Russians May Launch First Earth Satellite

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28224, 12 March 1957, Page 11

Russians May Launch First Earth Satellite

(Rec. 10 p.m.) | ! WASHINGTON, March .10.11 The man in charge of the United!; States earth satellite programme, said today it would be “a good|; bet either way” that Russia would. launch a satellite before the j ] United States. . 1 Admiral Rawson Bennett, chief ; of naval research, said the United - States had no idea what progress ’ the Soviet had made in carrying « out plans to launch a globecircling •‘baby moon” satellite. < He was told th? Soviet Union had made announcements that it 1 Would launch a before { the United States and was asked: I ‘ **Do you believe that?” 1 “I think it would be a good bet cither way.” he replied. 1 The United States and Russia 1 are the only countries planning j to launch satellites during the i International Geophysical Year. 1 which will extend over an 18-1 month period starting on July 1. 1 Information developed as a re- i

[suit of the satellites’ flights will be made available to scientists of i all nations. Admiral Bennett said the project would provide data telling | whether space travel would be {practical or not. i Admiral Bennett was asked about recent speculation by the Air Force that it might be able within five years to fire rockets around the moon. “This is possible but. in my opinion, not probable.” he said. As for “Project Vanguard”— the name given the satellite programme—Admiral Bennett said: “I expect this project will be entirely successful.” Saying the United States would have to make several tries just to ensure getting one satellite into space, he added: “This is an adventure. remember. This is something that has never been done before. How many we will get. I’ll not predict. We have promised to get one.”