Moon Race Withdrawal Worries Congressmen

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30274, 29 October 1963, Page 13

Moon Race Withdrawal Worries Congressmen

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright)

WASHINGTON, Oct. 27. American space agency officials said today they planned to go ahead with Project Gemini and the programmes aimed at landing an American on the moon in spite of the apparent withdrawal of the Soviet Union from the moon race. Officials said Gemini—the orbiting of the two astronauts in one space capsule—and the moon programme would continue on schedule. But the Senate Republican leader (Senator Everett Dirksen) said the statement yesterday by Mr Khrushchev bad given opponents of the Apollo moon-shot programme new ammunition. Strong supporters of the plan to man the moon by 1970 are worried by the Soviet move. Mr Olin Teague (Democrat, Texas), of the House of Representatives Space Committee. said: “I’m afraid this will hurt our moon programme. I wouldn't be sur-

prised if Mr Khrushchev is just trying to make us drop our guard.”

The House has approved a 5100 million-dollar appropriation for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and its Apollo project. The Bill is now pending in a Senate sub-committee. One N.A.S.A. source said Mr Khrushchev might be abandoning the moon race with the United States, but he had not indicated that Russia was ending her drive to be able to land a man on the moon eventually. Being able to get there was just as important as getting to the moon.