U.S. SATELLITE DELAYED

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28451, 4 December 1957, Page 17

U.S. SATELLITE DELAYED

Electronic Gear Overhaul (iV.Z Press A ssoctation—Copyright) CAPE CANAVERAL (Florida*, December 2. 'Trouble is reported to have developed in The second si age “brain'’ of the Vanguard rocket being made ready in Florida for an attempt to propel a United States test satellite into space this week.

The American Associated Press quoted an informed United States Navy source as saying that technicians are working round the clock to “clear the bugs” out of the second stage of the rocket, which houses the control and guidance systems. He described the trouble as ‘static’’ in the electronic system. Unless eliminaied, he said, this might cause the rocket to wobble in flight and force its destruction. Ar Washington, the Defence Department emphasised that there was no certainty that the first sphere to be fired would start circling the earth. The test is intended primarily to try out rhe complete launching equipment and to gather performance data.

The time of the firing of the three-stage rocket will not be announced beforehand, according to Dr. John Hagen, head of Project Vanguard, but published reports agreed that Wednesday was almost certainly The day for which the test was planned. The American Associated Press gave the scheduled hour set for firing as 10 a.m. G.M.T. on Wednesday, although it quoted its' Navy source as saying the “bugclearing” might delay it until about 5 p.m. G.M.T. The United Press said The firing would probably be at 1 p.m. G.M.T. If the six-inch satellite in rhe nose cone of the Vanguard is hurled into orbit on Wednesday, it will go aloft just two months to the day after the Soviet Union sent up Sputnik I. Sputnik 11, with its dog passenger, was launched on November 3.

The United States hopes to shoot four of these small test satellites into orbit this month and then fire a fully-equipped 21-inch spheie as soon as possible in the New Year. The smaller satellites are equipped to broadcast signals back to the earth and enable American moon-watchers to keep track of their progress through the skies.

The big Vanguard rocket has been seen on the launching ramps in recent days. There has been no announcement so far on whether reporters will be permitted inside the top-secret missile test centre for the firing or whether they will have to watch and take photographs from the beaches several miles away. But Dr. Hagen said today the Defence Department would tell the press in Washington of the firing immediately the rocket left the launching pad. A press conference would be called within two hours at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, Dr. Hagen said. This, he said, would be the first indication to the public whether a United States satellite had been successfully hurled into orbit around the earth.