PERFORMANCE OF ROCKET

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28359, 19 August 1957, Page 8

PERFORMANCE OF ROCKET

Big Advance In Development

(N.Z Association—Copyright! (Rec. 8 p.m.) WASHINGTON, August 17. A United -States Army rocket had soared several hundred miles high and re-entered the earth’s atmosphere without disintegrating, an important advance in the race to develop long and intermediate range ballistic missiles, the United Press reported today. It said that the nose cone of the three-stage rocket, which one source had reported travelling at 15,000 miles an hour, was re-covered-in the Atlantic Ocean. Previous reported speeds for the test rockets were 9000 to 12.000 miles an hour. It also was reported that the rocket, which travelled 1200 miles, landed within 400 yards of its aiming point. This was described as ‘‘phenomenal” for such weapons.

They also had been working with porous materials through which liquids contained in the cone could evaporate on the surface and keep it cool. But authorities said it was doubtful whether this was used in the test.

The United Press said that atomic weapons could be carried in the nose cones by the longrange missiles. The agency said the vehicle was a Jupiter-C, but. not the Jupiter intermediate-range ballistic missile that the army has been working on. The model consisted of a Redstone rocket with at least two more rockets fastened on. Only the cone re-entered the atmosphere without disintegrating.