FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1964
1964 - 2350.PDF
Moon landings as envisaged by H. G. Wells (with assistance from Columbia Pictures) and the US National Aeronautics and Space Adminis- tration: above, ProfCavor's spaceship in "First Men in the Moon" (news item on this poge) incorporates locomotive buffers for multi-axis shock- absorption; right, NASA's Apollo lunar excursion module, pictured in a recent Grumman artist's impression Spaceflight and missiles a small boat. Once the launcher is properly sited and floating free, it is automatically erected into the vertical position. The remote- control mechanism on the launcher is activated by undersea divers before the command ship with all personnel moves some distance away to set up the launch complex. A remote checkout/fire-control system verifies electronically the readiness of all units for the launch. The same system commands all launch-control functions by radio link. In the event of a malfunction, the remote link can restore the entire system to a safe position to enable divers to disarm the Hydra-Iris propulsion units for retrieval by the ship. The launcher can be recovered immediately after a launch. It needs no refurbishment before accepting another Hydra-Iris probe. The booster stage of Hydra-Iris was designed by the US Naval Missile Center. Designated the MR-1, it consists of three standard solid motors. Booster retainer, interstage and boat-tail assembly units hold the three motors together, and they are simultaneously ignited by a manifold ignition system. A flame deflector protects this booster from Iris exhaust. The Iris literally sits atop the MR-1, held in place by the vertically floating rail launcher (most Hydra vehicles float freely in the water at launch). The three motors of the booster simultaneously ignite the Iris motor, through a sustainer-firing package, so that ignition of both stages occurs under the water. In flight, so long as the booster is burning, the aerodynamic and mechanical alignment between the two stages combines with the MR-l's excess thrust to hold the stages together. When the thrust of the booster decreases, the exhaust from the Iris rocket forces the two stages apart, and the Iris continues alone. The Navy gives the following details about the 65.92in MR-1 booster: principal diameter, 17in; loaded weight, 4831b; total impulse, 47,8071b/sec; burning time, 1.858sec. Not including its 80in or 20in nosecone extension, the Iris second stage is 159.12in long and has a principal diameter of 12.5in. Other details: loaded weight (not including payload), 1,2161b; total impulse, 210,0001b/sec; burn time, 54sec. "First Men in the Moon," the film version of the H. G. Wellsst °ry, is now on general release in the United Kingdom. Produced by Charles H. Schneer for Columbia Pictures in Technicolor, Panavision and Dynamation, no less, the film takes liberties with Wells but acknowledges technical assistance from NASA and the RAE. A United Nations spacecraft lands on the Moon, its crew discovers a tattered Union Jack and, back on Earth, Arnold Bed- ford's story of his flight to the Moon with Prof Cavor comes to light. Directed by Nathan Juran, the film is enlivened by special lunar effects devised by Ray Harryhausen and decorated by Miss Martha Hyer who, for box-office purposes unknown to Wells, accompanied the two Victorian astronauts on their journey. Too bad we still don't know how to make the gravity-defying Cavorite —it would be much less complicated than Saturn V. Comsat Corporation Report In its first report to shareholders, the US Communications Satellite Corporation announced on August 13 that there were more than 130,000 public stockholders in the Corporation, with an average of 27 shares per holder. This total does not include the thousands of shareholders whose shares are held by securities firms and banks. Approximately 52,000 of the shareholders own ten shares or less, approximately 65,000 hold 11- 50 shares and almost 3,700 own 51-100 shares each. Concerning the future plans of the Corporation, the report said that the Cor- poration would "begin the world's first commercial communica- tions satellite service rn 1965, by means of a satellite now under construction for the Corporation by Hughes Aircraft Co," and would create "by the end of 1967, a basic global commercial com- munications satellite system, in co-operation with other countries." In addition, the Corporation is playing a leading role in arrange- ments to televise via Syncom 3 this year's Olympic games. This project involves the modification of the Navy ground station at Point Mugu, and special equipment aboard the satellite (which was not originally designed to handle television). Cambridge, Massachusetts has been selected as the site of NASA's new electronics research centre. Subject to certain qualifications, the centre will be located on a 29-acre site immediately north of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and close to Harvard. Director of the centre is Dr Winston Edward Kock, previously vice-president, research, at the Bendix Corporation, Detroit. Deputy Director is Dr Albert J. Kelley, formerly Director of the Electronics and Control Division of NASA's Office of Advanced Research and Technology.
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
