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Aviation History
1963
1963 - 1481.PDF
FLIGHT International, 22 August 1963 297 BLUE STREAK AT WOOMERA Static firing of the first Blue Streak stage of the European Launcher Development Organization's three-stage launch vehicle at Woomera is expected before the end of the year, according to the Australian Minister for Supply, Mr Allen Fairhall. Speaking on August 7 in Canberra, Mr Fairhall said "This first of the Blue Streaks is, in fact, a non-firing model (sic) to be used mainly to prove the ground equipment and to train personnel. "The next few months will be occupied in an intricate series of checkout tests, after which the rocket's tanks will be filled with about 90 tons of liquid oxygen and kerosine for a static firing of both of the 137,0001b thrust motors." The Blue Streak now at Woomera, designated DA (D standing for development), completed checks and static firings at the Ministry of Aviation Rocket Establishment at Spadeadam before leaving Britain for Australia. During April and May the vehicle carried out static firings under representative launch conditions, both the DA vehicle and the Spadeadam ground equipment being checked out together. The Woomera launch pad equipment is almost identical to that at Spadeadam, and the series of tests planned for the DA vehicle at Woomera will prepare the range facilities for the first flight trials next year. What Mr Fairhall earlier described as "a major engineer ing feat" has been necessary to prepare for the ELDO programme at Woomera, with the Blue Streak servicing tower being raised on jacks by 23ft in order that a new base section weighing about 100 tons could be inserted. US/SWEDISH ROCKET FIRINGS On August 8 Swedish scientists, with US co-operation, successfully concluded a series of sounding-rocket launchings designed to study noctilucent clouds near the Arctic Circle. The series comprised the firing of four Nike-Cajuns carrying rocket grenade payloads, from a launching site at Kronogard, Sweden, on July 27, July 30, August 2 and August 8. Noctilucent clo&ds are faintly luminous, very high and fast- moving clouds which can be observed at twilight only during short periods in late summer and at high latitude. Launchings of instrumented rockets to investigate the origin and nature of these clouds were made previously by Sweden and the USA during 1961 and 1962. These included launchings of Areas rockets to measure winds during the occurrence of noctilucent clouds, and Nike-Cajun rockets to make direct samplings of cloud particles. The more recent payloads included experiments to measure upper-atmosphere temperatures, winds, pressure and density and to measure changes in the size of artificial cloud particles created by smoke puffs from the payloads. On July 27 and 30 the rockets were launched into noctilucent clouds and data obtained to heights over 80 and 90km respectively. The August 2 and 8 firings were made in the absence of noctilucent clouds for purposes of comparison. IAF C0NGRE8S EXPANDS A number of joint meetings involving other groups concerned with space activity are this year attached to the annual congress of the International Astronautical Federation. An extremely full pro gramme has been arranged for the week of September 25-October 1 in Paris. The main congress is preceded by an "education day" on September 25 organized with the co-operation of UNESCO, at which teaching methods for astronautics, and the use of com munication satellites for information and education, will be dis cussed. The IAF congress opens on the morning of September 26 and continues to October 1. Associated with it (on September 26-27) is the customary colloquium on space law; while a survey meeting on space physics, organized by the IAF's International Academy of Astronautics with the co-operation of UNESCO and COSPAR, will be held on September 27. Finally, study groups on ground equipment will meet on September 26, 27 and 30. Sessions in the main congress will be devoted to bioastronautics, guidance and control, celestial mechanics, communication satellites, Power in space, electric propulsion, meteorological satellites, space vehicles, and nuclear and chemical propulsion. Among the papers are Soviet Progress in Bioastronautics by O. G. Gazenko; Guidance Problems in Space by K. H. Schirrmacher, Royal Aircraft Establish ment; and The S-53 International Ionospheric Satellite by J. L. Blonstein, British Aircraft Corporation. The last of the 60 Thor IRBM emplacements of RAF Bomber Command was taken out of service on August 15. This weapon system, created in one year by Douglas Aircraft, was instrumental in teaching the RAF modern ballistic-missile techniques. The photograph shows Mjbiav Lachlan Brown of RAF Feltwell SPACE EDUCATION The British Interplanetary Society has for some years played a valuable role in assisting both teachers and school pupils to obtain an understanding of basic astronautics. The Society is now acceler ating its efforts in space education in two main ways. For teachers, the Society is publishing next month The Teacher's Handbook of Astronautics, a fully illustrated, 114-page guide to the subject. Produced by the BIS educational working group and edited by Mr S. W. Smith of Southborough County Secondary Boys' School, the book includes chapters on the Earth's atmosphere, the Earth-Moon system, the solar system, the Earth's place in the universe, mathematics of spaceflight, man in space, and other topics. Sections are devoted to space clubs, satellite-spotting, model- making and classroom experiments. For pupils, the Society has organized teams of speakers on space affairs who will visit schools on request to give "space forum" presentations. The Society's panel of speakers includes Kenneth Owen of Flight International, whose subject is space journalism. Enquiries concerning both these projects should be addressed to the British Interplanetary Society, 12 Bessborough Gardens, London SWl, from whom the Teacher's Handbook is available at 15s including postage (10s 6d to BIS members and teachers). Scheduled to be stationed in the Indian Ocean, the tracking ship "General Hoyt S. Vandenberg" will monitor long-range rocket tests from Cape Canaveral. She is a sister-ship of the "General H. H. Arnold" which went into service last May at the Cape. Operated by the USAF, the craft are the largest tracking stations on the Atlantic Missile Range and will be used also to track US manned flights, satellite launchings and deep space probes
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