The Navaho was redefined by the customer in a revised three-phase program using a rocket booster and ramjet cruise. Track, air, and vertical pad launch were to be studied. The first phase would produce a missile with a range of 1600 km while carrying a 1350 kg warhead. Phase two would produce a missile that could carry a 1350 kg warhead to a 3200 to 4800 km range. Phase 3 would be the intercontinental version, carrying a 4500 kg nuclear warhead to an 8000 km range.

The group was selected to provide pilot astronauts for the Vostok manned spaceflight program.. Qualifications: Military jet aircraft pilots under 30 years of age; under 170 cm tall; under 70 kg in weight.. While the Americans sought mature test pilots for their first spaceflights, the Soviets recruited young pilots with the intent of training them for a career as spacemen. There were 3,000 applicants following interviews with medical doctor teams that toured Soviet air bases beginning in August 1959. 102 were called for physical and psychological tests. 8 of these were selected, but then Chief Designer Korolev said he wanted a pool three times larger than the American Mercury cadre. Of the 20 selected, 12 would fly in space. Of the 8 that did not, 1 died in a ground fire in training; 3 were dismissed for disciplinary reasons; and 4 left following injuries in training.

The Air Force announced the formal contract award to Martin Marietta Corporation for the design, development, fabrication, and delivery of Titan III standard launch vehicles for space missions. Martin Marietta would act as the systems integration contractor, while Aerojet-General would produce the liquid-fuel propulsions systems for the Titan core section and United Technology Center (UTC) would provide the solid-rocket motors (SRMs) for the booster.

The first successful multiple Minuteman ICBM launch was executed at the Pacific Missile Range when two Wing II Minuteman I (LGM-30B) missiles (FTM 813 and 688) were launched by SAC's First Strategic Aerospace Division (ISTRAD). Both missiles were launched separately in the salvo mode; the ripple mode was not used for these launches. These were also the initial two Minuteman IB operational test launches.

The first successful multiple Minuteman ICBM launch was executed at the Pacific Missile Range when two Wing II Minuteman I (LGM-30B) missiles (FTM 813 and 688) were launched by SAC's First Strategic Aerospace Division (ISTRAD). Both missiles were launched separately in the salvo mode; the ripple mode was not used for these launches. These were also the initial two Minuteman IB operational test launches.

Mars flyby 31 July 1969; returned 75 images of Martian surface. Ten days before the scheduled launch, a faulty switch opened the main valves on the Atlas stage. This released the pressure which supported the Atlas structure, and as the booster deflated it began to crumple. Two ground crewman started pressurizing pumps, saving the structure from further collapse. The two ground crewman, who had acted at risk of the 12-story rocket collapsing on them, were awarded Exceptional Bravery Medals from NASA.

The Mariner 6 spacecraft was removed, put on another Atlas/Centaur, and launched on schedule. The main booster was jettisoned 4 min. 38 sec. after launch, followed by a 7.5 minute Centaur burn to inject the spacecraft into Mars direct trajectory. After Mariner 6 separated from the Centaur the solar panels were deployed. A midcourse correction involving a 5.35 second burn of the hydrazine rocket occurred on 1 March 1969. A few days later explosive valves were deployed to unlatch the scan platform. Some bright particles released during the explosion distracted the Canopus sensor, and attitude lock was lost temporarily. It was decided to place the spacecraft on inertial guidance for the Mars flyby to prevent a similar occurrence.

On 29 July, 50 hours before closest approach, the scan platform was pointed to Mars and the scientific instruments turned on. Imaging of Mars began 2 hours later. For the next 41 hours, 49 approach images (plus a 50th fractional image) of Mars were taken through the narrow-angle camera. At 05:03 UT on 31 July the near-encounter phase began, including collection of 26 close-up images. Due to a cooling system failure, channel 1 of the IR spectrometer did not cool sufficiently to allow measurements from 6 to 14 micrometers so no infrared data were obtained over this range. Closest approach occurred at 05:19:07 UT at a distance of 3431 km from the martian surface. Eleven minutes later Mariner 6 passed behind Mars and reappeared after 25 minutes. X-band occultation data were taken during the entrance and exit phases. Science and imaging data were played back and transmitted over the next few days. The spacecraft was then returned to cruise mode which included engineering and communications tests, star photography TV tests, and UV scans of the Milky Way and an area containing comet 1969-B. Periodic tracking of the spacecraft in its heliocentric orbit was also done.

Science Results

Mariner 6 returned 49 far encounter and 26 near encounter images of Mars. Close-ups from the near encounter phases covered 20% of the surface. The spacecraft instruments measured UV and IR emissions and radio refractivity of the Martian atmosphere. Images showed the surface of Mars to be very different from that of the Moon, in some contrast to the results from Mariner 4. The south polar cap was identified as being composed predominantly of carbon dioxide. Atmospheric surface pressure was estimated at between 6 and 7 mb. Radio science refined estimates of the mass, radius and shape of Mars.

Meeting with Mishin. It is clear that he wanted to continue with the original plan for a dual Soyuz flight in August. It was Afanasyev and Kerimov who were pushing for a single long-duration flight in May. There is no action by the Ministry of Defence to provide rational decision making in regard to manned spaceflight.

The crew members aboard the International Space Station are winding down a week that saw them preparing for the arrival of a new cargo spacecraft and helping achieve a milestone in Station robotics operations, which has the potential for long-term exploration applications. Additional Details: here....

The spacewalk begain with airlock depressurization around 11:42 GMT and hatch opening around 11:48 GMT, with the astronauts on battery power at 1151 UTC. Following on EVA USA-29, the remaining two cables were installed, and the soft thermal cover was removed from the PMA-2 docking port. The cover was launched on HTV-3 in July 2012 and installed on PMA-2 during spacewalk US EVA-22 on 9 July 2013. The cover and IDA Bag B were returned to the airlock, after which Virts performed several hours of lubrication work on the Canadarm-2's LEE-A (Latching End Effector, the part that actually grabs things) and Wilmore installed wire ties on the P1 and S1 truss segments to prepare for communications cabling on the next EVA. The hatch was closed at 18:29 GMT and repressurization was at 18:34 GMT.