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This Black Vault release compiles 1964 newspaper and wire service clippings plus a Project Blue Book summary on the Socorro, New Mexico sighting by policeman Lonnie Zamora on April 24, 1964, when an egg-shaped object left four depressions and burned brush. It covers J. Allen Hynek's site visit, APRO and NICAP comment, and related New Mexico reports at La Madera, Edgewood and Albuquerque. The Air Force summary reports that soil and brush analysis found no radiation or propellant, and the case remained open.
“Socorro, New Mexico”52 pages
Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.
# U.S. Space Team Could Blast Off for Mars in 1975, Scientist Says ## BY MILT BROUHARD ## Times Staff Writer ANAHEIM-A three-man U.S. space team could be successfully landed on Mars to conduct surface explorations in 1983, according to one man connected with the program. The target date could be advanced several years perhaps as early as 1975-if federal government officials would give the program the go-ahead at this time, he contends. "It would take about nine years to test and assemble the hardware and about six years to train the astronauts who would make the landing," says Dr. Franklin P. Dixon, Mars Excursion Module program director at Newport's Aeronutronic Division of the Philco Corp. ## Moon Probe First He said that current NASA projects linked with a hopefully successful astronaut moon landing will provide most of the necessary information and equipment needed to land men on Mars and return them safely. Dr. Dixon revealed this information and designs for the space vehicle to be used at Tuesday evening's meeting of the Orange County Chapter of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Disneyland Hotel here. His discliosure was based on the final work Aeronutronic submitted to NASA's Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston. The report requested by NASA was conducted to check the practicality of such a space attempt. haven't the financial capability to attempt a similar project unless they completely trample the material needs of their exploding population," he said. The landing team would be composed of the pilot, an astronaut, who would be trained to act as a scientific assistant once the 40-day exploration on Mars actually got underway; a scientific person trained in geology, physiology and meteorology, and a third member who would be oriented to biology and bio-physics. Modified Boosters Beween five and ten current or modified Saturn-C boosters would launch the attempt by lifting all equipment needed for an initial earth-orbiting way station. Once the way station was in operation, a nuclear-powered spacecraft would be launched from it towards Mars. This mothership would have a four to six- for the 390-440 days it is expected to make the round trip. The mother-ship would establish a Martian orbit and send out the actual landing craft towards a pre-designated landing area. This flight would last about one hour. ## Craft Described The explorer's small draft would be able to change direction once inside Mars' atmosphere to make corrections from the prime launch pattern. It would be a tail-first landing with the craft in position for blast-off when the return to the orbiting mother-ship is to be made. Most of the equipment in the landing craft would be expendable once it has served its scientific purposes, Dr. Dixon said. Ideally, the men would be landed in the springtime near Mars' north polar ice cap so they could investigate "dark areas" which he said may be some form of life lapping up the water created by the melting thin ice cap He said the only additional work needed beyond current space studies would be the final development of a current nuclear engine to propel the landing vehicle's mother ship from an earth orbiting space station and better knowledge of Mars atmospheric conditions. "The major hurdle is actually to have the government want to make the venture," Dr. Dixon said. He hopes that the possibilities of greater scientific knowledge and the political advantage of outsourcing Russian space efforts will provide the leverage to get approval for the program. "The Russians at this time
Document, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 167 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.