INTO THE AIR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 14 July 1925, Page 4

INTO THE AIR

ROCKETS TO FLY TWENTY

MILES HIGH

Huge rockets, costirig-£IOO each, and capable of being fired 20 or 30 miles into the air, are to be used to fathom some of the secrets of the upper atmosphere, says the Daily Chronicle. The experiment savours of the Jules Verne method ■ ofi reaching the moon; It has been suggested by Mr J. W. Whipple, of the Meteorological office, and mav he brought, before the notice of the Com* mission of the International Meteorological Committee when it meets in London.

“At the present time,” said Mr Whipple, “the only way of making experiments in the upper air is by sending up recording instruments on crewless balloons which descend to earth again. The greatest height attained in this way is miles. It is impossible to get bevor.d.that altitude, as the balloons hurst in the ratified air. So if we are to get information from greater heights other methods must be used. “In the past a good deal of data has been obtained by studying the explosions of meteors. A meteor weighing about 101 b exploding .20 miles above the earth produces a concussion that can be heard down here. My idea is "to substitute rockets for meteors..

, “The type of rocket I have in mind is something after the style Professor Goddard, of the United States, projects firing at the moon. It would be almost .as large as a torpedo and, propelled by the firing of.a succession of charges of some smokeless explosive. We know that sound travels roughly at a speed of about 1020 feet per second, but the rate is faster in warm air, and from observations made over a number of rocket we could tell the temperature of the air 20 or 30 miles over our heads.” ......