Ninth Semiannual Report to Congress 1 Jan. - 30 Jun. 1963

8/7/2019 Ninth Semiannual Report to Congress 1 Jan. - 30 Jun. 1963

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lklinLhSEMIANNUALREPORT TOCONGRESSJANUARY I - JUNE 30, 1963

NATIONAL AERONAUTICSAND SPACE ADMINISTRATIONWASHINGTON, D. C. 20546


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For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing OfficeWashington, D.C., 20402 - Price $1.00


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JvLr 1, 1964.

To the CoNGPmss OF THE UNITED STATES:Pursuant to the provisions of the National Aeronautics and Space

Act of 1958, as amended, I transmit herewith a report of the projectsand progress of the National Aeronautics and Space Administrationfor the period of January 1, 1963, through June 30, 1963.

This report covers six months of significant and encouraging ac-tivity in the national space program. The breadth of performancepromises subsequent periods of even greater accomplishment in meet-ing the challenge of space.

THE WHITE HOUSE.


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JUNZ 1O, 1964.The PRZSmZNT,The Wh_,te House.

DEAR MR. PRESIDENT: This Ninth Semiannual Report (January 1-June 30,1963) of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration is submitted to youfor transmittal to the Congress in accordance with section 206(a) of the NationalAeronautics and Space Act of 1958.

The events recorded herein are evidence of continuing progress in the nationalspace program and of concrete accomplishments on the way to our national goalof space leadership.

The many achievements of the period are described in detail in the body ofthis report, but it is appropriate here to mention just a few: One of the mostsignificant was the 22-orbit flight of Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., on May 15-16, which concluded Project Mercury with a perfect record of manned spaceflight. This was the climax to a program which accomplished all the objectivesoriginally laid out for it when it was initiated in 1958.

In June, NASA launched TIROS VII--the seventh consecutive successfullaunch in this meteorological satellite series. TIROS VII detected and warnedof the formation of Hurricane Flora before any conventional detection devices.

Also during this period the Relay communications satellite, launched in De-cember 1962, was used for a nmnber of highly successful communications ex-periments. During them, it transmitted signals between the United Statesand South America, between the United States and Europe, and between Europeand South America. European viewers saw telecasts of the final ProjectMercury manned space flight by means of Relay transmissions.

In addition to these events, NASA continued to advance all its programs onmany levels of accomplishment.

In manned space systems, the Gemini program moved forward. Assembly andtesting of two-man spacecraft and launch vehicle No. 1 proceeded according toa schedule calling for unmanned launchings in 1964. Work on launch control,tracking, and recovery equipment and on spacecraft subsystems advanced. Inaddition, the production design of the spacecraft structure was completed, anddevelopment and qualification testing of all major subsystems continued. Themodified Titan I_ ICBM which is to be used to launch the Gemini spacecraft wasunder development by the Air Force, and the vertical test facility for integrationand checkout of major subsystems of the launch vehicle was activated. Sup-porting work ranged from studies of rendezvous technique to establishment ofthe design of the prototype spacecraft.

In the Apollo program--with its objective of a manned expedition to the moonand return--progress continued as _he command and service modules reached theboilerplate production stage, and fabrication of components for the first mannedspacecraft was started. Tests of the structural effects of landing on landand water were conducted. The launch escape system solid propellan_ motorswere static tested, and structural testing of the launch escape tower was started.

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ADMINISTRATOR'S LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL V

Work began on the design, development, Itnd fabrication of the lunar excursionmodule (LEM). A tentative landing gear design was selected, and it was de-cided that the internal volume would be about 300 cubic feet.

Development work on larger engines and the more powerful launch vehiclesneeded for the overall Apollo program advanced significantly. Major effort wasdevoted to the RL-10 A-3, the H-l, the J-2, and the F-1 engines.

One of the large problems encountered in engine development has been com-bustion instability. During this period, emphasis was placed on solving this prob-lem: special instrumentation and new test techniques were developed, two possi-ble causes of the combustion instability were identified, and corrective methodswere investigated with good results.

Significant progress was made in development of the large launch vehicleswhich will be needed for our long-range space missions. This group includesthe stages of Saturn I (Blocks I and II), Saturn I-B, Saturn V, as well as themany associated facilities.

Looking to the time when the Nation will have the need to undertake moreadvanced programs, NASA contined development work on the M-l, a 1.5-million-pound-thrust, liquid oxygen-liquid hydrogen engine. Also under develolmmnt isa second advanced system, a high-energy engine using fluorine and hydrogen.

It was also in this time that the joint NASA/Air Force National Large SolidBooster Program was initiated and its scope defined. Hardware developmentwork, which began in June, was designed to demonstrate the feasibility of 260-inch-diameter solid-fuel motors developing 3 million pounds of thrust ; test mo-tors with double that thrust ; develop and static fire segmented 156-inch-diametermotors that will deliver 1 to 3 million pounds of thrust; and analyze all theproblem areas to be encountered when these motors are used in future launchvehicles.

During the first half of 1963, NASA continued to increase steadily its knowledgeof the earth's environment, of relationships between the earth and the sun, ofthe planets, and of outer space. This expanded knowledge came from a wealthof data in geophysics and astronomy provided by geophysical satellites, deepspace probes, geoprobes, and sounding rockets. One of the achievements of theperiod was the discovery by Explorer XVII, orbited in April, of a belt of neutralhelium 160 miles from the earth. Other accomplishments included Mariner II'stransmitting data 53.9 million miles through space, the launching of 35 soundingrockets which carried on investigations of the earth's atmosphere at variousheights, and the testing of a model of .the Surveyor Lander, a spacecraft to soft-land on the moon and later serve as an observation station and researchlaboratory.

NASA's biosciences programs also made progress in collecting informationessential to successful manned space flights. Work continued on the biologicaleffects of weightlessness, of high-energy cosmic radiation, and other outer spacestresses on living organisms. A program was established to develop biosatellitesto subject living organisms to the various stresses and effects of space from 3 to30 days. Meanwhile, such studies were being conducted in simulated spaceenvironments.

Significant advances were made in the operational and research and develop-merit aspects of NASA's satellite applications program. The seventh TIROSmeteorological satellite was orbited, and TIROS V completed 10 months ofoperation after having supplied over 58,000 pictures of the earth's cloud cover.NASA also launched Telstar II for the American Telephone & Telegraph Co.


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VI ADMINISTRATOR'S LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

Early in the period, the first Synco_ synchronous altitude active communica-tions satellite was placed in the planned orbit, but became silent and contact waslost. (Syncom II was launched on July 26, successfully maneuvered into posi-tion, and operated as a communications relay station. )

An important improvement for present and future satellite systems--theAutomatic Picture Transmission (APT) subsystem--was checked out during thisperiod. The APT subsystem uses relatively simple and inexpensive groundequipment which will receive pictures somewhat larger than the TIROS photo-graphs and of equal quality. The system is to be tested on the next TIROS.

The Relay satellite launched just before the end of the previous report periodsuccessfully completed its assigned mission, transmitting messages and TVsignals between the United States and other nations. Relay and Telstar havenow shown that active repeater communications satellites can be used as signalrelay stations

Research on passive communications satellites continued as Echo I completedits third year in orbit and preparations were made for the launching of Echo II.Also, the United States and the Soviet Union reached an agreement to useEcho II for limited joint communications experiments.

NASA's comprehensive advanced research and technology program encom-passes basic research, engineering research, and subsystems research. Theseare long-term efforts which look toward future missions and seek to anticipateand solve the many basic problems involved in manned space flight. Althoughmuch of this long-range research does not reach the public eye, it is nonethelessbasic to the success of NASA's missions. Other equally vital investigations aremore likely to receive public notice. One example of this type of research is inthe area of aeronautics, where work with the X-15 is conducted.

Eleven X-15 flights took place during this period. Their purpose was toacquire research data on aerodynamics and structural heating, structural dy-namics, supersonic and hypersonic aerodynamics, and stability and control.They were also to acquire data on the biomedical aspects of manned maneuver-able hypersonic vehicles. All these flights required speeds above Mach 4---about 2,800 miles per hour--to achieve mission requirements. Seven of theflights called for speeds above Mach 5 (about 3,500 miles per hour). Four ofthe flights were above 200,000 feet. The speeds and altitudes were carefullychosen to produce the desired research data on problems of flight control, re-entry, and landing. Other aeronautical research programs included work onthe supersonic transport and V/STOL aircraft. Results will be applicable tothe national commercial supersonic transport program, and the F-111 super-sonic fighter development. Research on the technology of high-lift devices forfixed and variable sweep wings indicated that takeoff and landing speeds of thesupersonic vehicles can be held approximately as l_)w as those of present sub-sonic jet transports. This would make it possible _'or present airports to beused for the supersonic transport. NASA research on the supersonic transportprogressed to the point where contracts were awarded for feasibility studies_)f four concepts.

Significant progress was made in the studies of alloys to be used in theconstruction of the supersonic transport. Of six studied, titanium alloys seemmost promising, but continuing research on this metal is required.

In addition to these studies, NASA continued extensive research on advancedpropulsion and space power generation systems using chemical energy. Prog-ress was made on engines using liquid, solid and hybrid liquid-solid propel-


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ADMINISTRATOR'S LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL VII

lants; on rocket engines that use air or planetary atmosphere for thrust aug-mentation ; and vn engines that use solar energy to heat the fluid propellant.

Because nuclear energy now seems to be the most promising power sourcefor space vehicles making long deep space voyages, NASA continued to maketechnological advances in research and development of nuclear electric power,nuclear electric propulsion, and nuclear rockets.

SNAP-8 (Systems for Nuclear Auxiliary Power)--a joint AEC/NASA projectfor the design and development of a 35-kilowatt nuclear electrical generatingsystem--is one example of this nuclear effort. This type of system would beused to provide auxiliary power for such advanced space missions as mannedor unmanned deep space probes, a lunar station, advanced operational communi-cations satellites, and space laboratories. Progress during this period was madein assurance of reliability through design improvements. The electrical generat-ing system was defined, space startup procedure was established, and reactorcheckout and power experiments were begun.

Other advances included research on ion engine concepts, arc jet engines,and the supporting research needed to solve basic development problems, developinstrumentation, and enhance knowledge of the basic technology. And the KIWI,NERVA, and RIFT projects continued under development.

NASA's programs require a wide variety of highly coordinated supportingactivities. One such essential activity is the group of tracking and data acquisi-tion networks. These were expanded and improved through the addition ofequipment and the construction of new facilities. Operationally, the networkssupported the Project Mercury flight of May 15-16 as well as 20 satellite launches.NASA further expanded its international programs to promote cooperationamong nations in the peaceful uses of space. By the end of the period, 64 politicaljurisdictions were or had been associated with the United States in spaceactivities for the benefit of all nations. Also within this time, the United Statesand the Soviet Union made a bilateral agreement providing for coordinatedlaunchings of geomagnetic and weather satellites and data exchanges. Theagreement also called for limited experiments with the Echo II communicationssatellite when it is placed in orbit.

The period also saw the agency expand its educational programs and improveits methods of disseminating scientific and technical information. The sustain-ing university program, which is designed to assure greater university par-ticipation in the Nation's space effort, continued. And the Agency's sponsoredresearch programs sought further to expand knowledge and broaden researchcapabilities.

Tho many complex and expanded programs of the Agency relied increasinglyon the nontechnical activities concerned with directing, managing, and financingour national space effort. Such activities included the recruiting of com-petent personnel for technical and nontechnical functions, the continuing im-provement of the organization of the Agency for better direction and moreeffective management, the effort to manage finances efficiently and economically,and finally the development of procurement techniques and plans to adequatelysupport all the programs of the Agency.

NASA's many closely interrelated functions are all essential to the successof its mission as well as to the success of the Nation's effort in space. Theculmination of Project Mercury during this period is but one indication ofhow far the United States has come since the beginning of the NASA spaceeffort 5 years ago. What we have learned from this project and the activities


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VIII ADMINISTRATOR'S LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

related to it lay the groundwork for the same kind of achievement in ourfuture programs. We can all be proud of our accomplishments and sure thatwe will move steadily forward toward our national goal of space leadership.Just as the boundaries of space are limitless, so are the possibilities of man'sconquest of space limited only by his ambition, his will, and his faith.

Respectfully yours,JAMES E. WEBB, Administrator.


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ContentsPage

PROJECT MERCURY IN REVIEW ...................................... 3

ACTIVITIES AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS ............................... 17CHAPTER 1--MANNED SPACE FLIGHT ........................... 17

The Mercury Program ................................. 17The Gemini Program .................................. 21

The Gemini Spacecraft ............................. 21The Gemini Launch Vehicle (Titan II) ............... 23The Gemini Target Vehicle (Agena D) ............... 23Gemini Support Systems ........................... 24

The Apollo Program ................................... 26Apollo Spacecraft .................................. 27Command and Service Module Development ...... 28

Major Spacecraft Subsystem Development ....... 29Launch Escape System ..................... 29Service Propulsion System .................. 31Reaction Control System ................... 31Communication System .................... 32Spacecraft Onboard Instrumentation ......... 32Fuel Cells ................................ 32Environmental Control System .............. 32Earth Landing System ..................... 32Stabilization and Control System ............ 32

Lunar Excursion Module ....................... 32Guidance and Navigation ...................... 33Little Joe II .................................. 34

Apollo Propulsion and Launch Vehicles ............... 36Engine Development ........................... 36

The RL-10 A-3 Engines ................... 36The H-1 Engine .......................... 37The J-2 Engine ........................... 37The F-1 Engine ........................... 37Launch Vehicle Development ........................... 42Saturn I .......................................... 42

The Saturn I First Stage (S-I) .................. 45The Saturn I Second Stage (S-IV) ............... 45

Saturn I-B ....................................... 45The Saturn I-B First Stage (S-IB) .............. 47The Saturn I-B Second Stage (S--IVB) ........... 47

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X CONTENTSCHAPTER 1--MANNED SPACE FLIGHT---Continued

Launch Vehicle Development--Continued PaglThe Saturn V ..................................... 48

The Saturn V FirstStage (S-IC)................ 48The Saturn V Second Stage (S-II)............... 50The Saturn V Third Stage (S-IVB) .............. 52The Saturn V Instrument Unit.................. 52

Saturn Facilities.................................. 53Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville,Ala .... 53Michoud, La .................................. 53MississippiTest Facility....................... 53Launch Operations Center, Fla.................. 53

Manned Space Flight Support .......................... 54Space Medicine ................................... 55Integration,Checkout, and ReliabilityProgram ....... 55Integration................................... 55

Reliability................................... 55Checkout ..................................... 55

Flight Operations.................................. 57Advanced Engine Development ..................... 57

The M-1 Engine .............................. 56Large Solid Propellant Motors .................. 58

CHAPTER 2--SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS IN SPACE .......... 59Geophysics and Astronomy ............................. 59

Geophysical Satellites............................. 60Sounding Rockets ................................. 60EarlierSpacecraftSupply New Data ................. 61

Lunar and Planetary Programs .......................... 62Surveyor Lander .................................. 63Mariner and Pioneer............................... 63Voyager .......................................... 64

BiosciencePrograms ................................... 65Laboratory-Produced LifelikeCells.................. 66High Altitude Infrared Studies...................... 66Upper Atmosphere Microbes ........................ 68Detecting ExtraterrestrialLife...................... 69Biosatellitesn Space Environmental Biology......... 70Ground-Based Studies of Outer Space Stresses........ 70Effectsof Exposure to Manmade Atmospheres ........ 71Life Support Systems for Spacecraft................. 72Simulated Planetary Environments .................. 72Behavioral Biology................................ 73

Medium Launch Vehicles............................... 74The Scout ........................................ 74The Delta........................................ 75The Thor-Agena/Atlas-Agena Program ............... 76

NASA/Air Force Management Relationship....... 76Agena Program Management Transfer........... 76Agena Vehicle Improvement Program ............ 76Communications Satellite(Echo A-12) ........... 76

Lunar Launch (Ranger)............................ 76The Atlas-Centaur ................................. 77


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CONTENTS XIPage

CHAPTER 3--APPLICATIONS PROGRAM .......................... 78MeteorologicalSystems_ ................................ 78

TIROS_ .......................................... 79Nimbus .......................................... 79Advanced SatelliteSystems_ ........................ 81Sounding Rockets ................................. 82

Communications Systems .............................. 83Active Communications Satellites................... 83

Relay ........................................ 84Telstar_...................................... 84Syncom ...................................... 85Advanced Synchronous Altitude Satellite Studies__ 85

Passive Communications Satellites ................... 86Future Applications Satellites ........................... 87

Navigation ....................................... 87Data Collection by Satellite ......................... 87

CHAPTSR 4--ADVANCED RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY ....... 89.Aeronautical Research ................................ 89

Aircraft Aerodynamics ............................. 89Air-Breathing Propulsion ........................... 90Supersonic Commercial Air Transport ................ 90Hypersonic Aircraft_ ............................... 91X-15 Research Airplane Program ................... 92V/STOL (Vertical and Short Takeoff and Landing)Aircraft ........................................ 92

Space Vehicle Systems (Supporting Research and Tech-nology) ............................................. 93

Aerothermodynamics and Related Problems .......... 93Lifting Reentry ............................... 93Vehicle Heating and Heat Transfer .............. 93

Environmental Effects ............................. 96High Energy Radiation Effects and Shielding ..... 96Meteoroid Environment and Impact Hazard ...... 96

Propulsion and Power Generation ....................... 97Liquid Propulsion Systems ......................... 98Launch Vehicle Engines ........................ 98Advanced Liquid Propellants and Supporting Tech-nology ..................................... 99

Solid Propulsion Systems .......................... 99Research on Propellants ........................ 100Combustion Ignition and Fluid Dynamics ........ 100Motor Development ........................... 100Subsystems and Components .................... 100

Space Power Technology ........................... 100Solar Cells .................................... 100Thermionic Power Converters ....................... 101

Multikilowatt Solar Power System ............... 101Batteries for Space Applications ................. 102Advanced Fuel Cells ............................ 102


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XII CONTENTSCHAFr_B 4---ADVANC]_D Rl_SEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY Con. PaD

Electronics and Control ................................. 103Control and Stabilization ........................... 103Guidance Sensor Research ........................... 103Instrumentation and Data Processing ................. 104Instrumentation ............................... 104

Data Processing ............................... 104Communications and Tracking ....................... 105

Supporting Studies ...................................... 105Electrophysics ..................................... 105Applied Mathematics ............................... 106Radiation Properties............................... 106Two-Phase Flow ................................... 106Rocket Nozzle Heat Transfer........................ 106Fluid Mechanics ................................... 106Plasma Diagnostics................................. 107Low Density ...................................... 107Thermal Radiation Stabilization..................... 107Stress-ruptureTesting.............................. 108

Biotechnology and Human Research ...................... 108CHAPTZR 5---NUCLEAR SYSTEMS AND SPACE POWER GENERA-

TION .............................................. 110Nuclear ElectricPower ................................. 110

Technology Research ............................... 1I0The SNAP-8 Development Project................... 112

Nuclear ElectricPropulsion............................. 113ElectricEngine Projects............................ 114

Large Ion Engines.............................. 114Contact Ion Engine ........................ 114Electron Bombardment Ion Engines .......... 115

Large Arc Jet Engines .......................... 115Small Arc, Ion, and ResistojetEngines ........... 115

Supporting Research and Technology Program ......... 116Electrothermal ................................. 116Electrostatic.................................. 116Electromagnetic............................... 116

Nuclear Rocket Program ............................... 117KIWI Tests ....................................... 117NERVA (Nuclear Engine for Rocket Vehicle Applica-

tion) ........................................... 118Advanced Research and Technology .................. 119The Nuclear Rocket Development Station (NRDS) .... 120Reactor/n-Flight Test (RIFT) Project ............... 120

CHAPTER 6---TRACKING AND DATA ACQUISITION ............... 122Manned Space Flight Network .......................... 122Satellite Network ...................................... 125Deep Space Network ................................... 126


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CONTENTS XIIIPags

CHAPTER 7--INTERNATIONAL PROGRAMS ...................... 129Cooperative Projects ................................... 129

Argentina ......................................... 129Australia ......................................... 130Brazil ............................................ 130Canada ........................................... 130France ........................................... 130India ............................................. 131Italy .......................................... 131Japan ............................................ 132New Zealand ...................................... 133Norway-Denmark .................................. 133Pakistan .......................................... 133Scandinavia ....................................... 133Sweden ............................................ 133United Kingdom ................................... 134U.S.S.R .................................... 134European Regional Groups .......................... 136

Operations Support .................................... 136Australia ......................................... 136Bermuda (U.K.) ................................... 136Canton Island (Joint U.S.-U.K. Jursidiction) .......... 136Italy ............................................. 137Mexico ........................................... 137Nigeria ........................................... 137Spain ............................................. 137Support for MA-9 Flight ........................... 137

Cooperation Through Other International Organizations .... 137Personnel Exchanges, Education, and Training ............ 138

CHAPTER 8---INFORMATIONAL AND SPONSORED RESEARCHPROGRAMS ....................................... 139

Educational Programs and Services ...................... 139Curriculum Materials .............................. 139Teacher Education ................................. 140Youth Activities ................................... 140Spacemobiles ...................................... 141Educational Publications ............................ 141

Reprints ...................................... 142Publications Being Prepared .................... 142NASA Facts .................................. 142Aerospace Leaflets ............................. 142

Historical Program ................................. 143Motion Pictures .................................... 143

Film Depository Services ........................ 144Educational Television and Radio .................... 145Exhibits .......................................... 147

USIA-Sponsored NASA Exhibits Abroad .......... 148NASA Exhibits in the United States ............. 148

NASA Artists' Cooperation Program ................. 149Scientific and Technical Information ...................... 149

Abstract-Index Journals .............................. 149Scientific and Technical Publications ................. 150Computer Tapes ................................... 151Microforms--a Government Standard ................ 151


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XIV CONTENTSCHAPTER 8--INFORMATIONAL AND SPONSORED RESEARCH

PROGRAMS--ContinuedScientific and Technical Information--Continued PsgJ

Library Collections of NASA Reports ................. 151LiteratureSearch Service............................ 151Foreign Exchange Program .......................... 151Advanced Information Handling Technique ........... 152Requests for Information Services.................... 152

University Programs .................................... 152Sustaining University Program ....................... 152

Training...................................... 153Facilities..................................... 153Research ...................................... 154

Sponsored Research Program ............................ 154Grants and Research Contracts...................... 155

CHAPTER 9_-PERSONNEL, MANAGEMENT, AND PROCUREMENTFUNCTIONS ....................................... 156

Personnel............................................. 156Employee Development ............................. 156Personnel Program Evaluation ....................... 156Action To Prevent Conflictof Interest................ 157Study of Recently Hired Engineers and Scientists...... 157Personnel Summary Statement ....................... 158NASA Awards and Honors ........................... 159

Key Personnel Changes During Period.................... 159Appointments ..................................... 159Reassignments ...................................... 160Resignations and Other Terminations .................. 161Contributions Awards .............................. 161Patent Rights Waived .............................. 162

Technology Utilization Program ......................... 162Organizational Improvements ............................ 163

Technology Utilization and Policy Planning OfficeEstablished ...................................... 165

Deputy Associate Administrator for Industry Affairs_ _ _ 165Management Information Systems Division Established_ 165Division of Transportation and Logistics Established___ 166Regional Inspection Office Established ............... 166NASA Center and Program Director Responsibilities

Clarified ........................................ 166Project Planning System Revised ................... 166Patent Waiving Process Expedited .................. 167

Financial Management ................................. 167Procurement Management ............................. 167

Contracts Awarded to Private Industry .............. 168Division of Procurement Awards ................ 168Competitive Bidding ........................... 169Types of Contracts ............................ 169SmMl Business Participation................... 170Geographical Distributionof Contracts.......... 170Other Government Agencies Aid Procurement .... 170Major Contract Awards ........................ 171Major Contractors............................. 172

Incentive Contracts................................ 172


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CONTENTS XVCHAPTER 9--PERSONNEL, MANAGI_M]_NT, AND PROCUR]_MENT

FUNCTIONS-=OontinuedProcurement Management--Continued Page

Improved Control of Letter Contracts ............... 173Uniform Cost Principles for Government-Wide Use ..... 174Relocation Expense ................................ 174Equipment Support ............................... 174Facilities Contracting .............................. 174Limited Contracting With GE & Bell System Com-

panies .......................................... 175Transportation Studies ................................. 175

AppendixesA--Memberships of Congressional Committee on Aeronautics and Space(January 1-June 30, 1963) .................................... 177B--Membership of the National Aeronautics and Space Council (January

1-June 30, 1963) ............................................ 178C--Official Mailing Addresses for Field Installations ................... 179D--NASA International Activities Summary (Cumulative to June 30,

1963) ...................................................... 180E--NASA-Sponsored Educational Projeets ........................... 182F--Teehnical Publications ......................................... 184G--Inventions and Contributions Board, NASA (as of June 30, 1963) ..... 186H--Patentable Inventions Recognized by the Agency's Inventions andContributions Board (January 1-June 30, 1963) .................. 187I--Patent Waivers Granted and Denied by NASA Upon Recommenda-

tion of the Agency's Inventions and Contributions Board (January1-June 30, 1963) ............................................ 190

J--Patent Waivers Granted and DeDied by NASA Upon Recommendationof the Agency's Inventions and Contributions Board Since ItsEstablishment Through June 30, 1963 .......................... 191

K--Research Grants and Contracts (January 1 through June 30, 1963)__ 193Illustrations

The Faith 7 spacecraft ............................................. 18Faith 7 spacecraft on the deck of the aircraft carrier Kearsarge .......... 19The new helmet used by Astronaut Cooper ........................... 20The Gemini spacecraft ............................................. 22A rendezvous training system ........ : .............................. 24Launch complex 19 at the Atlantic Missile Range ..................... 25The three modules of the Apollo spacecraft ........................... 27Phases of the Apollo mission ........................................ 28Impact testing of a boilerplate command module ...................... 30The launch escape system .......................................... 31Parachute drop test of boilerplate command module ................... 33Artist's conception of lunar exploration module approaching a landing onthe moon ....................................................... 34Little Joe II launch vehicle on its launcher ............................ 35Engines for manned flight .......................................... 36An RL-10 A-3 engine .............................................. 38An H-1 engine .................................................... 39A J-2 engine ...................................................... 40The F-1 engine ................................................... 41


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XVI CO_E_SPage

The Saturn family of launch vehicles ................................. 43Fourth Saturn test ................................................. 44Artists' concept of the S-I stage .................................... 46Cutaway of S-IV stage shows tanks and six RL--10 A-3 engines ......... 47Cutaway of S-IVB showing installation of J-2 engine .................. 48Cutaway of Saturn V shows individual stages and payload ............. 49Cutaway of the S-IC stage ......................................... 49An apex gore bulge die forming tool ................................. 50Welding segments (apex and base) to form a complete gore ............. 51The meridian welder ............................................... 52Artists' concept of the instrumentation unit .......................... 54The M-1 engine ................................................... 57Geophysical satellite Explorer XVII ................................. 61Inside the Explorer XVII spacecraft ................................. 62Surveyor Lander .................................................. 64Mariner II microwave temperature study of Venusian atmosphere andsurface ......................................................... 65

Laboratory produces microspheres simulating living cells ............... 66Balloon analyzes infrared range of wave lengths from Mars ............. 67Martian explorers--36-inch telescope and infrared spectrometer ......... 68Laboratory model of extraterrestrial life detector ...................... 69Study of gravity's effects on growing plants .......................... 71Centrifuge to study effects of weightlessness on mice ................... 73Rotating chamber measures responses of animals to gravity ............. 74Apparatus determines effects of restricted and free movement on develop-

ment of normal visual perception in the cat ........................ 75Global coverage of Nimbus and TIROS compared ..................... 80TIROS tests Automatic Picture Transmission System ................. 81Large meteorological sounding rocket experiments ..................... 82Small meteorological sounding rocket experiments ..................... ' 83Syneom launch sequence ........................................... 86Wingless M-2 research vehicle undergoes flight test .................... 94NASA test pilot Milton Thompson and the M-2 spacecraft ............ 95Computer operations at Goddard Space Flight Center .................. 123Display console of the Mercury Space Flight Network station at Bermuda_ _ 124The 85-foot parabolic antenna of the Deep Space Network Station,

Johannesburg, South Africa ....................................... 126Model of the 210-foot parabolic antenna ......... .................... 127International Sounding Rocket Facility at the geomagnetic equator(INCOSPAR) ................................................... 131San Marco prototype payload tested at Goddard Space Flight Center___ 132Test model of Ariel II (S-52) ....................................... 135NASA television program "Space Science Sixty-three"_ ................ 146Video-tape recording of inservice training program for teachers ......... 147Organization chart ................................................. 164

TablesSummary of the TIROS project through June 30, 1963 ................ 80Distribution of personnel by geographical location .................... 158Status of appropriations as of June 30, 1963 .......................... 168NASA budget estimates fiscal year 1964 (in thousands) ................ 169


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73s-3480 - 64 - 2


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Sketches reproduced on pp. 1 to 13 wero made by nationallyrecognized artists under NASA's artists' cooperation program.(See ch. 8, p. 149, for details.)


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During this period,theNationalAeronauticsandSpaceAdminis-tration successfullyompletedheNation'sfirst mannedspacelighteffort. ProjectMercuryculminatedin the 34-hour,22-orbitflightof Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., in his spacecraft Faith 7. Themission was accomplished about 4 years and 8 months after theprogram was established. In this time, six manned space flightswere conducted--with complete pilot safety and without change inthe basic Mercury concepts

Specific studies conducted before and during 1958 indicated thatmanned space flight was feasible. On October 7 of that year, a na-tional manned space flight project (named Mercury at a later date)was initiated. Within the project's lifetime, both NASA and itsindustrial contractors learned much about man's capabilities in thespace environment and in earthbound activities.

At the time of the go-ahead, in 1958, the project's objectives were(1) to place a manned spacecraft in orbital flight around the earth;(2) to investigate man's performance capabilities and his ability tofunction in the environment of space; and (3) to safely recover boththe man and the spacecraft. Basic guidelines to be followed includedusing existing technology and off-the-shelf equipment, following thesimplest and most reliable approach to system design, using an existinglaunch vehicle to place the spacecraft into orbit, and conducting aprogressive and logical test program.

Spacecraft requirements included a reliable launch-escape system,manual controls, a retrorocket system for spacecraft braking, a zero-lift body design, and a capability for water landing. Involved inthe flight-test program were four basic types of launch vehicles--theLittle Joe, the Mercury-Redstone, the Mercury-Jupiter, and theMercury-Atlas.

In January 1959, shortly after initiation of Project Mercury, NASAbegan selection of the first astronauts. In April, the seven men chosenfor the project reported to the Space Task Group, Langley, Va., andbegan a 2-year group training program which consisted of five maiorareas: (1) basic astronautical science instruction, (2) systems training,(3) spacecraft control training, (4) environmental familiarization,and (5) egress and survival training.In April 1961, when the Mercury manned flight program actuallybegan, a special preflight preparation program was conducted foreach astronaut and his backup designated for the flight. The remain-Lug five astronauts took part in development and operational activi-ties; they also did limited training to maintain proficiency. Thespecific preflight preparation programs involved (1) integrating thepilot with the spacecraft, (2) systems training, (3) development andpractice of the specific mission flight plan, (4) training with flightcontrollers, and (5) medical and physical preparation.

8


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4 NASA NINTH SEMIANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS


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PROJECT MERCURY IN REVIEW _

The seven astronauts selected for manned space flight were: AlanB. Shepard, Jr., a Navy commander; Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom, anAir Force major; John H. Glenn, Jr., a Marine lieutenant colonel;M. Scott Carpenter, a Navy lieutenant commander; Walter M. Schirra,Jr., a Navy commander; L. Gordon Cooper, Jr., an Air Force major;and Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, an Air Force major. (Of these seven,Slayton was the only one not to make a flight aboard a Mercuryspacecraft.)

The Project Mercury flight-test plan developed in 1959 called for atotal of 27 flight tests. During the project's lifetime, seven of theoriginal tests were eliminated while others were modified or added.In all, 24 flight tests were accomplished. Following is a brief reviewof those tests and flights:Little Joe 1, August 21, 1959: This test was canceled when a faulty

wiring circuit prematurely actuated the escape system and carried thespacecraft out over the water. The main chute did not deploy andthe spacecraft was destroyed at impact.

Big Joe 1, September 9, 1959 : This flight to investigate reentry prob-lems used a boilerplate spacecraft on an Atlas launch vehicle. It ac-complished all technical objectives and the spacecraft was recovered.Because of this success a second scheduled similar mission (Big Joe 2)was canceled.Little Joe 6, October 4, 1959 : Conducted at Wallops Island, Va., this

test checked booster performance. Eight solid propellant rockets wereused to develop 250,000 pounds of thrust at liftoff. The mission vali-dated the aerodynamic and structural integrity of the booster and theuse of the command destruction system.Little Joe l-A, November 4, 1959 : This test, also at Wallops Island,

executed a planned abort under high aerodynamic load conditions.The boilerplate spacecraft was recovered.Little Joe _, December 4, 1959 : This test at Wallops Island to check

high-altitude performance of the escape system carried a rhesus mon-key, Sam, as test subject. All test objectives were met and both thespacecraft and passenger were recovered.Little Joe 1-tl, January 21, 1960: Another test at Wallops Island

evaluated the escape system under high aerodynamic load. Anotherrhesus monkey, Miss Sam, was the test subject. The spacecraft andoccupant were successfully recovered.Beavh Abort Test, May 9, 1960 : McDonnell's first production space-

craft and its escape system were tested in an off-the-pad evaluationof the escape rocket system at Wallops Island. The test was successfuland the spacecraft was recovered.Mercury-Atlas I (MA-1), July 29, 1960: This was the first Atlas-

boosted flight, and was aimed at qualifying the capsule under maxi-


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mum airloads and afterbody heating rate during reentry conditions.The capsule contained no escape systems and no test subject. The shotwas unsuccessful because of booster system malfunction.

Little Joe 5, November 8, 1960: Another of the series of tests atWallops Island with a specific purpose of checking the spacecraft inan abort simulating the most severe conditions of an Atlas launch. Be-cause of premature firing of the escape rocket, the spacecraft did notseparate from the booster and was lost.Mercury-Redstane I (MR-l), December 19, 1960 : This was a capsulequalification test under normal ballistic flight conditions. Objective

was achieved. After a 16-minute flight at speeds up to 4,300 m.p.h.,the capsule was recovered by a helicopter from the Atlantic Ocean offGrand Bahama Island. The capsule traveled 240 miles, reached analtitude of 135 miles, and landed within 8 miles of the programed im-pact area, with all systems performing satisfactorily.


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PROJECT MERCURY IN REVIEW 7

Mercury-Rex]stone II (MR-B), January 31, 1961: This flight fromthe Atlantic Missile Range shot a Mercury capsule containing chim-panzee named "Ham" to 157 miles altitude and 418 miles downrange.Capsule with life-support equipment functioned well, but flight was42 miles higher and 125 miles further than programed. "Ham" wasrecovered in good health.Mercua.y-Atlas II (MA-_), February 21, 1961: This was an Atlas-

boosted shot to shut down the Atlas prematurely and simulate anabort; the capsule was to enter the atmosphere steeply, encounteringmaximum airloads and heating rates. Powered flight was normal;after separation the capsule coasted to an altitude of 107 miles whereits automatic stabilization and control system oriented it for a steepentry. The capsule landed 1,425 miles downrange in the Atlantic about18 minutes after liftoff, attaining a maximum velocity of 12,850 m.p.h.Maximum reentry deceleration was 16 g's. The capsule performedwell under the severe entry temperatures.

Little Joe 5A, March 18, 1961 : This was a repeat test of the unsuc-cessful Little Joe 5 test. Prematur_ firing of the escape rocket beforespacecraft release precluded the accomplishment of most of the testobjectives. The spacecraft did not sustain any structural damage andwas refurbished for the L_ttle Joe 5B test.Mervury-Red_tone Booster Development, March 24, 1961 : This was

a successful booster development test. The boilerplate spacecraft wasthe one previously used on Little Joe 1B which provided the properconfiguration and weight. All test objectives were met.Mercury-Atlas III (MA-3), April 25, 1961: This was an Atlas-boosted shot attempting to orbit the capsule with a mechanical astro-

naut-simulator on a one-orbit flight. The flight would have testedthe capsule systems and the worldwide communications, tracking, andrecovery networks. The flight was aborted because of a faulty pro-gramer in the Atlas booster. Forty seconds after liftoff the rangesafety officer sent a command sigual cutting off fuel to the booster andstarting the capsule abort sequence. After an automatic delay of 3seconds, the booster was destroyed. The abort maneuver, which tookplace at 14,000 feet, proceeded normally. The capsule coasted to amaximum altitude of 24,000 feet and landed 600 feet offshore. It wasnot damaged, and all systems functioned satisfactorily.Little Joe 5B, April 28, 1961 : This was the third test of the escape

system under maximum exit dynamic pressure conditions. The testobjectives were met and the spacecraft recovered.Memury-Redstone III (MR-3), l_ay 5, 1961 : This, the first manned

suborbital flight in Project Mercury, was successfully carried out. At9:34 a.m., e.s.t, a 78,000-pound-thrust Redstone lifted off from Pad 5 atCape Kennedy carrying Astronaut Alan B. Shepard, Jr, in the Free-


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NASA NINTH SEM/ANN'UAL REPORT TO CONGRESS

dom 7 spacecraft. The 2,700-pound capsule landed 302 miles down-range in the Atlantic Ocean 15 minutes 22 seconds later, after reachinga peak altitude of 116 miles and a top velocity of 5,180 m.p.h. Astro-naut Shepard underwent 5 minutes 4 seconds of weightlessness, andmaximum reentry forces of 11 g's. He carried out all his tasks asassigned and suffered no adverse physiological effects from his flight.Theob_ectives of this flight were to familiarize man with brief spaceflight, including liftoff, powered flight, weightlessness, reentry andlanding; to evaluate man's ability to perform useful functions; andto study physiological reaction in space flight. The flight also pro-vided the first test of Mercury systems with an astronaut aboard.Mercury-Redstone IV (MR-4), July 21, 1961 : The second success-

ful manned suborbital flight in Project Mercury was achieved withastronaut Virgil I. Grissom as pilot of the spacecraft Liberty Bell 7.Objectives of the flight were to confirm data obtained during the firstsuborbital flight and to further test the Mercury capsule and its life-support and telemetry systems. The MR-4 flight began with liftofffrom Cape Kennedy at 7:20 a.m., e.s.t. The capsule reached an alti-tude of 118 miles and traveled 303 miles down the Atlantic MissileRange, landing in the planned recovery area at 7:35. In the courseof the trip, Grissom experienced 5 minutes of weightlessness. Hevisually confirmed such flight sequences as booster separation, jettisonof retrorocket, and drogue and main parachute openings. Grissomsuccessfully maintained attitude control with the manual control sys-tems. He also manually triggered ignition of the retrorockets fromthe capsule and exercised manual capsule-attitude control during the22-second rocket firing which slowed the capsule for'reentry. Duringdescent and atmospheric entry, the capsule underwent a maximumdeceleration force of 11 g's. Grissom withstood the g forces withoutdifficulty, making several voice communications during this period.Before the helicopter could hook onto the capsule, the escape hatchwas separated from the side of the capsule by a premature firing of itsexplosive bolts. After swimming away from the sinking capsule,Grissom was rescued by a second helicopter 4 minutes later. Allefforts to rescue the capsule failed, and it sank in water too deep forsalvage operations.Mercury-Atlas IV (MA-_), September 13, 1961: This was an un-

manned single-orbit flight. The capsule made one complete triparound the earth, was brought back, and landed in the Atlantic about160 miles east of Bermuda. The capsule contained a mechanical de-vice to simulate human respiration, voice tapes to communicate withthe tracking stations, and a fully operational automatic attitude con-trol system. The flight was highly successful, qualifying the life-


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PROJECT MERCURY IN REVIEW

support systems, the worldwide Mercury tracking network, and thespacecraft controls for manned flight.Mercury-Atlas V (MA-5), November 29, 1961: This was a three-

orbit flight to simulate the conditions of manned space flight as closelyas possible by sending a chimpanzee into orbit in a Mercury capsule.Preparations for the flight followed precisely the routine set for amanned flight. The launching took place at 10:07 a.m. During thefirst orbit, all spacecraft systems functioned properly, and Enos, thechimpanzee, carried out his four main tasks. His tasks involved aseries of lever-pulling exercises designed to indicate any effects ofweightlessness and the stresses of space flight. During the secondorbit, the capsule's roll control system began to malfunction; als% the


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capsule's cooling system was not functioning properly. Consequently,Mercury Control Center decided to terminate the mission after thefirst two orbits. The capsule made a normal reentry and the landingoccurred at about 1:28 p.m. in the planned recovery area. Enos suf-fered no ill effects from the flight.Mercury-Atlas Ready far Manned Flight: The test objectives ofthe MA-5 flight were substantially accomplished. A detailed studyof the spacecraft, booster, and tracking network operation indicatedthat the Mercury-Atlas system was ready for manned orbital flight.The mechanical problems that developed during the second orbitwould have been corrected if a human astronaut had been aboard. Atthe conclusion of the successful MA-5 flight, NASA announced thatAstronaut John H. Glenn, Jr., had been selected as pilot for the firstmanned orbital Mercury flight.Mercury-Atlas VI (MA-6), February 20, 1962: This was the first

manned orbital flight of Project Mercury. The major objectives wereto investigate man's capabilities in the space environment and to testboth spacecraft and supporting systems. The flight met all tests ob-jectives and was therefore completely successful. Liftoff, launch, andinsertion into orbit were perfect. The apogee of orbit was about 141miles; perigee was about 86. The actual sequence, flight, and trackingtimes were all within seconds of those planned. During the flight,Astronaut Glenn, in the Friendship 7 capsule, experienced weightless-ness for 4.6 hours with no adverse effect on his performance. He madevisual and photographic observations of the earth, clouds, horizon,and stars. The flight accomplished three full orbits before the space-craft landed in the planned recovery area, 700 miles southeast of CapeKennedy, at 2:43 p.m., e.s.t. The capsule landed 5 miles from thedestroyer U.S.S. Noa and and was quickly recovered from the water ingood condition.Mercury-Atla_ VII (MA-7), May 9_4, 1962: This was the secondorbital flight of Project Mercury and was piloted by AstronautM. Scott Carpenter in the Aurora 7 spacecraft. The objective of thisflight was to continue the evaluation of man's capabilities in the spaceenvironment. The flight was successful. Liftoff took place at 7:45a.m., e.s.t., from Cape Kennedy. The entire power phase of flight wasnormal, and all systems functioned perfectly. Apogee and perigeeof the orbit were about 145 and 86 miles, respectively. After three fullorbits, the spacecraft landed at 12:31 p.m., e.s.t., 250 miles downrangeof the planned recovery area. Astronaut Carpenter was sighted bya searchplane about 1 hour after impact. Three hours after he landed,helicopters from the U.S.S. Intrepid picked him up. The spacecraftwas recovered by the destroyer U.S.S. Pierce, approximately 6 hoursafter impact.


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PROJECT MERCURY IN REVIEW 11


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Mercury-Atlas VIII (MA-8), October 3, 1962: The third orbitalflight in Project Mercury was that of Astronaut Walter M. Shirra, Jr.,in the Sigma 7 spacecraft. The major objective of the flight was toevaluate the performance of the manned spacecraft system in a six-orbit mission. The MA-8 was a successful flight. Liftoff occurred atapproximately 7:15 a.m, e.s.t. Both the launch and the insertion intoorbit were perfect. Apogee and perigee of orbit were 174.6 and 99.36miles, respectively. The flight accomplished nearly six full orbits,and landed in the planned recovery area near Midway Island in thePacific Ocean at 4:28 p.m., e.s.t. During the flight, Schirra experi-enced about 81/_ hours of weightlessness. He carried out extendedperiods of drifting flight, checked out the spacecraft control systemperiodically, took photographs of terrestrial features, performed vis-ual yaw-alignment experiments, and ate and drank during the mission.Retrofire occurred on time. The spacecraft landed about 4 miles fromthe aircraft carrier Kearsarge. The carrier picked up the spacecraft,with the pilot still in it, 40 minutes after landing. This 9-hour-and-13-minute test of man's capabilities in space environment and the engi-neering concepts of the spacecraft and supporting systems wascompletely successful. Because this was such a successful flight, it pro-vided the added experience needed for the next flight in the Mercury-Atlas series---the "One-Day Mission."Mercury-Atlas IX (MA-9), May 15-16, 1963: The fourth manned

orbital flight in Project Mercury was that of Astronaut L. GordonCooper, Jr., in the Faith 7 spacecraft. The flight was an extensionof Project Mercury, and a "One-Day Mission" spacecraft (modifiedMercury) was used. The major objective of the MA-9 mission wasto evaluate the effects of weightlessness and extended orbital flighton man. The flight was highly successful, and all test objectives weremet. The mission covered 22 orbits and the total flight time was 34hours 20 minutes 10 seconds. The launch system performed in anexcellent manner and the spacecraft was inserted into a nearly perfectorbit. Liftoff occurred at approximately 8:04 a.m., e.s.t., and thespacecraft landed in the planned recovery area in the Pacific" Oceannear Midway Island at 6:24 p.m., e.s.t., on the following day. Thespacecraft systems performed as planned until the 18th orbit whendifficulties developed in the automatic control system. AstronautCooper manually controlled his spacecraft throughout the remainderof the mission and accomplished a successful manual retrofire. Hisgeneral state of health was good upon recovery, and the weight lossof 7 pounds was attributed to temporary dehydration. He slept forabout 71/_ hours during the mission.

Several scientific and engineering experiments were conducted dur-ing the flight. Among these were: aeromedical studies, radiation


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spacecraft and remain in communication with the pilot; how to re-cover spacecraft from the ocean; how to select and train astronauts;and how to develop and operate life-support systems, pressure suits,and biomedical instrumentation systems.In addition, we learned how to manage and integrate an enormousindustry-Government team; we obtained valuable experience in sys-tems engineering; we gained important scientific knowledge; we ob-tained valuable medical data on the astronauts during flight; and wemade the tecl_ological advances necessary for further space progress.

Perhaps the most important achievement was the now proved factthat man can contribute materially to the exploration of space bymaking scientific observations in space, performing and assessingscientific experiments, functioning as a primary system of the space-craft, and coping with the unexpected in a space mission. He cando all of this with no lasting deleterious effects from high accelerations.and decelerations and long periods of zero gravity. From ProjectMercury experience, we can now confidently proceed with plans forman to assume the role of explorer in space just as he has been anexplorer on earth.

The objectives of Project Mercury_ as laid out in 1958, were to takethe first step in the manned exploration of space, to determine man_scapabilities in space, and to develop the foundation for the technologyof manned space flight. These objectives have been more than met.


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CHAPTER 1

Manned Space Flight

NASA made substantial progress in all aspects of the Nation'smanned space flight program in its continuing drive to conduct a suc-cessful manned lunar landing mission during this decade. Theagency completed the first phase of the program, Project Mercury;advanced with the development and fabrication of the Project Geminispacecraft and associated supporting equipment; confirmed majordesign work and activity schedules for Project Apollo; and continuedworking on manned space flight support programs.

The Mercury ProgramThe Mercury program reached its objective during this reportingperiod with the accomplishment of the "One-Day Mission." On

May 15, a modified Mercury spacecraft was launched from CapeKennedy, with Astronaut L. Gordon Cooper aboard. Thirty-fourhours and twenty minutes later, after 22.9 orbits, the spacecraft--Faith 7--splashed down in the Pacific Ocean (fig. 1-1).

The major objective of this mission (MA-9) was to evaluate theeffects of extended weightlessness and orbital flight on a mail's physi-cal condition and his ability to do useful work. Other objectivesconcerned systems tests, astronomical observations, and evaluationof the tracking and data acquisition network. The mission was suc-cessful and all test objectives were met.Liftoff occurred at 8:04 a.m., e.s.t., on May 15; the launch system

performed as expected and the spacecraft was inserted into a near-perfect orbit. It landed in the planned recovery area in the PacificOcean, near Midway Island, at 6:24 p.m., e.s.t., on the following day.

The spacecraft systems performed as planned until the 18th orbit,when the automatic spacecraft attitude control system failed. Thefailure was caused by moisture in the amplifier calibrator, a devicewhich converts electrical signals of various spacecraft systems intocommands that activate the hydrogen peroxide thrusters. (Stepswere taken to prevent a repetition of this difficulty in future pro-grams.) The astronaut manually controlled his craft throughout theremainder of the mission and accomplished the manual retrofire.

17733-348 0--64-_3


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18 N A S A NINTH S E M I A N N U A L R E P O R T T O C O N G R E S S

Figure 1-1. The Faith 7 spacecraft.


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M A N N E D SPACE FL I GHT 19During both the normal and the fu l ly manned phases of the mission,the astronaut performed his tasks in an outstanding manner. Uponrecovery, he w as in a good state of health; a loss of 7 pounds wasattributsd to temporary dehydration. During the mission, he slept

for about 7% hours.I n executing the manual retrofire, the astronaut received the aidof a voice countdown from Astronaut .John Glenn who was aboardthe tracking ship Coastal Sentry Quebec, near the coast of Japan.Coopers control of the spacecraft orientation during the retrofire andreentry was excellent; Faith 7 landed within 4 miles of the predictedlanding point in the Pacific.

The aircraft carrier U.S.S. Keursurge retrieved the spacecraft ap-proximately 35 minutes after landing. The astronaut remained in-side the spacecraft until it was aboard the carrier. Figure 1-2 showsFaith 7 aboard the aircraft carrier.Several scientific and engineering experiments were conductedduring the flight. Among these were the following: two visibility

k

-*. ._j

Figure 1-2. Faith 7 spacecraft on the deck of the aircraft carrier Keanage.


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20 N A S A NINTH S E M I A N N U A L R E P O R T T O C O N G R E S Sexperiments-observation of a flashing beacon ejected from the space-craft and a high intensity light on the ground; communications ex-periments, including a television system ; emperature measurementsof the spacecraft; radiation measurements; and aeromedical andphotographic studies.The MA-9 flight also saw the use of a new helmet (fig. 1-3), oneusing a mechanical rather than a pneumatic seal between the faceplate

I

Figure 1-3. The new helrnot used by Astronaut Cooper.


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MANNED SPACE FLIGHT 21and the helmet proper. The positive seal provides greater reliabilityand elilninates the need to carry an air bottle and the associatedhardware.

Preliminary reports on the postflight physiological status of Astro-naut Cooper and on the functioning of biomedical equipment duringthe MA-9 flight were generally satisfactory. Dehydration of theastronaut occurred when part of the drinking water became contami-nated with condensate, but the dehydration was corrected within 24hours after landing.

After analysis of data from this Mercury flight, NASA determinedthat another flight of this type would not be necessary. Therefore,the agency reoriented certain of its activities and increased concentra-tion on the Gemini and Apollo programs.

The Gemini ProgramThe Gemini program will provide a two-man spacecraft system to

conduct long-duration flights and to develop new techniques, includingrendezvous in space. Besides enabling NASA astronauts to obtainincreased operational proficiency, Gemini will expand manned spaceflight technology in such areas as the docking (joining) of two space-craft following rendezvous, maneuvering after docking, astronautactivity outside of a spacecraft in orbit, and training for flight andground crews. In so doing, Gemini will provide much valuable ex-perience and training for Apollo and other manned space flight pro-grams that may be undertaken in the future.

The Gemini program is managed by the NASA Manned SpacecraftCenter, Houston, Tex. The launch vehicle for Gemini is a modifiedform of the Titan II ICBM, provided by the U.S. Air Force. TheAgena target vehicle for rendezvous experiments and its Atlas launchvehicle are also provided by the Air Force.The Gemini Spacecraft

In establishing criteria and designs for the Gemini spacecraft,NASA drew heavily on Mercury technology. However, new sub-systems are being introduced for extended flight and for vehiclemaneuvering in space. Also, NASA and its contractors made im-provements based on the Mercury experience; for instance, theGemini spacecraft, shown in Figure 1-4, was designed to allow quickaccess to subsystems, thus providing for checkout, repair, and replace-ment of these subsystems easily and promptly.


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22 NASA N"TH SEMJANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESS

Figure 1-4. The Gemini spacecraft.I n December of 1961, NASA contracted for development and pro-duction of 12 spacecraft. During th s 6 months of this reportingperiod, efforts continued on the assembly and development testing of

the spacecraft and its subsystems; also work went forward on thepreparation of launch, mission control, tracking, and recovery equip-ment. Assembly and test of spacecraft and launch vehicle No. 1pro-ceeded according to plans under which unmanned launchings wouldbegin in 1964.Also during the period, other significant milestones were attained.The production design of the spacecraft structure was completed, and

three static articles, used for testing in various spacecraft design areas,were delivered. All of the boilerplate spacecraft were constructed andput to use in various test programs; these include parachute tests,ejection seat tests, and life-support systems.Development and qualification testing of all major subsystems con-tinued. The retrorockets underwent a series of successful firings ina wind tunnel a t the Air Force's Arnold Engineering DevelopmentCenter, Tullahoma, Tenn. Their performance exceeded specificationrequirements for thrust and duration. The spacecraft digital com-puter was operated with all of the programed commands which willbe used during an actual flight; these development tests were success-fully completed.


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MANNED SPACE FLIGHT 23In addition, the inertial measuring unit vibration tests were suc-

cessfully completed. These were prequalification tests, conducted todetermine the soundness of the basic design. The rocket nozzles usedfor maneuvering in space were test fired; a final nozzle configurationwas approved and the design was frozen so that production couldproceed to meet the projected flight schedule. The environmentalcontrol system was undergoing a series of tests in high-altitudeenvironmental chambers, also to verify design soundness.

Other subsystems that were tested during the period included thehorizon sensors, the spacecraft parachute, and the ejection seats.

The structure assemblies for spacecraft Nos. 1 and 2 were almostcompleted; also, the compatibility test unit, in which all spacecraftsubsystems and equipment are installed for functional checkout, wasfinished a_d subassemblies were being installed.The Gemini Launch Vehicle (Titan II)

A modified version of the Titan II ICBM is to be used to launchthe Gemini spacecraft. In cooperation with NASA, the Air Forcecontinued to make progress in developing the man-rated versionand in assuring the required level of reliability. Fifteen such vehicleswill be required for the project.

During the period, the vertical test facility for integration andcheckout of major subsystems of the launch vehicle was activated andthe first vehicle was in the checkout process. Steps were taken tomake sure that critical components, such as the malfunction detectionsystem, were to be flight tested on Air Force Titan II ICBM's duringthe second half of the year. A Titan II/Gemini Improvement Pro-gram was undertaken by the Air Force, with participation of NASA ;the purpose of the program is to correct certain deficiencies discoveredduring flight tests and to raise the reliability level to that requiredfor manned space flight.The Gemini Target Vehicle (AgenQ D)

The Agena D will serve as the target vehicle for Gemini rendevousand docking missions. In support of Project Gemini, the Air Forcemoved to procure the required vehicles and to definitize areas forthe Agena modification program. During the report period, devel-opment proceeded on a multiple restart propulsion system, a pro-gramer system, telemetry, a command receiver, and other subsystemspeculiar to Gemini in the specially configured Agena D target vehicle.In addition, production designs of the primary propulsion system,the secondary propulsion system, and the command receiver were


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24 N A S A NINTH S E MI A N N U A L R E POR T T O C ON GR E S Scompleted. The development test unit of the primary propulsionsystem was completed and underwent tests at Arnold EngineeringDevelopment Center.Ge m in i Support Systems

NASA continued its efforts to provide for supporting equipmentand activities not in the mainstream of Gemini spacecraft develop-ment. These include rendezvous technique studies, development ofextravehicular life-support systems, and bioinstrumentation. Designof the prototype space suit for Gemini was established. The agencyalso took steps to plan trajectories, determine recovery procedures,and train flight controllers and ground crews.

Training systems, such as the one illustrated in figure 1-5, were be-ing designed and developed. The first Gemini systems trainer wasdelivered to the Manned Spacecraft Center (Houston, Tex.) for useby the astronauts. Detailed designs were completed for the Geminidocking (rendezvous) trainer and the flight simulators.

I

I

Figure 1-5. A rendezvous training system.


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M A N N E D SPACE F L I G H T 25During the first 6 months of the year, the astronauts attended classesand familiarization courses. These included 171hours of instruction

in the basic sciences and tours of major Gemini contractor facilities.The pressure suit development program was redirected to facilitatefabrication and procurement of the suits. Three prototype models

of the new suit were received during the reporting period. I n anotheractivity, NASA initiated a contract to provide personal hygiene equip-ment for the Gemini flights. This equipment is to include a spring-wound or turbine-driven shaver and oral and body hygiene agents.Launch Pad 19 at the Atlantic Missile Range was modified to acceptthe Gemini launch vehicle, and installation of aerospace ground equip-

ment was underway (&. 1-6).NASA also began modifying the Mercury Control Center at CapeKennedy to support initial nonrendezvous missions of Project Gemini.On later flights, the integrated mission control center at Houston willbe in operation and the Cape Kennedy Center mill continue in serviceas one of the stations on the worldwide network. The construction ofnecessary additions was completed, and steps were taken to beginchanging the instrumentation and display/control system. The

Figure 1-6. Launch complex 19 at the Atlantic Missile Range.I


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26 NASA NINTH SEMIANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESSchanges were being kept to a minimum because of the limited numberof future flights to be controlled from this center.

NASA continued planning the 12 missions of Project Gemini. Thepurpose of the first launch, an unmanned orbital flight scheduled for1964, will be to obtain data on the structural integrity of the spacevehicle during launch and to qualify the launch guidance system.When the objectives of the unmanned phase of the flight program havebeen attained, manned flights of increasing duration will be under-taken. Rendezvous missions will constitute a third phase of theGemini program.

The Apollo ProgramThe objectives of the Apollo program are to begin the manned explo-

ration of the moon and to return the explorers to earth during thisdecade, and to clearly establish U.S. preeminence in space. This pro-gram is the greatest scientific and technical endeavor ever attempted.By the end of the reporting period, almost 200,000 persons were work-ing on the program. More than 90 percent of the work is contractedto private industry.

The overall program is managed by the Office of Manned SpaceFlight at Headquarters. Three field centers are responsible for majoraspects of the project: Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville,Ala., for launch vehicles and propulsion; the Manned SpacecraftCenter at Houston for spacecraft, crew training, and flight operations;and the Launch Operations Center at Merritt Island, Fla., for thefinal checkout and launching of the boosters and spacecraft.

During the report period, the Apollo spacecraft program progressedsignificantly in the development of the command and service modules,major spacecraft subsystems, initiation of lunar excursion module(LEM) design work, guidance and navigation, and work on supportfacilities.NASA also continued to place heavy emphasis on the development

of the very powerful engines and launch vehicles required in Apollo.To place a spacecraft weighing 90,000 pounds on a trajectory to themoon requires a tremendous amount of power. The Saturn V launchvehicle, for example, will generate enough power to place 80 Mercuryspace capsules in orbit.Construction of the fabrication, testing, and launching facilitiesrequired for Project Apollo also continued at a rapid rate.

Before the actual flights to the moon, however, there will be anumber of unmanned and manned earth orbital missions, using theSaturn I and Saturn I-B boosters. The Saturn I will be employed forunmanned flights of test versions of the command and service modules.


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M A N N E D SPACE F'LIGRT 27Following these flights, when the more advanced Saturn I-B becomesavailable, NASA will launch into earth orbit all three modules of theApollo spacecraft. On these flights, scheduled to begin in 1966,astronauts will be able to develop the operational techniques ofdeployment and docking of the lunar excursion module.A p o l lo Spacecraft

The spacecraft, to be manned by three astronauts, consists of threeelements: the command, service, and lunar excursion modules, asshown in figure1-7. The total spacecraft is designed for flight betweenthe earth and a lunar orbit of 60 to 100 miles altitude. The LunarExcursion Module ( L E M ),manned by two of the astronauts, is de-signed to be detached from the rest of the spacecraft and to be flownbetween lunar orbit and the lunar surface. TheLEM will be equippedto achieve a rendezvous with the orbiting command-and-servicemoduleconfiguration in lunar orbit, to permit the two lunar explorers torejoin the third astronaut in the command module for the returnto earth. Figure 1-8 illustrates these functions of the Apollospacecraft.

Figure 1-7. The three modules of the Apollo spacecraft.


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28 NASA NINTH SEMIANNUAL REPORT TO CONGRESSLUNAR ARRIVAL

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LUNAR EXCUn SION

LUNAR DEPARTURE J

RETURN TO EARTH

SerAWAT_ON

_ VUI*_ AmOUNO\

O_M_ANO MODUt l _ /

M_IN Oee[OYeAIACHme_

Figure 1-8. Phases of the Apollo mission.

Command and Service Module DevelopmentNASA has signed formal contracts for the design, development_

test_ and manufacture of the command and service modules_ and forintegration of all modules including the LEM into a completespacecraft.

Command and service module development during this periodpassed from the preliminary design stage into that of production ofboilerplate command and service modules for ground and flight tests.Also, much of the detailed design of early manned flight spacecraftwas completed_ and detailed fabrication of components for the firstmanned spacecraft was initiated.

In addition_ the production of three boilerplate test spacecraft wascompleted_ making a total of seven completed to date.

Two major command module boilerplates and a modified C-133aircraft were delivered_ allowing development testing of the para-chutes and the earth landing system. A command and service moduleboilerplate was also delivered to NASA for dynamic testing. At theManned Spacecraft Center_ tests to determine the vibration frequencyof the spacecraft panels were completed. The boilerplate commandand service module assembly was then delivered to the Marshall SpaceFlight Center where mating with a launch vehicle for dynamic tests


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MANNED SPACE FLIGI-IT 29was begun. These tests are to determine the structural integrity ofthe spacecraft during the initial phases of the liftoff of the launchvehicle.

The command module boilerplate was completed for the first full-scale pad abort firing at the White Sands Missile Range (WSMR),White Sands, N. Mex. This test is to verify the design concept of thecrew safety abort system in the event of a fire or other mishap onthe launch pad. Boilerplate spacecraft of this type will also beused to verify the launch escape system in conjunction with the para-chute earth landing system during its tests at WSMR.

Successful tests, an example of which is shown in figure 1-9, werecontinued on two previously delivered command module boilerplates.These were being conducted to determine the structural loading effectscaused by impact on land and water, and verify whether the impactingconditions are within tolerable limits for the astronauts.

Production was completed of all development and design controlmockups of the Apollo command and service modules. These mockupsare used in developing the actual Apollo spacecraft arrangements andsubsystem layouts and in effecting design and configuration control.Major Spacecraft Subsystem Development

NASA continued to achieve major accomplishments in the design,development, and qualification testing of command and service modulesubsystems.

Launch Escape System.--Successful static firings were repeatedlyobtained on all three of the solid-propellent motors of the launchescape system, which consists of a framework structure linking themotors to the apex of the command module. This system, shown infigure 1-10, will provide a means for the astronauts to escape. Thelaunch escape motors, when fired, will lift the command module clearof the Saturn booster. Another rocket motor will then separate theescape tower from the command module so that the command modulecan deploy its parachute system for a safe descent. A third smallrocket motor on the escape tower will control the pitch orientationof the tower and command module assembly during the initial launchescape boost period.

Qualification test firing of the motors was well underway as a resultof successful research and development testing. High-altitude per-formance tests of the tower jettison motor were completed at theArnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC).

Final design of the launch escape tower for early manned flightswas released and structural testing was initiated. The ground de-velopment effort in this area was highly successful.


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30 NASA "TH S E M I A N N U A L R E P O R T TO C O N GR E SS..-* I., t 1

Figure 1-9. Impact testing of a boilerplate command module.


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factorily. Tests of the command module reaction control system in asimulated operational environment demonstrated that requirementscould be met. The system was repeatedly operated for periods longerthan the time expected on a mission.

Com_v/nication Syste_rb.--Procurement specifications were releasedfor the design and development of the spacecraft communication sys-tem. The capability for communicating with and tracking both thecommand module and the LEM simultaneously from earth was addedto the system.Spacecraft Onboard Instrumentation.--Instrumentation require-

ments for boilerplate and early prototype flight spacecraft were de-veloped and procurement specifications were released for most of thesensors in the instrumentation. All research and development instru-mentation for the first three boiler-plate spacecraft was delivered tothe contractor as Government-furnished equipment. The data storagesystem was modified to permit an increased telemetry data transmissionrate and to permit rapid playback of data in earth orbit and duringlunar operations, thus expediting the flow of information between thespacecraft and the ground.Fuel Cells.--Long-term endurance was successfully demonstrated

for the development version of the fuel cells; these cells are electro-chemical devices using hydrogen and oxygen as reactants to supplyelectrical power.Environmental Control System.--Successful checkouts in an alti-

tude chamber were accomplished with the oxygen supply and tem-perature control elements of the environmental control system; thissystem maintains the astronauts' atmosphere through control of theoxygen supply, temperature, and humidity.Earth Laz_g System.--During this period, design of the para-

chute and event sequencer systems of the Apollo earth landing systemwas completed, two-chute cluster drops and drogne chute tests werecompleted, and maj or prequalification drop tests of the three-parachutecluster were successfully conducted. Parachute drop tests, usingApollo command module boilerplates, were initiated during this period(fig. 1-11). All of these tests were successful.Stabilization and Control System.--The design of the Apollo com-

mand module stabilization and control system was completed, anddesign verification testing of the system was initiated. Deliveries ofthese systems were scheduled to begin in the near future.lunar Excursion Module

In December of 1962, the prime contractor began work on the design,development, and fabrication of the lunar excursion module, or LEM.


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MANNED SPACE F J J G H T 33Also, subcontractors were selected during the report period for theLEM ascent and descent engines, for the reaction control systems, andfor the environmental control system.Design work on the LEM produced two significant decisions. Forthe LEM landing gear, a design consisting of four deployable legswas tentatively selected, pending information on the lunar surfaceto be obtained by unmanned spacecraft. The other decision providedfor an internal volume of about 300 cubic feet. (F ig. 1-12 shows theLEM as it might appear as it approaches a landing on the surfaceof the moon.) The structure for a LEM mockup was completed andcrew provision installations were being made.Guidance and Navigat ion

NASA negotiated a contract to provide the primary navigation andguidance systems for the LEM, as well as for the command and servicemodules of Apollo.The guidance and navigation systems for Project Apollo mustenable the astronauts to navigate for the lunar landing, for the LEM

LI (*

Figure 1-1 1. Parachute drop test of boilerplate command module.

733348 0--64----4


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34 N A S A N I N T H S E M I A N N U A L R E P O R T TO CONGRESSrendezvous with the command module in lunar orbit, and for thereturn to a landing on earth. Control will be in the hands of theastronauts.Little Joe II

NASA plans to use Little Joe I1 flight vehicles for tests to be con-ducted to qualify the launch escape system and to verify the structuralintegrity of the h a 1 light type spacecraft.I n February, NASA contracted for delivery of four Little Joe I1flight vehicles, two launchers, and associated ground service equip-ment. Negotiations were completed in June for two additional LittleJoe I1 vehicles, making a total of six to be used in supporting ProjectApollo. Also, the necessary action was taken to procure the rocketmotors for the Little JoeI1 aunch vehicles.These vehicles and