ROCKETS IN ANTARCTIC
Second Firing Also Fails
The second attempt to fire a high-altitude meteorological rocket near McMurdo station at 6 p.m. last Friday failed when it travelled only 50 yards from the launching pad. Another attempt will be made on April 25. The first of these firings on March 30 failed when the nose cone separated too early. The project has been plagued with bad luck. The original firing installation was destroyed by a storm on March 5. A new installation was made and plans resumed to fire the 92in-long Areas rockets, weighing 771 b and powered with solid fuel, up to 250.000 ft about every 10 days to probe high altitude temperatures. These have failed so far.
This part of the United States Antarctic research programme will extend through the winter and spring. The object is to investigate “explosive warming.” a phenomenon in which upper-atmos-phere temperatures rise 30 deg to about 40deg below zero within a few days in spring. Discovered during the International Geophysical Year, the phenomenon is believed to occur in some years and not in others. The United States scientists want to know why. This could have an important bearing on hemispheric and even global weather forecasting.
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Bibliographic details
Press, Volume CI, Issue 29801, 18 April 1962, Page 17
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202ROCKETS IN ANTARCTIC Press, Volume CI, Issue 29801, 18 April 1962, Page 17
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