U.S. LEADS SOVIET IN SPACE PROJECT

Press, Volume XCII, Issue 27733, 10 August 1955, Page 13

U.S. LEADS SOVIET IN SPACE PROJECT

(Rcc. 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, August 8. Three scientists workingjon the United States space satellite project said today that the United States was ahead of the Soviet Union on that phase of rocket development. .... .• . ' - . ■

They said they hoped that Moscow would release information gleaned from any Soviet space satellite project, just as the United States has offered to share its knowledge—but if the Russians refused, they said, the loss would not be too great. “We are already ahead of them” the scientists added. The scientists, who were participating in a composite interview, published by the magazine “U.S. News and World Report,” were Dr. Alan Waterman, director of the National Science Foundation, Dr. Alan Shapley, vice-chairman, and Dr. Athelstan Spilhaus, a member of the United States committee for the international geophysical year. The three scientists said that by* being informed on the United States project, the Soviet Union and other countries could keep track of the American satellite and this could mean greater information on its orbit, “which would be helpful to everybody.” Asked about the significance of Soviet statements that their satellite would be equipped with cameras and television, not planned as a part of the initial United States satellite, the scientists replied that “there’s nothing wrong with speculation.” “It just seems to us more important to do something modest—and really to do it,’’ they said. The Americans added that it would hardly be possible to convert a space satellite into a military weapon. “Suppose you were figuring on the possibilities of this thing dropping bombs,” they said. “Remember, it is going very faSt—about five miles a second. Remember anything you try to drop out of it won’t drop. It will just keep going around, just . like the satellite.” A possible military use would be the providing of information on conditions in Upper air for flight and communications. ✓ . Moon Satellite They said that after the satellite is sent spinning round the globe, the next step might be to try to make one go round the moon. As they have before, the scientists shied away from any prediction that the launching of the satellite in 1957 or 1958 as announced meant the prospect of space flight by man in the foreseeable future. “We are not buying any space helmets,” one of them said. But one said the next step might be to see if one of these satellites could be shot out and made to go around the moon. He did not elaborate. Asked about shooting people out into space, the scientists said the American officials were “not talking about people—yet.” He said it be better to find out if the satellite could go outside the atmosphere before trying it on humans. The scientists said that former beliefs that at great altitudes the temperatures became continually colder until it held steady at about 70 degrees below zero Fahrenheit now is known to be wrong. Actually, they said, the temperature “goes down to a low point and then comes up high and then goes through alternately cold and hot layers.” The scientists said that data from the satellite might eventually find practical application in helping to halt interruptions to transatlantic radio communication and improving weather forecasting. Asked what a satellite would run into on a space flight, the scientists said: “Absolute silence. The sky would be black, the stars would be very bright, the sun would be terrifically hot. But we do not know just how hot this satellite will get. . “It depends on many things. For instance, colour is an important factor in the reflection or absorption of the sun’s rays.” The scientists, who were not identified individually in their replies to questions, approved the transcript of their interview before it was published.