will tend to
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