POWER FOR V ROCKETS

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXXVII, Issue 15057, 18 August 1949, Page 5

POWER FOR V ROCKETS

NEW DEVELOPMENTS REPORTED Secret Explosive, And Electronics Woomera Range In Australia Two new developments in connection with the great Wcomera rocket range in Australia are reported, states The Recorder. (1) A secret new explosive for propelling the motors of the rockets, producible in Australia itself, is being tried; and (2) In Britain scientists working for the rocket range are testing uses for electronics in the work. The propellant explosive has been produced by the explosives and ammunition section of the Commonwealth Defence Research Laboratories. Its production follows research into the suitability of nitrocellulose made from local wood cellulose for use in Service projectiles. U.S. War Needs Commonwealth defence scientists have been working on the American technique for the production of nitrc-cellulosc. which contrasts with Britain's cordite. The technique was introduced to Australia during the war, when nitro-cellulrse works were established to meet American needs. In open-air tests "at rest" the prssure and thrust developed by rocket motors will be carefully measured. Preliminary results are described as satisfactory. Large-scale storage is being arranged to test storage quality. Precise information about the new production is secret. The Minister for Defence, Mr J. J. Dedman, has referred very guardedly to a new explosive, but has made no definite disclosure. In the work in Great Britain, closely linked with that in Australia, the use of electronic." includes the timing of rockets in flight. Australia has freely offeree! the U.S.A. full co-operation in defence matters, said Mr De-dman recently, commenting on an American magazine story in Newsweek which i r ; quoted as saying that Australia had offered the United Stales the use of its guided missile range in return for the loan of U.S. scientist.* to establish an atomic research pro-

iect, on a basis of parity with those in Britain and Canada. The article was further quoted as saying: "The U.S. Central Intelligence Asencv is known to (question Australia's ability to safeguard such research." Too Dear It is suggested in Sydney that the article was written before May 3, when a U.S.A.A.F. spokesman reported that the use of the Australian range had been ruled out by the c'csl.. in tinv) and money, of transporting equipment to Australia. Mr Dedman's only further comment was lhat the American report was purely speculative and obviously unauthorised, but a message from Washington quotes a U.S. Army spokesman as saying that Australia had made no formal offer of the use of the range. He denied that Australia had asked for a scientific team for an atomic research project in Australia.