U. S. AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ACTIVITIES, JANUARY 1 TO DECEMBER 31, 1960 REPORT TO CONGRESS FROM THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES NOTE TO READERS: ALL PRINTED PAGES ARE INCLUDED, UNNUMBERED BLANK PAGES DURING SCANNING AND QUALITY CONTROL CHECK HAVE BEEN DELETED THE WHITE HOUSE TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES: In accordance with Section 206(b) of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, I am t r a n s m i t t i n g herewith the third annual report on the Nation's activities in the fields of aeronautics and space. As this report testifies, 1960 witnessed a v a s t expansion of man's knowledge of the earth's atmosphere and of the limitless regions of space beyond. The Vanguard, Explorer, and Pioneer s pa c e c r aft have added substantially to our knowledge of the earth's environment and of the sun-earth relationship. Experiments with Projects Echo and COURIER, TIROS I and 11, and TRANSIT I and XI have shown the promise of spacecraft application in the fields of communications, meteorology, and navigation. Among th e outstanding accomplishments in technology were a series of successful recoveries from orbit of capsules from the DISCOVERER s a te 11 i t e s and the increasing d e g r e e of reliability in stabilizing these satellites in the required orbit. Significant advances were made in the manned space flight pro- gram and in the preparation of a small fleet of powerfullaunch vehicles to carry out a wide variety of space missions. Underlying the Nation's aeronautics and space programs was a strong basic and applied r e s e a r c h effort which resulted in constantly broadening scientific and technological horizons. F ina 11 y, the entire effort has been drawn together in a long-range program of space explo- ration which off e r s every promise that in the years to come benefits for all mankind will be extensive. Summarized within this report are c on t r i b u t i on s of Federal agencies participating in the space effort. DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER THE WHITE HOUSE January 18, 1961 TABLE OF CONTENTS Page - SUMMARY U.S. Aeronautics and- -S pace A.c t.i v.i t.ie .s ' Third Annual Report 1960 iii - CHAPTER I National Aeronautic.s .a n.d .S p.a c.e . . . Administration , 1 . . . . . . . - CHAPTER I1 Department of Defense 23 . . . . - CHAPTER I11 U.S. Atomic Energy Commission 31 - . . . . . . . . . CHAPTER I V Department of State 37 . - CHAPTER V The National Science Foundation 39 . . . . . . . CHAPTER V I - Department of Commerce 45 . . . National Bureau of Standards 45 . . . . . . . . . Weather Bureau 50 . . . . Coast and Geodetic Survey 56 . . . . . . . . . - CHAPTER V I 1 Space Science Board 57 - CHAPTgR VI11 Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory 65 . - CHAPTER I X Federal Communications Commission 67 - CHAPTER X United States Information Agency 73 - . APPENDIX A Report t o. N.A S.A .o n. t.h e. L.a w. o.f O.u ter . . Space 77 - APPENDIX B National Science Foundation i.n . B .a s.ic . Science Related t o Space 121 . . . . . . . . - APPENDIX C Space Science Board 171 U. S. AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ACTIVITIES SUMMARY THIRD ANNUAL REPORT - - - - 1960 In 1960, the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis- tration, which directs the Nation's nonmilitary space effort, moved out of its formative stage, accelerating its space research and development and its fundamental aero- nautical research programs. Adding breadth and depth to the near-term objectives, a long-range U.S. plan of space -- exploration which envisions manned expeditions t o the -- moon after 1970 was developed and set i n motion. A t the year's end, preparations for the first manned suborbital flight in NASA's Project Mercury were nearing the final stages. The agency plans to launch astronauts on both suborbital and orbital flights during 1961. Another very high priqrity NASA project, Saturn, was progressing satisfactorily a s static testing of the clus- tered 1.5-million-pound-thrust engine went forward. Among other significant activities, NASA and Depart- ment of Defense earth-satellite, space-probe, and sounding- rocket programs moved ahead, along with construction of tracking and data-collection networks. NASA and the Department of Defense established an Aeronautics and Astronautics Coordinating Board with co- chairmen from the two agencies. NASA rpade headway with other elements of its launch vehicle program as the first of a small fleet of stand- ardized units, tailored specifically for space mission, approached the flight-test phase. They w i l l replace in- terim launch vehicles, evolved or modified from models designed originally either for Department of Defense pro- grams or for Project Vanguard. NASA's aeronautical program was highlighted by per- fo'rmances of the rocket-powered X-15 experimental airplane which achieved world speed (2,196 mph) and altitude (136,500 feet) records. The agency continued advanced research and development work on VTOL (Vertical Take-Off - - - and &anding) and on STOL (short Take-Of7 and Lading)- aircraft. - - iii In U.S. field centers and stations, basic research continued in many areas, including: advanced instrumenta- tion and propulsion, combustion, plasmas, cryogenics, special ma.t erials, and structures for future airplanes and spacecraft Early in the year, NASA established the Office for the United Nations Conference t o direct this country's partici- pation in the first International Conference on the Peace- f u l Uses of Outer Space. Several space projects were car- ried out jointly with other nations; agreements were made with foreign governments; and discussions were held with various foreign scientists and groups concerning further cooperative space research activities. To date (December 31, 1960), the United States had successfully launched 31 earth satellites and four deep space probes; of these 16 satellites are still circling the earth and two probes are in orbit around the sun. Data accruing from NASA and Department of Defense (DOD) programs during 1960 added substantially t o the growing body of scientific knowledge of space and t o the technology of space applications. U.S. SPACE PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS NASA Activities During the year, NASA launched four satellites into orbit and one space probe. The NASA space flight program was highlighted by the successes of the Echo I passive communications satellite and of the TIROS I AND TIROS I1 experimental weather satel- lites (which pointed the way t o operational systems having practical applications) a s w e l l as by achievements of Pioneer V, the sun-orbiting spacecraft, and Explorer V I I I , an ionosphere-probing earth satellite. The one-ton, bell-shaped Project Mercury capsule and its escape tower underwent numerous flight tests, culminating in an unmanned, suborbital flight launched by a Redstone on December 19. The seven Mercury astronauts continued their training schedule, t o prepare for the first manned (Redstone) sub- orbital flight and the first manned (Atlas) orbital flight, both planned for 1961. A t the same time, construction of the worldwide Mercury Tracking and Ground Instrumentation - - iv Network approached completion. Formal agreements for a l l NASA tracking stations abroad had either been signed or were near conclusion as 1960 ended. The NASA Pioneer V space probe achieved the orbit around the sun which NASA scientists had calculated. It transmitted invaluable scientific data on the phenomena of -- deep space, while establishing the greatest range -- 22,462,740 miles from the earth over which radio contact has been maintained with a spacecraft. NASA's TIROS I, an. experimental meteoroJogica1 satel- lite, transmitted 22,592 photographs of cloud cover and other weather phenomena after attaining a nearly circular orbit with an altitude averaging approximately 4.50 miles. Echo I, the world's first passive communications (or ?'radio mirror") satellite, also achieved a nearly circular orbit, averaging about 1,000 miles i n altitude. The inflatable sphere was used for numerous communications experiments, including two-way telephone conversations, trans- Atlantic signal relays, and transmi ssion of f acs imiles, photographs, and music. Explorer VI11 was launched by NASA into an orbit enabling it t o carry out the first intensive direct measure- ment study of the earth's ionosphere. The data are being analyzed and related t o earlier information. Cloud pattern photographs and radiation data from TIROS 11, an advanced version of TIROS I, are still being analyzed. -- The X-15 rocket-powered airplane (No. 1) a joint -- NASA-Air Force-Navy project set a new world's speed record of 2,196 mph, with NASA test pilot Joseph A. Walker at the controls. With A i r Force Maj. Robert M. 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