Project Mercury - A Chronology/Part 1

by James M. Grimwood

Part I

Major Events Leading to Project Mercury

1944

March 16

At a National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) seminar, in Washington, D. C., with Air Force and Navy personnel attending, NACA personnel proposed a jet-propelled transonic research airplane be developed. This proposal ultimately led to the "X" series research airplane projects.^[1]

December 9

A meeting was held at the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, to discuss the formation of an organization that would devote its efforts to the study of stability and maneuverability of high-speed weapons (guided missiles). From the outset, work was pointed toward supersonic flight testing. In early 1945, Congress was asked for a supplemental appropriation to fund the activation of such a unit, and in the spring of that year the Auxiliary Flight Research Station (AFRS—later known as the Pilotless Aircraft Research Division) was opened on Wallops Island, Virginia, with Robert R. Gilruth as its director. On July 4, 1945, the AFRS launched its first test vehicle, a small two-stage, solid- fuel rocket to check out the installation’s instrumentation.^[2]

During the Year

Congress appropriated funds to carry out a rocket aircraft research program. The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, the Air Force, and the Navy were designated participating members.^[3]

1946

March

The Army Air Forces established Project RAND, which in part included the study of satellite applications.^[4]

May 8

The Chief of Naval Operations directed the Navy’s Bureau of Aeronautics to make preliminary investigations in the field of earth satellite vehicles.^[5]

May 12

Project RAND filed a report entitled "Preliminary Design of an Experimental World Circling Space Ship," which indicated the technical feasibility of building and launching an artificial satellite.^[6]

1947

October 14

The XS-1 rocket plane made the first supersonic manned flight by traveling 700 miles per hour (mach 1.06 at 48,000 feet altitude) over Muroc Dry Lake, California, with Captain Charles E. Yeager at the controls. The sound barrier was broken.^[7]

During the Month of October

Due to the number of competing study contracts on satellites that were being submitted, the Department of Defense assigned responsibility to coordinate this work to the Committee on Guided Missiles of the Research and Development Board.^[8]

1948

January 15

General Hoyt S. Vandenberg, Vice Chief of Staff, United States Air Force, approved a policy calling for the development of earth satellites at the proper time.^[9]

June 11

A V-2 designated "Albert" in honor of its passenger was launched at White Sands, New Mexico. Albert, the first American primate in space, died of suffocation. On June 6, 1949, Albert II was launched into space but died on impact. During 1949 two other flights of this type were conducted. In each case, the primate survived the flight, but succumbed before his capsule was located.^[10]

July 13

Convair's MX-774 test vehicle, later designated the Atlas and used as a launch vehicle in the Mercury program, was test-fired for the first time.^[11]

December 29

The first Secretary of Defense, James V. Forrestal, in his initial report to President Harry Truman, included a brief item indicating that the earth satellite program, which was being carried out independently by the military services, was assigned to the Committee on Guided Missiles for coordination.^[12]

1949

May 11

President Harry S. Truman signed a bill authorizing the missile test range, which is now the Atlantic Missile Range at Cape Canaveral, Florida.^[13]

1951

January 16

The Goverment decided to resume MX~774 studies, and the project was then designated the Atlas. Several test vehicles had been fired in 1948 and 1949, after which the Convair MX-774 (Atlas) missile project had been shelved. The company, however, had continued to fund a research program.^[14]

September 20

The first suceessful recovery of animals from rocket flight in the Western Hemisphere was made when a monkey and 11 mice survived an Aerobee launch to an altitude of 236,000 feet.^[15]

1952

January 30

An NACA report was issued covering several projects and proposals for the flight of manned and unmanned vehicles to altitudes above the earth where atmospheric density was very low. The substance of these reports was presented at the June 24, 1952, meeting of the Committee on Aerodynamics. After the presentation, committee member Robert J. Woods recommended that basic research be initiated on the problems of space flight and stated that the NACA was the logical organization to carry on this work. To accomplish this task, a small working group was established to analyze the available information on the subject of space flight. The objective of this group was to arrive at a concept of a suitable manned test vehicle that could be constructed within 2 years.^[16]

May 16

The Special Committee for the International Polar Year (later designated the International Geophysical Year), was established. ^[17]

June 18

H. Julian Allen of the NACA Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, Moffett Field, California, conceived of the blunt nose principle for reentry vehicles. On this date Allen stated he had determined that the blunt form would be suitable for any body reentering the earth’s atmosphere. This principle was first used on the intercontinental ballistic missile nose cone and was later incorporated into the configuration of the Mercury spacecraft.^[18][19]

June 24

The NACA Committee on Aerodynamics recommended that NACA increase its research efforts on the problems of manned and unmanned flight at altitudes between 12 and 50 miles and at speeds of mach 4 through 10. As a result of this recommendation, the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory began preliminary studies on this project and immediately identified several problem areas. Two of these areas were aerodynamic heating and the achievement of stability and control at very high altitudes and speeds. Of the two, Langley considered aerodynamic heating to be the more serious, and, until this problem was resolved, the design of practical spacecraft impractical. (See January 30, 1952, entry).^[20]

During the Month of June

The Navy's Johnsville, Pennsylvania, human centrifuge began operations. This installation was later designated the Aviation Medical Acceleration Laboratory (AMAL) and was used extensively in the training of the Mercury astronauts.^[21]

During the Year

The NACA Langley Aeronautical Laboratory Pilotless Aircraft Research Division started the development of multistage, hypersonic-speed, solid-fuel, rocket vehicles. These vehicles were used primarily in aerodynamic heating tests at first and were then directed toward a reentry physics research program.^[22]

Between 1952-1956

Personnel of the NACA Langley and Ames Aeronautical Laboratories were engaged in research on aerodynamic characteristics of reentry configurations. Knowledge acquired from these efforts along with those of industry and the military services was used in Project Mercury, proved the ablation theory for the Army's Jupiter missile development program, and was used in the Air Force intercontinental ballistic missile nose cone reentry program.^[23]

1953

July 30

Preliminary studies were completed by C. E. Brown, W. J. O'Sullivan, Jr., and C. H. Zimmerman at the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory relative to the study of the problems of manned space flight and a suggested test vehicle to investigate these problems. One of the possibilities considered from the outset of the effort in mid-1952 was modification of the X-2 airplane to attain greater speeds and altitudes of the order of 200,000 feet. It was believed that such a vehicle could not only resolve some of the aerodynamic heating problems, but also that the altitude objective would provide an environment with a minimum atmospheric density, representing many problems of outer space flight. However, there was already a feeling among many NACA scientists that the speed and altitude exploratory area should be raised. In fact, a resolution to this effect, presented as early as July 1952, stated that "…the NACA devote… effort to problems of unmanned and manned flights at altitudes from 50 miles to infinity and at speeds from mach 10 to the velocity of escape from the earth’s gravity." The Executive Committee of NACA actually adopted this resolution as an objective on July 14, 1952.^[24]

August 20

The first Redstone missile was test-fired by the Army at Cape Canaveral, Florida. The Redstone, on which research and development had begun in 1950, was later used as a launch vehicle in the manned suborbital flights and in other development flights in Project Mercury.^[25]

1954

May

The NACA determined the characteristics of what later became the X-15 rocket aircraft, one of the steps to manned space flight.^[26]

June 25

In a meeting, Dr. Wernher von Braun, Frederick C. Durant III, Alexander Satin, David Young, Dr. Fred L. Whipple, Dr. S. Fred Singer, and Commander George W. Hoover agreed that a Redstone rocket with a Loki cluster as the second stage could launch a satellite into a 200-mile orbit without major new developments. Project Orbiter was a later outgrowth of this proposal and resulted in the launching of Explorer I on January 31, 1958.^[27][28][29]

July 9

After 2 years’ study of problems that might be encountered in manned space flight, a joint group—NACA, Air Force, and Navy—met in Washington to discuss the need for a hypersonic research vehicle and to decide on the type of aircraft that could attain these objectives. The NACA proposal was accepted in December 1954, and a formal memorandum of understanding was signed to initiate the X-15 project. Technical direction of the project was assigned to the NACA. On November 9, 1961, the X-15 reached its design speed of over 4,000 miles per hour and achieved partial space conditions on July 17, 1962, when it reached an altitude of 314,750 feet. By the latter date, the Mercury spacecraft had made two manned orbital flights.^[30]

August 7

The Air Force School of Aviation Medicine at Randolph Field, Texas, received the first specifically built space cabin simulator.^[31]

October 14

The first American four-stage rocket was launched by the Pilotless Aircraft Research Division of NACA’s Langley Laboratory at Wallops Island.^[32]

1955

March

Dr. Alan T. Waterman of the National Science Foundation presented President Dwight Eisenhower with a plan to implement the United States' portion of the International Geophysical Year satellite experiment.^[33]

July 29

President Eisenhower endorsed the IGY proposal for the launching of small earth-circling satellites.^[34]

July 29

The United States announced that it would launch earth satellites during the 18-month IGY (July 1957 through December 1958).^[35]

September 9

Project Vanguard began operations. On this date the Department of Defense wrote a letter to the Department of Navy authorizing the Navy Research Laboratory to proceed with the Vanguard proposal. The objective of the program was to place a satellite in orbit during the IGY, and responsibility for carrying out the program was placed with the Office of Naval Research.^[36]

The Department of Defense's Stewart Committee reviewed the alternatives for an IGY satellite program: wait for the development of an Atlas launcher, use a modified Redstone, or develop a rocket derived from the Viking missile. The committee voted seven to two in favor of abandoning Project Orbiter (Redstone) and developing Vanguard (the Viking derivative). Secretary Donald Quarles ruled with the committee majority in the Department of Defense Policy Committee, which approved the decision.^[37][38][39]

October 2

The National Academy of Sciences established a Technical Panel for Earth Satellite Program, with Richard E. Porter serving as chairman.^[40]

During 1955-1956

The NACA Langley and Ames Aeronautical Laboratories developed high-temperature jets, wind tunnels, and other facilities for use in materials and structures research at hypersonic speeds. These facilities provided, among other things, data proving that ablation was an efficient heat-protection method for reentry vehicles.^[41]

1956

February 1

The Army Ballistic Missile Agency (ABMA) was activated at Redstone Arsenal, Huntsville, Alabama, to complete the development of the Redstone missile and to develop the Jupiter missile. The Redstone was later used in two Mercury manned suborbital flights, and in other research and development flights.^[42]

March

Project 7969, entitled "Manned Ballistic Rocket Research System," was initiated by the Air Force with a stated task of recovering a manned capsule from orbital conditions. By December of that year, proposal studies were received from two companies, and the Air Force eventually received some 11 proposals. The basis for the program was to start with small recoverable satellites and work up to larger versions. The Air Force Discoverer firings, which effected a successful recovery in January 1960, could be considered as the first phase of the proposed program. The Air Force program was based upon a requirement that forces no higher than 12g be imposed upon the occupant of the capsule. This concept required an additional stage on the basic or “bare” Atlas, and the Hustler, now known as the Agena, was contemplated. It was proposed that the spacecraft be designed to remain forward during all phases of the flight, requiring a gimballed seat for the pilot. Although the Air Force effort in manned orbital flight during the period 1956-58 was a study project without an approved program leading to the design of hardware, the effort contributed to manned space flight. Their sponsored studies on such items as the life-support system were used by companies submitting proposals for the Mercury spacecraft design and development program. Also, during the 2-year study, there was a considerable interchange of information between the NACA and the Air Force.^{[43][44][45][46]}

May 3

The Air Force disclosed that a $41 million guided missile production facility would be built at Sorrento, California, for the Atlas launch vehicle. Convair was announced as the prime contractor.^[47]

August 24

A five-stage, solid-fuel rocket test vehicle, the world’s first, was launched to a speed of mach 15 by the NACA Langley Aeronautical Laboratory's Pilotless Aircraft Research Division.^[48] October

October

NACA scientists were engaged in preliminary studies of the need for a follow-on, manned-rocket research vehicle to the X-15.^[49]

November

Personnel of the Air Research and Development Command approached NACA officials on the possible cooperation of NACA in a research airplane project as a follow-on to the X-15 project. NACA agreed to consider the plan and directed its laboratories to initiate feasibility studies relative to the range of speed for the proposed vehicle and an estimate of the time frame in which the vehicle could be developed.^[50]

During the Year

Personnel of the NACA were studying the possibilities of utilizing existing ballistic missile boosters, which were then under development, for manned orbital space flight.^[51]

1957

January 14

The United States proposed before the United Nations Assembly that study be initiated toward international agreements assuring the use of outer space for peaceful purposes only.^[52]

June 11

The first launch attempt of the Atlas was made at Cape Canaveral, Florida, but the missile exploded shortly after takeoff at an altitude of about 10,000 feet.^[53]

June 20

Two NACA groups focused their efforts on the problems involved in manned space flight. One group concerned themselves with performance of aircraft at high speeds and altitudes and with rocket research; the other group, with problems associated with hypersonic flight and reentry.^[54]

During the Month of July

A study was initiated by the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory on the use of solid-fuel upper stages to achieve a payload orbit with as simple a launch vehicle as possible. This was the beginning of the Scout test-vehicle concept.^[55]

July-August

Alfred J. Eggers, Jr., of the NACA Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, worked out a semiballistic design for a manned reentry spacecraft.^[56]

August 7

A Jupiter-C (test vehicle in the Jupiter missile development program), with a scale-model nose cone, was fired 1,200 miles down the Atlantic Missile Range. The nose cone, an ablative type, reached a peak altitude of over 600 miles, and its recovery was one of the proving steps of the ablative reentry principle. The nose cone was displayed by President Eisenhower to a nation-wide television audience on November 7, 1957.^[57][58][59]

September

The second Atlas launch vehicle was destroyed in a launching attempt at Cape Canaveral, Florida.^[60]

October 4

The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics launched Sputnik I, the first artificial earth satellite. This event galvanized interest and action on the part of the American public to support an active role in space research, technology, and exploration.^[61][62]

October 14

The American Rocket Society presented President Eisenhower with a suggested program for outer space exploration. They proposed the establishment of an Astronautical Research and Development Agency similar to NACA and the Atomic Energy Commission. This agency would have responsibility for all space projects except those directly related to the military services. A list of proposed projects was presented at an estimated cost of $100 million per annum.^[63]

October 15-21

A "Round 3" conference involving studies for a follow-on to the X-15 program, which subsequently led to the X-20 Dyna Soar, was held at the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory. During the course of the meeting, Alfred J. Eggers, Jr., of Ames advanced several proposals for possible manned satellite vehicle development projects.^[64]

November 8

Secretary of Defense Neil McElroy directed the Army to proceed with the launching of the Explorer earth satellites. This order, in effect, resumed the Orbiter project that had been eliminated from the IGY satellite planning program on September 9, 1955.^[65]

November 12-13

At a meeting of the NACA Subcommittee on Fluid Mechanics, it was stated that many aspects of space flight and astronautics would depend heavily on research advances in the field that had been broadly termed fluid mechanics. Research in this area involved internal and external gas flows associated with high-speed flights within the atmosphere and reentry into the atmosphere of spacecraft vehicles. The subcommittee recommended to NACA that research in these matters be intensified.^[66]

November 19

Preston R. Bassett of the NACA Committee on Aerodynamics presented a resolution urging NACA to adopt an aggressive program in space research technology.^[67]

November 21

The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics established a Special Committee on Space Technology to study and delineate problem areas that must be solved to make space flight a practical reality and to consider and recommend means for attacking these problems. Dr. H. Guyford Stever of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was named chairman.^[68][69]

The Rocket and Satellite Research Panel recommended the creation of a National Space Establishment in the Executive Branch of the Government. According to the proposal, activities of this agency would be under civilian leadership, and the organization would be charged with formulating and supervising a space research program. An annual budget of $1 billion for a period of 10 years was recommended.^[70]

November 21-22

Over one-half of the NACA Propulsion Conference was devoted to the discussion of possible space propulsion systems. Three particular systems appeared to afford excellent choices for such purposes. These were: the chemical rocket, the nuclear rocket, and the nuclear-electric rocket. It was the considered opinion of the conference members that the chemical rocket would be quite adequate for a round trip to the moon.^[71]

During the Month of November

A presentation on manned orbital flight was made by Maxime A. Faget. The concept included the use of existing ballistic missiles for propulsion, solid-fuel retrorockets for reentry initiation, and a nonlifting ballistic shape for the reentering capsule. This concept was considered to be the quickest and safest approach for initial manned flights into orbit.^[72]

December 4

The American Rocket Society’s proposal for an Astronautical Research and Development Agency, formally presented to President Eisenhower on October 14, 1957, was publicly announced.^[73]

December 5

An announcement was made that an Advanced Research Projects Agency would be created in the Department of Defense to direct its space projects.^[74]

December 6

IGY Vanguard (TV-3), the first with three live stages, failed to launch a test satellite.^[75]

December 10

The Air Force created a Directorate of Astronautics to manage and coordinate astronautical research programs, including work on satellites and antimissile-missile weapons. Brigadier General Homer A. Boushey was named to head the office. Later in the month the order was rescinded by James H. Douglas, Secretary of the Air Force, who considered the creation of such a group before the activation of the Advanced Research Projects Agency to be premature.^[76]

1958

January 4

The American Rocket Society and the Rocket and Satellite Research Panel issued a summary of their proposals for a National Space Establishment. The consensus was that the new agency should be independent of the Department of Defense and not, in any event, under one of the military services.^[77]

January 10

A successful limited flight was made by the fourth Atlas fired from Cape Canaveral.^[78]

January 12

President Eisenhower, answering a December 10, 1957, letter from Soviet Premier Nikolai A. Bulganin regarding a summit conference on disarmament, proposed that Russia and the United States "…agree that outer space should be used for peaceful purposes." This proposal was compared dedicate atomic energy to peaceful uses, an offer which The Soviets rejected.^[79][80]

January 15

The Air Force received 11 unsolicited industry proposals for Project 7969, and technical evaluation was started. Observers from NACA participated. (See March 1956 entry.)^[81]

January 16

A resolution was adopted by NACA stating that NACA had an important responsibility for coordinating and conducting research in space technology, either in its own laboratories or by contract. (See November 19, 1957, entry.)^[82]

Paul E. Purser and Maxime A. Faget conceived of a solid-fuel launch vehicle design for the research and development phase of a manned satellite vehicle project. This launch vehicle was later designated Little Joe. When Project Mercury began in October 1958, the purpose of the Little Joe phase was to propel a full-scale, full-weight developmental version of the manned spacecraft to some of the flight conditions that would be encountered during exit from the atmosphere on an orbital mission. Also, Little Joe tests were used to perfect the escape maneuver in the event of an aborted mission.^[83]

January 29-31

A conference was held at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, to review concepts for manned orbital vehicles. The NACA informally presented two concepts then under study at Langley Aeronautical Laboratory: the one proposed by Maxime A. Faget involved a ballistic, high-drag capsule with heat shield on which the pilot lies prone during reentry, with reentry being accomplished by reverse thrust at the apogee of the elliptical orbit involving a deceleration load of about 8g, and proceeding to impact by a parachute landing; the other Langley proposal called for the development of a triangular planform vehicle with a flat bottom having some lift during reentry. At this same meeting there were several Air Force contractor presentations. These were as follows: Northrop, boost-glide buildup to orbital speed; Martin, zero-lift vehicle launched by a Titan with controlled flight estimated to be possible by mid-1961; McDonnell, ballistic vehicle resembling Faget's proposal, weighing 2,400 pounds and launched by an Atlas with a Polaris second stage; Lockheed, a 20° semiapex angle cone with a hemispherical tip of 1-foot radius, pilot in sitting position facing rearward, to be launched by an Atlas-Hustler combination; Convair reviewed a previous proposal for a large-scale manned space station, but stated a minimum vehicle—a 1,000-pound sphere—could be launched by an Atlas within a year; Aeronutronics, cone-shaped vehicle with spherical tip of 1-foot radius, with man enclosed in sphere inside vehicle and rotated to line the pilot up with accelerations, and launched by one of several two-stage vehicles; Republic, the Ferri sled vehicle, a 4,000-pound, triangular plan with a two-foot diameter tube running continuous around the leading and trailing edge and serving as a fuel tank for final-stage, solid-propellant rockets located in each wing tip, with a man in small compartment on top side, and with a heat-transfer ring in the front of the nose for a glide reentry of 3,600 miles per hour with pilot ejecting from capsule and parachuting down, and the launch vehicle comprising three stages (also see July 31, 1958 entry); AVCO, a 1,500-pound vehicle sphere launched by a Titan, equipped with a stainless-steel-cloth parachute whose diameter would be controlled by compressed air bellows and which would orient the vehicle in orbit, provide deceleration for reentry, and control drag during reentry; Bell, reviewed proposals for boost-glide vehicles, but considered briefly a minimum vehicle, spherical in shape, weighing about 3,000 pounds; Goodyear, a spherical vehicle with a rearward facing tail cone and ablative surface, with flaps deflected from the cone during reentry for increased drag and control, and launched by an Atlas or a Titan plus a Vanguard second stage; North American, extend the X-15 program by using the X-15 with a three-stage launch vehicle to achieve a single orbit with an apogee of 400,000 feet and a perigee of 250,000, range about 500 to 600 miles and landing in the Gulf of Mexico, and the pilot ejecting and landing by parachute with the aircraft being lost.^[84]

January 31

An Army Jupiter-C missile boosted Exporer I, America’s first artificial earth satellite, into orbit. Other than the achievement of orbital conditions, one of the more significant contributions of this flight was the discovery of the Van Allen Radiation Belt, named for Dr. James A. Van Allen, head of the physics department at the State University of Iowa.^[85]

Lieutenant General Donald Putt, Air Force Director of Research and Development, sent a letter to Dr. Hugh Dryden, Director of NACA, inviting NACA participation in the Air Force effort in the manned ballistic rocket program. Dr. Dryden informed the Air Force that NACA was preparing manned spacecraft designs for submission in March 1958.^[86]

February 6

The Senate passed a resolution (S Res 256) creating a special Committee on Space and Astronautics to frame legislation for a national program for space exploration.^[87]

February 7

The Secretary of Defense issued a directive establishing the Advanced Research Projects Agency, an organization under consideration since November 15, 1957. It was to be a centralized group capable of handling direction of both outer space and antimissile-missile projects, whose duties in the space field were to bridge the gap until Congress could consider legislative proposals for the establishment of a National Space Agency.^[88]

February 10

A study entitled, "A Program for Expansion of NACA Research Space Flight Technology with Estimates of the Staff and Facilities Required" was published by the NACA staff. The study pointed out the urgent need for a rapid buildup of a national capability in space technology leading to early flights of manned space vehicles. Besides devoting some of its laboratory facilities, NACA would integrate into the program the talent and competence of qualified scientific groups outside its organization by a greatly expanded program of contracted research. To support a program of this scope, NACA estimated an additional annual budget of $100 million and 9,000 additional personnel were required. It was also recommended that over the next 5 years (1958-1962) $55 million be expended in new facility construction to support space research projects. In regard to the contracted research facet of the proposal, NACA estimated $10 million a year would be needed at the outset of the program. Besides these recommendations, NACA reviewed the following specific research projects for active consideration: space propulsion systems for launching and flight; materials and structures; space flight research involving launching, rendezvous, reentry, recovery, flight simulation, navigation, guidance, and control; space mechanics and communications; and space environment.^[89]

February 13

The Special Committee on Space Technology, established by NACA on November 21, 1957,, to study and delineate problem areas that must be resolved to make space flight a practical reality and to consider recommended means for attacking these problems, met for the first time. At the meeting the new committee established seven working groups: (1) objectives, (2) vehicular program, (3) reentry, (4) range, launch, and tracking facilities, (5) instrumentation, (6) space surveillance, and (7) human factors and training. The objectives group was to draft a complete national program for space research. Other than this specific assignment, the remainder of the meeting was largely devoted to organizing the working groups. These groups were to present their first reports at the next meeting.^[90]

February 14

A report entitled, "Basic Objectives of a Continuing Program of Scientific Research in Outer Space," was presented by the IGY Committee. The committee was of the opinion that the need for space research would be required far past the close of the IGY in December 1958.^[91]

February 20

The name of the NACA Committee on Aerodynamics was changed to Committee on Aircraft, Missile, and Spacecraft Aerodynamics to indicate clearly the committee's cognizance over problems applicable to spacecraft and missiles as well as aircraft. The Aerodynamics Committee had been studying spacecraft research problems for the past 6 years.^[92]

February 27

Experience with the X-15 design indicated that many of the weight figures advanced by the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory for the drag or lift configurations of the reentry vehicle (later to become the Mercury spacecraft) were too low, according to Walter C. Williams, Chief of the NACA High-Speed Flight Station. Weights of auxiliary-power fuel, research instrumentation, and cockpit equipment as set by Langley were too low in terms of X-15 experience. Williams stated the total weight should be 2,300 pounds for the drag configuration and 2,500 pounds for the lifting configuration.^[93]

March 10

Reports were made on recoverable manned satellite configurations being considered by NACA. One involved a blunt, high-drag, zero-lift vehicle that would depend on a parachute landing for final deceleration. Another was a winged vehicle that would glide to a landing after reentering the atmosphere. The third proposal involved features of each of the above. Besides the configuration studies, significant reports were completed relative to motion and heating, stabilization, and attitude control.^[94]

March 10-12

A working conference in support of the Air Force "Man in Space Soonest" (MISS) was held at the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division in Los Angeles, California. General Bernard Schriever, opening the conference, stated that events were moving faster than expected. By this statement he meant that Roy Johnson, the new head of the Advanced Research Projects Agency, had asked the Air Force to report to him on its approach to putting a man in space soonest. Johnson indicated that the Air Force would be assigned the task, and the purpose of the conference was to produce a rough-draft proposal. At that time the Air Force concept consisted of three stages: a high-drag, no-lift, blunt-shaped spacecraft to get man in space soonest, with landing to be accomplished by a parachute; a more sophisticated approach by possibly employing a lifting vehicle or one with a modified drag; and a long-range program that might end in a space station or a trip to the moon.^[95]

March 12

The NACA staff completed a program outline for conducting the manned satellite program. At that time, NACA was already actively engaged in research and study of several phases. For example, in the basic studies category effort had been expended on the study of orbits and orbit control, space physical characteristics, configuration studies, propulsion system research, human factors, structures and materials, satellite instrumentation, range requirements, and noise and vibration during reentry and exit. In addition, NACA outlined the complete program covering full-scale studies of mockups, simulators, and detail designs; full-scale vertical and orbiting flights involving unmanned, animal, and manned flights and recovery; and exploitation of the program to increase the payloads. As to the design concepts for such a program, NACA believed that the Atlas launch vehicle was adequate to meet launch-vehicle requirements for manned orbital flights; that retrograde and vernier controllable thrust could be used for orbit control; that heat-sink or lighter material could be used against reentry heating; that guidance should be ground programed with provisions for the pilot to make final adjustments; that recovery should be accomplished at sea with parachutes used for letdown; that a network of radar stations should be established to furnish continuous tracking; and that launchings be made from Cape Canaveral. It was estimated that with a simple ballistic shape accelerations would be within tolerable limits for the pilot. Temperature control, oxygen supply, noise, and vibration were considered engineering development problems, which could be solved without any special breakthroughs.^[96]

March 17

The NACA Special Committee on Space Technology held its second meeting at the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, and preliminary reports were presented by the committee working groups on objectives and vehicular programs. The committee as a whole was briefed on the work that had been accomplished by the former NACA Committee on Aerodynamics over the past 6 years. It was stated that between 1952 and 1956, approximately 10 percent of NACA’s research efforts were applicable directly or indirectly to astronautics. In 1957, the percentage of space-flight research rose to 28; and at the time of the meeting, 30 percent of the aerodynamic effort and 20 percent of propulsion research was applicable to astronautics problems. The committee also heard special papers on research being conducted in fluid mechanics, satellite studies, spacecraft design proposals, boost-glide and hypersonic vehicle studies, and missiles.^[97]

March 18

An NACA report was published entitled, "Preliminary Studies of Manned Satellites, Wingless Configuration, Non-Lifting," by Maxime A. Faget, Benjamine Garland, and James J. Buglia. Later this document became the basic working paper for the Project Mercury development program, and was reissued as NASA Technical Note D-1254, March 1962.^[98]

March 18-20

An "NACA Conference on High-Speed Aerodynamics" was held at the Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, Moffett Field, California, to acquaint the military services and industrial contractors interested in aerospace projects with the results of recent research conducted by the NACA laboratories on the subject of space flight. The conference was attended by more than 500 representatives from the NACA, industry, the military services, and other appropriate government agencies. Some 46 technical papers were presented by NACA personnel, and included specific proposals for manned space-flight vehicle projects. One of these was presented by Maxime A. Faget. (See March 18, 1958, entry.) Other papers within the category of manned orbital satellites included: “Preliminary Studies of Manned Satellites, Wingless Configuration, Lifting Body” by Thomas J. Wong and others; "Preliminary Studies of Manned Satellites, Winged Configurations" by John V. Becker; "Preliminary Aerodynamic Data Pertinent to Manned Satellite Reentry Configurations” by Jim A. Penland and William O. Armstrong; and "Structural Design Considerations for Boost-Glide and Orbital Reentry Vehicles" by William A. Brooks and others.^[99]

During the Month of March

At the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, a working committee studied various manned satellite development plans and concluded that a ballistic-entry vehicle launched with an existing intercontinental ballistic missile propulsion system could be utilized for the first manned satellite project.^[100]

Robert R. Gilruth, Clotaire Wood, and Hartley A. Soulé of NACA transmitted a document to the Air Research and Development Command, which listed the design concepts NACA believed should be followed to achieve manned orbital flights at the earliest possible date. These were: (1) design and develop a simple ballistic vehicle, (2) use existing intercontinental ballistic missile propulsion systems, and (3) use the heat sink method for reentry from orbital conditions.^[101]

April 2

President Eisenhower submitted to Congress a special message calling for the creation of a special civilian space agency, with NACA serving as a nucleus, to conduct federal aeronautic and space activities.^[102]

During the Month of April

Maxime A. Faget and associates conceived the idea of using a contour couch to withstand the high g-loads attendant to acceleration and reentry forces of manned space flight. Fabrication of test-model contour couches was started in the Langley shops in May 1958, and the concept was proved feasible on July 30 (see entry) of that same year.^[103]

June 5

After serving as a liaison officer of NACA and as a participating member of an Advanced Research Projects Agency panel, Maxime A. Faget reported to Dr. Hugh Dryden on resulting studies and attending recommendations on the subject of manned space flight. He stated that the Advanced Research Projects Agency panel was quite aware that the responsibility for such a program might be placed with the soon-to-be-created civilian space agency, although they recommended program management be placed with the Air Force under executive control of NACA and the Advanced Research Projects Agency. The panel also recommended that the program start immediately even though the specific manager was, as yet, unassigned. Several of the proposals put forth by the panel on the proposed development were rather similar to the subsequent evolvement. The system suggested by the Advanced Research Projects Agency was to be based on the use of the Atlas launch vehicle with the Atlas-Sentry system serving as backup; retrorockets were to be used to initiate the return from orbit; the space- craft was to be a nonlifting, ballistic type, and the crew was to be selected from qualified volunteers in the Army, Navy, and Air Force.^[104]

June 22

NACA personnel discussed the proposed space agency budget, including the manned satellite project, with Bureau of Budget officials.^[105]

June 26

Meetings were held with NACA, AVCO, and Lockheed representatives in attendance to consider materials for thermal protection of satellite reentry vehicles.^[106]

During the Month of June

Preliminary specifications of the first manned satellite vehicle were drafted by Langley Aeronautical Laboratory personnel under the supervision of Maxime Faget and Charles W. Mathews. After a number of revisions and additions, these specifications were used for the Project Mercury spacecraft contract with McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. A working group of representatives from the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory and the Lewis Flight Propulsion Laboratory was formed for the purpose of outlining a manned satellite program.^[107]

NACA representatives were assigned to the Advanced Research Projects Agency, Manned Satellite Committee.^[108]

July 9

General Electric Company personnel presented a briefing at NACA headquarters on studies related to manned space flight. The company held contracts let by the Wright Air Development Center for study and mock-up of a manned spacecraft. NACA made no official comment.^[109]

July 15

Cooke Electric Company submitted a proposal to the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation as a part of a preliminary study and design effort by McDonnell for a manned satellite. McDonnell, prior to being awarded the Mercury prime development contract in February 1959, spent 11 months under a company research budget working on a manned orbital spacecraft concept.^[110]

July 16

Congress passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958.^[111]

July 18

In a memorandum to Dr. James R. Killian, Jr., Special Assistant to the President for Science and Technology, Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, Director of NACA, pointed out that NASA would inherit from NACA a rich technical background, competence, and leadership in driving toward the objective of a manned satellite program. For years NACA groups had been involved in research on such items as stabilization of ultra-high speed vehicles, provision of suitable controls, high temperature structural designs, and all the problems of reentry. In fact, a part of this work had been directed specifically toward the problem of designing a manned satellite. Also, the X-15 program had provided much experience in human factors applicable to the orbital flight of man. Therefore, Dr. Dryden concluded, in consonance with the intent of the Space Act of 1958, the assignment of the program to the NASA would be consistent.^[112]

July 29

The National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 was signed into a law by President Eisenhower.^[113]

July 30

By using the development model of the Mercury contour couch designed by Maxime A. Faget and associates, Carter C. Collins withstood a 20g load on the centrifuge at Johnsville, Pennsylvania. This test proved that the reentry accelerations of manned space flight could be withstood.^[114]

July 31

Republic Aviation representatives briefed NACA Headquarters personnel on the man-in-space studies in which the company had been engaged since the first of the year. They envisioned a four-stage solid launch-vehicle system and a lifting reentry vehicle, which was termed a sled. The vehicle was to be of triangular shape with a 75° leading-edge sweep. Aerodynamic and reaction controls would be available to the pilot. For the launch vehicle, Republic proposed a Minuteman first stage, a Polaris first stage, a Minuteman upper stage, and a Jumbo rocket fourth stage. Other details relative to reentry and recovery were included in the briefing.^[115]

During the Month of July

The initial concept of the use of a tractor rocket for an escape device was suggested by Maxime A. Faget—an idea which developed into the Mercury escape rocket. (see fig. 1.)^[116]

August 1

Dr. Hugh L. Dryden, NACA Director, presented a program on the technology of manned space flight vehicles to the Select Committees of Congress on Astronautics and Space Exploration.^[117]

August 8

A memorandum from the Secretary of the Army to the Secretary of Defense recommended Project Adam for a manned space flight program. This plan proposed a ballistic suborbital flight using existing Redstone hardware as a national political-psychological demonstration. This memo proposed that funds in the amount of $9 million and $2.5 million for fiscal years 1959 and 1960, respectively, be approved for program execution.^[118][119]

Figure 1.—Closeup View of Recruit Escape Rocket and Full-Scale Spacecraft.

During the Month of August

President Eisenhower assigned the responsibility for the development and execution of a manned space flight program to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. However, NASA did not become operational until October 1, 1958.^[120]

September 11

At an Army Advanced Research Projects Agency conference, the Army was advised there was little chance for approval of Project Adam.^[121]

September 17

A joint National Aeronautics and Space Administration/Advanced Research Projects Agency Manned Satellite Panel was formed. This panel, with the aid of technical studies prepared by the Langley and Lewis Research Centers and assistance from the military services, drafted specific plans for a program of research leading to manned space flight.^[122]

September 25

Dr. T. Keith Glennan, NASA Administrator, announced publicly that NASA would be activated on October 1, 1958.^[123]

During the Month of September

Study was started on the tracking and ground instrumentation networks for the manned satellite project. ^[124]

September 24-October 1

A series of meetings were held in Washington, with Robert R. Gilruth serving as chairman to draft a manned satellite program and provide a basic plan for meeting the objectives of this program. Others attending included 8. B. Batdorf, A. J. Eggers, Maxime A. Faget, George Low, Warren North, Walter C. Williams, and Robert C. Youngquist.^[125]

October 1

NASA was activated in accordance with the terms of Public Law 85-568, and the nonmilitary space projects which had been conducted by the Advanced Research Projects Agency were transferred to the jurisdiction of the NASA. Concurrently, NACA, after a 43-year tenure, was inactivated, and its facilities and personnel became a part of NASA.^[126]

During the Year

The Navy space proposal to the Advanced Research Projects Agency, during the tenure of that organization’s interim surveillance over national space projects, was known as Project Mer. This plan involved sending a man into orbit in a collapsible pneumatic glider. The glider and its occupant would be launched in the nose of a giant launch vehicle. After the glider had been placed in orbit, it would be inflated, and then flown down to a water landing.^[127]

1. Eugene M. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: An American Chronology of Science and Technology in the Exploration of Space: 1915-1960 (Washington: NASA HHR-8, 1961), p. 47. Hereinafter cited as Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics, 1915-1960.
2. Data supplied by Joseph A. Shortal, Chief, Applied Materials and Physics Division (formerly PARD), Langley Research Center, May 28, 1963.
3. Charles V. Eppley, The Rocket Research Aircraft Program: 1946-1962 (Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.), p. 1. Hereafter cited as Eppley, Rocket Research Aircraft Program: 1946-1962.
4. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 53.
5. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 54.
6. House Report No. 360, Military Astronautics (Preliminary Report), 87th Congress, 1st Session, p. 2.
7. Eppley, Rocket Research Aircraft Program: 1946-1962, p. 6.
8. House Rpt. 360, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 2.
9. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 59.
10. David S. Akens, Origins of Marshall Space Flight Center, pp. 8-9. Hereinafter cited as Akens, Origins of MSFC.
11. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 60.
12. House Rpt. 360, 87th Cong., Ist Sess., p. 2.
13. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 62.
14. House Report No. 67, A Chronology of Missile and Astronautic Events, 87th Congress, 1st Session, p. 14.
15. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 68.
16. Minutes of Meeting, NACA Committee on Aerodynamics, June 24, 1952.
17. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 16.
18. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 69
19. Information supplied by Jack Talmadge, Ames Research Center, May 28, 1963.
20. Minutes of Meeting, NACA Committee on Aerodynamics, June 24, 1952,
21. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 16.
22. Message, NASA Space Task Group to NASA Hq., July 5, 1960.
23. Message, NASA Space Task Group to NASA Hq., July 5, 1960.
24. Letter, NACA to High Speed Flight Research Station, Subject: Discussion of Report on Problems of High Speed, High Altitude Flight, and Consideration of Possible Changes to the X-2 Airplane to Extend its Speed and Altitude Range, July 30, 1953.
25. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 72.
26. Eppley, Rocket Research Aircraft Program: 1946-1962, p. 24.
27. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 19
28. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 75
29. James M. Grimwood, History of the Jupiter Missile System (Army Missile Command, Redstone Arsenal, Alabama, July 1962).
30. Eppley, Rocket Research Aircraft Program: 1942-1946, pp. 24, 44, 45.
31. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 19.
32. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 76.
33. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 79.
34. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 78.
35. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 22.
36. John P. Hagen, "The Viking and the Vanguard: History of Rocket Technology;" in special issue of Technology and Culture (Fall 1963).
37. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 23
38. Grimwood, History of the Jupiter Missile Program
39. Akens, Origins of MSFC, pp. 38-40.
40. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 79.
41. Message, NASA Space Task Group to NASA Hq., July 5, 1960.
42. Helen Joiner, History of the Army Ballistic Missile Agency, 1 Feb-30 June 1956.
43. House Rpt. 1228, Project Mercury, First Interim Report, 86th Congress, 2d Session, p. 2
44. Comments by Clotaire Wood, NACA, Jan. 26, 1960, on Draft, NIS Meeting at ARDC Headquarters, June 19, 1958
45. Memo, Maxime A. Faget, NACA Langley, to Dr. Hugh Dryden, Director, NACA (no subject), June 5, 1958
46. Comments by Maxime A. Faget on "Outline of History of USAF Man-in-Space R&D Program," Missiles and Rockets, Vol. 10, No. 18 (Mar. 26, 1962), pp. 148-149.
47. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 82.
48. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 27.
49. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 88.
50. NACA Study of the Feasibility of a Hypersonic Research Airplane, Sept. 3, 1957, p. 3.
51. Letter, Paul E. Purser, MSC, to Mary Stone Ambrose, Policies and Regulation Branch, NASA Hq. (no subject), undated.
52. House Document No, 71, Message from the President of the United States, U.S. Aeronautics and Space Activities: January 1 to December 31, 1958, p. 18.
53. George Alexander, "Atlas Accuracy Improves as Test Program is Completed," Aviation Week and Space Technology, Feb. 25, 1963, p. 54.
54. Study, NACA Research into Space, Dec. 1957.
55. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 87.
56. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 87.
57. Army Capabilities in the Space Age, p. 26
58. Grimwood, History of the Jupiter Missile System
59. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 87.
60. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 32.
61. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 91
62. Senate Hearings, 86th Congress, 2d Session, Missiles, Space, and Other Major Defense Matters, Feb. 2-4, 8-9, March 16, 1960, p. 331. Also at this time, many leaders, Dr. Wernher von Braun, for example, made speeches on the “Impact of Sputnik” to American audiences anxious to learn the meaning and to act to meet the requirement. For a concise statement on the subject see Appendix C, “The Public Impact of Early Satellite Launching” in Senate Rpt. 1014, Project Mercury: Man-in-Space Program of the NASA, p. 71.
63. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 33.
64. Memo, Warren J. North to NASA Administrator, subject: Background of Project Mercury Schedules, Aug. 14, 1960.
65. Akens, Origins of MSFC, p. 45.
66. Minutes of Meeting, NACA Committee on Aerodynamics, Nov. 18-20, 1957, pp. 4-5.
67. Minutes of Meeting, NACA Committee on Aircraft, Missile and Spacecraft Aerodynamics, March 21, 1958, pp. 3-4.
68. Minutes of Meeting, NACA Committee on Aircraft, Missile and Spacecraft Aerodynamics, March 21, 1958, pp. 3-4
69. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 92.
70. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 35. The origin of this particular panel was in 1946, when the V-2 panel was formed of representatives from interested agencies. During its tenure, a total of 60 V-2's were fired. In 1948, the name was changed to Upper Atmosphere Rocket Research Panel and, finally, in 1957 it was redesignated Rocket and Satellite Research Panel.
71. Study, NACA Research into Space, Dec. 1957.
72. Information supplied by Maxime A. Faget, July 9, 1963.
73. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 36.
74. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 36.
75. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronauties: 1915-1960, p. 92.
76. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 36.
77. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronauties: 1915-1960, p. 94.
78. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 36.
79. House Document No. 71, 86th Congress, 1st Sess., p. 18
80. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 94.
81. "Outline of History of USAF Man-in-Space R&D Program," Missiles and Rockets, Vol. 10, No. 13 (March 26, 1962), pp. 148-149.
82. NACA Resolution on the Subject of Space Flight adopted Jan. 16, 1958, contained in NACA Study, A Program for Expansion of NACA Research in Space Flight Technology with Estimates of Staff and Facilities Required, Feb. 10, 1958.
83. Letter, Space Task Group to AVCO-Everett Research Laboratory (no subject), May 5, 1960.
84. Memo, Clarence A. Syvertson to Director, Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, subject: Visit to WADC, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, to Attend Conference on January 29-31, 1958, Concerning Research Problems Associated with Placing a Man in a Satellite Vehicle, Moffett Field, Feb. 18, 1958.
85. Akens, Origins of MSFC, p. 47.
86. Letter, Lt. Gen. D. L. Putt, DSC/Development, Hq. USAF, to Dr. H. L. Dryden, Director, NACA, Jan, 31, 1958.
87. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 95.
88. House Rpt. 1228, 86th Cong., 2d Sess., p. 3.
89. NACA Study, A Program for Expansion of NACA Research in Space Flight Technology, Feb. 10, 1958.
90. Minutes of Meeting, Committee on Aircraft, Missile and Spacecraft Aerodynamics, Mar. 21, 1958, p. 5.
91. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 95.
92. Minutes of Meeting, Committee on Aircraft, Missile and Spacecraft Aerodynamics, Mar. 21, 1958, p. 2.
93. Letter, NACA Hq. to Langley, subject: Comments on Suggested Ground Rules for Satellite Reentry Vehicles, Feb. 27, 1958.
94. Study, "Satellite and Spacecraft," Current NACA Aerodynamic Research Relating to Upper Atmosphere and Space Technology, Mar. 10, 1958, p. 15.
95. Memo, Lawrence A. Clousing to Director, Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, subject: Working Conference for the Air Force "Man in Space Soonest" Program, held Mar. 10-12, 1958, at the Air Force Ballistic Missile Division Offices, Los Angeles, Mar. 24, 1958.
96. Outline, Manned Satellite Program, prepared by NACA Staff, Mar. 12, 1958.
97. Minutes of Meeting, Committee on Aircraft, Missile and Spacecraft Aerodynamics, March 21, 1958, p. 6.
98. Maxime A. Faget, et al, Preliminary Studies of Manned Satellites, Wingless Configuration: Non-lifting, Langley Aeronautical Laboratory, March 18, 1958.
99. Papers compiled and presented at NACA Conference on High-Speed Aerodynamics, Ames Aeronautical Laboratory, Moffett Field, Calif., March 18-20, 1958, pp. ix-xxi, 19-87.
100. Memo, Warren J. North to NASA Administrator, subject: Background of Project Mercury Schedules, Aug. 14, 1960.
101. Memo, Clotaire Wood to Space Flight Development, subject: "Background on WADC Letter to NASA of October 22, 1958, covering Ablation/Heat Sink Investigation—Manned Reentry," Nov. 7, 1958.
102. Memo, Warren J. North to NASA Administrator, subject: Background of Project Mercury Schedules, Aug. 14, 1960.
103. Information supplied by Jack C. Heberlig, Engineering and Development, Manned Spacecraft Center, May 28, 1963.
104. Memo, Maxime A. Faget to Dr. Dryden, Director, NACA, June 5, 1958.
105. Memo, Warren J. North to NASA Administrator, subject: Background of Project Mercury Schedules, Aug. 14, 1960.
106. Memo, H. M. Henneberry and G. C. Deutsch to Associate Director, NASA-Langley, subject: Discussions with AVCO and Lockheed Representatives Concerning Materials for Thermal Protection of Satellite Reentry Vehicles, Washington D.C., June 26-27, 1958, Sept. 8, 1958.
107. Information supplied by Maxime A. Faget, July 9, 1963.
108. Memo, Warren J. North to NASA Administrator, subject: Background of Project Mercury Schedules, Aug. 14, 1960.
109. Memo for Files, Hugh Henneberry, NACA Space Flight Office, subject: Briefing by General Electric Representatives on Studies Related to Man-in-Space Program, July 17, 1958.
110. Chronological statement filed by Cook Electric Company with NASA Hq., March 3, 1959.
111. Public Law 85-568, 85th Congress, H.R. 12575, subject: National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, July 29, 1958.
112. Memo, Dr. H. L. Dryden, Director, NACA, to Dr. J. R. Killian, Jr., subject: Manned Satellite Program, July 18, 1958.
113. Public Law 85-568, 85th Congress, H.R. 12575, subject: National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958, July 29, 1958.
114. Information supplied by Maxime A. Faget, Assistant Director for Engineering and Development, MSC.
115. Memo, Hugh M. Heaneberry, NACA Lewis, to the files, subject: Briefing by Republic Aviation Representatives on Man-in-Space Studies, Aug. 5, 1958.
116. Information supplied by Maxime A. Faget, July 9, 1963.
117. House Report No. 671, Project Mercury, Second Interim Report, 87th Congress, 1st Session (June 29, 1961), p. 8.
118. House Rpt. 1228, 86th Cong., 2d Sess., p. 3
119. David S. Akens, History of Marshall Space Flight Center, July 1-Dec. 31, 1960, Appendix B, "Mercury-Redstone Chronology," p. 3. Hereinafter cited as Akens, History of MSFC, Mercury-Redstone Chronology.
120. House Rpt. 671, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 8.
121. Akens, History of MSFC, Mercury-Redstone Chronology, p. 4.
122. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 102.
123. Emme, Aeronautics and Astronautics: 1915-1960, p. 102.
124. NASA Space Task Group, Project Mercury [Quarterly] Status Report No. 1 for Period Ending January 31, 1959.
125. NASA Minutes of Meeting, subject: Panel for Manned Space Flight, Sept. 24, 30 and Oct. 1, 1959.
126. House Rpt. 67, 87th Cong., 1st Sess., p. 57.
127. House Rpt. 1228, 86th Cong., 2d Sess., p. 4.