Plans To Repeat Titan Success

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31089, 18 June 1966, Page 15

Plans To Repeat Titan Success

(N.Z. Press Assn—Copyright) CAPE KENNEDY, June 17. The Air Force readied another Titan lIIC rocket today for launching in about seven weeks, to attempt to match the flawless eight-in-one orbital performance of a Titan that set up a military communications satellite system yesterday.

The seven radio relay stations and a research moonlet orbited in the spectacular shot were slowly drift apart as planned today in their “creeping” orbits, about 21,000 miles above th" equator.

All eight spacecraft were reported to be working well. The glittering 100-pound

communications satellites have already “talked" to army ground stations in New Jersey, California and Hawaii and were expected to be ready for full tests in about 10 days. The eighth satellite, a research craft pioneering new control techniques, sprouted 52-foot booms after springing into orbit to see if the earth's gravitational pull can be used to stabilise spacecraft in high orbits. Project officials, heartened by the success of the difficult shot, said work was already under way for another eight-in-one launching in August to add seven more communications satellites to the Defence Department network. With a third multiple launching this northern autumn, the satellite system will be expanded to a total of 22 spacecraft, and will virtually guarantee uninterrupted radio links between Washington and bases in Vietnam Mid around the I world.