‘Space Leadership Within U.S. Grasp’

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30283, 8 November 1963, Page 15

‘Space Leadership Within U.S. Grasp’

(N.Z. Press Association—Copyright) WASHINGTON, November 7. The chief of America’s programme to Eut men on the moon said yesterday the nited States could wrest space leadership from the Soviet Union “in the next few years,” United Press International reported.

Whether this was done, he said, depended on whether Congress and the people continued to support activities of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (N A.S.A.). The forecast was made by the N.A.S.A. associate administrator for manned space flight. Dr. George E. Mueller. He addressed a meeting of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Dr. Mueller conceded Soviet superiority in some aspects of space flight. Reviewing the first five years of the United States’ space programme, Dr. Muel-

ler said: "If we have as much success in the future as we have had in the past, we will achieve for our country a leading position in space within the next few years. "We do not intend to lure you into false security by tell in „ you that the United State, is pre-eminent now, or that pre-eminence is just roun, the corner. “The Soviets last week carried out one space experiment that is beyond our present ability. Others are clearly available to them." Dr. Mueller was referring to the launching on November 1 of a manoeuvrable spacecraft. Polyot 1, capable of changing orbits in flight. The Soviet Union, Dr. Mueller said, may lack the resources and technical skills to send space pilots to the moon "In this decade.” The United States had both the resources and ability to do that

For Spacemen In Distress (N 2.PA.-Reuter—Copyright) GENEVA. Nov. 6 The International Telecommunications Union space conference today assigned a new radio frequency for the exclusive use of spacemen and spacecraft in distress. The frequency is 2007 Ke’s and signals will be the "Mayday" and “SOS” used on conventional earth distress frequencies.