U.S. Missile Soars 190 Miles Into Sky

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28266, 2 May 1957, Page 6

U.S. Missile Soars 190 Miles Into Sky

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

NEW YORK, April 30. A new ceiling in the quest to conquer space with' earth satellites was reached today by a rocket that sped at 4500 miles an hour to a record height of 190 miles. The rocket was fired from the White Sands proving grounds, New Mexico.

A single-stage Aerobee rocket out-distanced the range of radar in the flight that broke the old altitude record of 164 miles set by a similar type of missile last year. The United States Navy, which sponsored the test, said the 190mile height was determined by computation. The new Aerobee, said to be faster an 2 more powerful, carried special instruments for use in earth satellites.

Navy scientists said the firing appeared “highly successful,” although they would not know for about three days the exact meaning of data gathered by the sensitive instruments in the missile’s specially-constructed nose cone. The Navy said the rocket carried with it “solar batteries” which theoretically could be used to provide energy for a manmade satellite “at a later date.” The cone also contained instruments to measure micro-meteor-ites, or the density of meteoritic dust in the upper atmosphere.

Before today, plans to fire the record-shattering Aerobee were

cancelled five times because o: winds, dust and heavy clouds.

Originally, it was to have carried special instruments like those scheduled for use in the earth’s first man-made satellite to be fired from Patrick Air Force base, Florida, during the geophysical year which begins on July 1. But an earlier test had proved so successful the Navy changed its plans. Instead, it included instruments which may be used in satellites of the more distant future.

The powerful motor of the tall, narrow missile sent up today burned out 53 seconds after launching. The radar “lost sight” of the missile at 75 seconds when it had sped to 180 miles—already a new record —and continued climbing. The exact altitude of 190 miles was determined, the Navy said, by “computation.” Scientists said the rocket had sped upward at a speed of 7000 ft a second. The rocket was fired from the southern end of the proving grounds—a huge desert area about 100 miles long rimmed by jagged mountain peaks—and is believed to have landed about 50 miles north of the launching site.