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34 The Space Task Group appointed a Technical Assessment Committee, with Charles H. Zimmerman serving as chairman, to assist the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Source Selection Board. This group provided the board with technical ratings on contractor proposals. Technical specialists throughout the Space Task Group supplied specific component assessment information to the committee.

The Lewis Research Center presented its funding requirements for the attitude control and instrumentation systems for the Big Joe flight test spacecraft. Confirmation of agreements and fund transfer were forwarded by the Space Task Group to Lewis on February 17, 1959.

Eleven firms submitted proposals for the development of a manned spacecraft. These were AVCO, Chance-Vought, Convair, Douglas, Grumman, Lockheed, Martin, McDonnell, North American, Northrop, and Republic. In addition, Winzen Research Laboratories submitted an incomplete proposal.

Robert R. Gilruth, Mercury Project Manager, requested that the Lewis Flight Research Branch provide technical support for Project Mercury. The Space Task Group was particularly interested in Lewis' instrumentation facilities for use in research and development tests of Big Joe.

Space Task Group personnel began technical assessment of manned spacecraft development proposals submitted by industry. Charles Zimmerman headed the technical assessment team.

Space Task Group received a "Development and Funding Plan" from the Army Ordnance Missile Command in support of Project Mercury.

Gordo, a primate, was launched into space aboard an Army Jupiter missile nose cone. Although nose cone recovery efforts failed, because the floatation mechanism attached to the nose cone did not function, telemetry data provided useful biomedical information and disclosed that the Navy-trained