Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1964

The year 1964, the seventh of the space age, was a year of achievement, especially in space science. It was also a building year in which many components and techniques basic to manned flight capability were proved out. Because of the foundations laid in 1964, we can proceed with more sureness toward the long-duration manned missions, culminating with the moon landing, scheduled for the coming years. The dramatic flight of RANGER VII leads the list of accomplishments. Before crashing into the moon, the satellite snapped more than 4,000 photographs of its surface. Many of the pictures were of such high resolution that they amounted to a thousand-fold improvement over the best taken by earth mounted telescopes. MARINER IV is well started on its long journey to Mars. Early in its flight, it was ordered to perform an intricate midcourse maneuver. The spacecraft followed its instructions to the letter; and barring accident it will pass within 5,400 miles of its objective as planned. NIMBUS I, the first of the second generation of meteorological satellites, functioned long enough to demonstrate that its TV cameras and infrared scanners could provide day and night weather coverage far superior to that supplied by its predecessors. The data produced by these and the numerous other investigations of space noted in this chronology were sent to more than 2,300 scientists and engineers in more than a hundred university laboratories and space centers for study and analysis. These researchers are thus obtaining a broader and deeper scientific and technical base for their future activities. Scientists and engineers not in space-related work benefit from the creation of a facility that permits storage and retrieval of data resulting from space experiments. The buildup of the national capability in advanced research and technology in the area of aeronautics and astronautics has been more rapid than in any previous period. As this chronology shows, many of the basic components and techniques required for manned flight were proved out during 1964. The seventh successful test launch of the Saturn I booster paved the way to the next phase of the Apollo project. More particularly, it assured that this booster's more powerful successors, the Saturn I and the Saturn V, can be relied upon to discharge their appointed roles in the lunar landing program. This chronology is a first step in the historical process of documenting the dynamic and complex undertaking of space exploration and exploitation. It was prepared from open public sources to provide a ready reference for current use as well as for future analysts and historians. This chronicle of the seventh year of the Space Age also will assist other scholars, students, and writers. As the years pass perhaps its value may actually increase.