TRIP TO VENUS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20389, 21 April 1928, Page 19

TRIP TO VENUS.

PROFESSOR CONDIT’S VENTURE. ROGKBTLIKE PROJECTILE. DRIVEN BY SLOW EXPLOSIVE. Tiie recently announced intention of Professor Robert Condit, of Mairoi Beach, to take a trip to the planet Venus in * machine of his own devising has created considerable interest, particularly since » recent address by Professor Condit to high school students at Miami Beach in wliich ho explained that the aerial ship which he expects will take him to the planet acts on the principle of a rocket. The contrivance, said Professor Condit, contains a polarised magnetic control intended to to guide it after it has got beyond the eaith’s gravitation zone. Scientists have been confronted with the problem of establishing interplanetary communication ever since the discovery of other planets, said Professor Condit. Early attempts to do this, however, have been made by persons unfitted for the work. Impractical rockets have been used which have no other motive power through space than their own initial momentum. Professor Condit declared that nearly all the early experiments had Mars as the objective, but this was impracticable because of , the inability of men to breathe upon that planet. Nine projectiles similar to the type that Professor Condit expects to use in his tup sunward are now under construction, he says, three of them in Germany, and all of them are designed for the trip to Venus. In the opinion of Professor Condit there is no possibility of resemblance of animals on Mars to those of the earth oecauso of the absence of air pressure. On the other hand, the scientist believes that on the planet Venus are similar to those of the earth because of the similarity of the surface and atmospheric conditions, and a similar state of evolution. Ho cited a report of the probable atmospheric conditions on the planet V enus given by the Smithsonian Institution in 1921.

“ Venus,” said Professor Condit, " is the only other planet containing life similar to that of the earth. Mercury is cold arid dead, having no atmosphere or organic life. Professor Condit said that evidence of Venus being inhabited consists of long, straight lines upon the surface, which, he averred, could be nothing other than avenues of transportation. Also he said there were large areas of artificial light on the planet. He said the length of avenues would indicate that there must be some sort of central government. Venus has a shorter year than that of the earth, the inventor said, because it has a less axial tilt and thus the assurance of a more equable climate. This, he thought, makes it probable that the inhabitants of Venus are less varied than those of the earth, because of the fewer necessary migratory changes, and fewer changes of diet, the latter factor being the principal cause of the variation of earth’s animals.

“ The rocket propelled by a high explosive can only be as heavy as eleventenths of the weight of the explosive to be used as a motive power to enable the rocket to ride any distance in the air. This was particularly true as to the old type of rockets, which were started straight up and at their maximum speed, with a resultant maximum loss of power.

“ An airplane, propelled by a slow explosive, gasoline, needs only a small fraction of its weight in fuel to propel it to a relatively greater distance. This principle, used for so long in the internal combustion engines, transferred to a direct exhaust, caused the explosion to slow down to an expansion of gasses rather than an actual combustion. This fact gives us a still smaller proportionate weight of fuel necessary to propel our projectile, especially as we are now starting them off slowly, like an airplane, and not shooting them straight upward. ” Professor Condit told an astonishe3 audience that the proportionate weight of the fuel or explosive needed to propel the machine is small, and will enable the machine to carry one passenger, who is also essentia] to the operation of the projectile, as it is not automatic. He declared there were more than 350 known orbits, meteor streams, comets, and reflex gravitational orbits traversing the solar system periodically, besides eight large planets. The projectile which Professor Condit has fasntoned is torpedo-shaped, and is smaller than any of the others at present under construction. It has been made as small as possible. The pilots of the rocket are protected against the cold of the interplanetary space by a complete lining and covering of the machine with asbestos. The outside surface of the cloth is saturated with silicate of soda and a further layer of specially-prepared cement. There is no window or porthole in the projectile because of the extremely cold atmosphere which it would encounter, and the pilot must depend entirey upon his instruments for observation and direction. Professor Condit declared the rocketwill carry its own atmosphere, maintained at a pressure of 151 b to. the square inch, an oxygen tank, a small carbon dioxide disposal plant, and a gas mask for the pilot. The scientist declared he. would carry bow and arrows to procure game, and a small tank of liquid fire for protection. No firearms will be carried on tha trip to Venus.

Professor Condit did not tell his audience when he proposes to start on his trip to another planet, but he expressed the hope that, should he reach there, the inhabitants of Venus ■will assist him to return to earth.