September 30, 1963

View Full Issue Table of Contents

SPACE TECHNOLOGY

R&d, Missile Efforts Are Keys to Boelkow’s Major German Space Role

Ottobrunn, Germany—Boelkow Entwicklungen KG is assuming a leading role in the West German space effort through participation in three national flight hardware projects: • Project 622—high-energy third stage for the European Launcher Development Organization (ELDO) booster.

By Warren C. Wetmore17 min

AVIONICS

New Horizon Sensors Planned for Agena D

Mountain View, Calif.—Infrared horizon sensors which are intended to provide Agena D boost vehicles with continuous measurement of vertical reference from prior to vehicle injection into earth orbit through final vehicle reorientation for such complicated missions as ejecting a recoverable capsule will soon go into production here at Advanced Technology Laboratories, a division of American-Standard.

By Barry Miller8 min

AIR TRANSPORT

Tax-free Sales Boost European Carriers

Geneva—Tax-free sales of consumer goods ranging from cigarettes to perfumes and chinaware have become a staple revenue source for a number of West European carriers. Originally introduced during the airlines’ 1946-54 post-war re-emergence as a primary means of attracting passengers, in-flight sales have attained a status of their own, attracting cost-conscious consumer passengers as well as providing a profitable income on their own.

By Edith Walford8 min

AVIONICS

Filter Center T

Microcircuit Sales Behind Predictions —Estimates of factory sales of semiconductor microcircuits for the second quarter of 1963 fail to show an anticipated large upswing over the previous period, possibly because of incomplete reporting by the industry and/or shipping difficulties by some vendors.

AERONAUTICAL ENGINEERING

Edwards Proposes Large 5-year Program

Washington—Flight Research Center at Edwards, Calif., has submitted a fivevear program to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration that includes work on the supersonic transport, spacecraft landing systems, lifting bodies, lunar-landing simulation, X-20 (Dyna-Soar) and the F-lll (TFX) biservice tactical fighter.

By Alfred P. Alibrando5 min

AVIONICS

Apollo Optical-inertial Guidance Detailed

Cambridge, Mass.—First details on the optical-inertial guidance and navigation system to be used by the Apollo spacecraft for the major portion of its mission, from trans-lunar injection to final earth re-entry, were disclosed here last week by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

By Philip J. Klass5 min

September 231963

OCTOBER 71963

September 30, 1963

September 30, 1963