March 18: The Institute for Defense Analyses, a nonprofit corporation serving the Department of Defense, announced the formation of an Advanced Research Projects Division and the appointment of Dr. Herbert F. York as its head. In this capacity Dr. York would serve as Chief Scientist for the Defense Department's Advanced Research Projects Agency. He had been director of the University of California Radiation Laboratory at Livermore, California. [Department of Defense news release No. 250-58; New York Times, March 19, 1958, p. 1.] March 24: Senator Lyndon B. Johnson, chairman of the Senate Special Committee on Space and Astronautics, made the following staff appointments: Glen P. Wilson, coordinator of technical information; Eilene Galloway, special consultant. [Washington Post and Times Herald, March 25, 1958, p. A7.] March 25: Senator Lyndon B. Johnson announced the following appointments to the Senate Special Committee on Space and Astronautics: Edwin L. Weisl, consulting counsel; Cyrus R. Vance, consulting counsel; Homer Joe Stewart, scientific consultant. [Congressional Record, March 25, 1958, pp. 4605, 4606.] March 26: President Eisenhower in a brief statement made public the President's Science Advisory Committee's report, Introduction to Outer Space; an Explanatory Statement. This report set forth the basic factors making the advancement of space technology a national necessity and explained to the nontechnical reader the principles and potentialities of space travel. The many uses of space technology for scientific and military purposes were summarized, and a timetable for carrying out these objectives was included. [Congressional Record, March 26, 1958, pp. 49094912; U. S. Congress. Senate. Special Committee on Space and Astronautics. Compilation of materials on space and astronautics, March 27, 1958. No. 1, pp. 45-53.] Explorer III was launched by the Army and followed an unplanned orbit, which caused it to pass closer to the earth and probably lessened its life expectancy. It gathered the same data as Explorer I, but its high powered transmitter recorded cosmic ray data on a tape recorder which played back the information on signal to ground recording stations. Weighing 31 pounds, its antenna system differed from that of Explorer I. [New York Times, March 27, 1958, pp. 1, 15. Christian Science Monitor, March 27, 1958, p. 3.] March 27: President Eisenhower gave his approval to the plans for outer space exploration announced by Secretary of Defense Neil H. McElroy. The Advanced Research Projects Agency was to undertake several space projects including the launching of earth satellites and lunar probes. The Air Force Ballistic Missile Division was authorized by ARPA to carry out three lunar probes with a Thor-Vanguard system, and one or two lunar probes utilizing the Jupiter-C rocket were assigned to the Army Ballistic Missile Agency. A mechanical ground scanning system for lunar investigations was to be developed by the Naval Ordnance Test Station, China Lake, California. [New York Times, March 28, 1958, p. 8.] Charles S. Sheldon II was named assistant director of the House Select Committee on Astronautics and Space Exploration. Ju M 370 SPACE AND ASTRONAUTICS April 2: President Eisenhower in a message to Congress proposed the establishment of a National Aeronautics and Space Agency into which the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics would be absorbed. This agency was to have responsibility for civilian space science and aeronautical research. It would conduct research in these fields in its own facilities or by contract and would also perform military research required by the military departments. Interim projects pertaining to the civilian program which were under the direction of the Advanced Research Projects Agency would be transferred to the civilian space agency. A National Aeronautics and Space Board, appointed by the President and composed of eminent persons outside the Government and representatives of interested Government agencies (with at least one member from the Department of Defense), was to assist the President and the director of the National Aeronautics and Space Agency. [New York Times, April 3, 1958, p. 14; Congressional Record, April 2, 1958, pp. 5489, 5490.] The original budget request of $340,000,000 in new obligational authority for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for fiscal year 1959 was raised to $520,000,000 for advanced resea ch projects in a letter from the Director of the Bureau of the Budget, Maurice H. Stans, which was transmitted to Congress by President Eisenhower. [Amendments to budget for fiscal year 1959 involving increases for Department of Defense military functions, House Document 364, April 2, 1958.] April 5: S. Fred Singer, physics professor at the University of Mary- April 13: Sputnik II plunged to earth. [Washington Post and Times April 14: The proposal for a National Aeronautics and Space Agency S. 3609, Senator Lyndon B. Johnson; H. R. 11881, Representative John W. McCormack; H. R. 11882, Representative Leslie C. Arends; H. R. 11887, Representative Harry G. Haskell, Jr.; H. R. 11888, Representative Kenneth B. Keating. [Congressional Record, April 14, 1958, pp. 5631, 5661.] 0 pril 2: Preside search in th and repres ects in a l dent Eise land, was April 13: Spu April 14: Th |