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Aviation History
1959
1959 - 0375.PDF
180 FLIGHT, 6 February 1959 Missiles and Spaceflight . . . for the study of the gas component of interplanetary matter andof solar corpuscular radiation, (5) magnetometer for the measure- ment of the Earth's magnetic field and the, detection of the Moon'smagnetic field, (6) ballistic piezo-electric meters for the study of meteoric particles, (7) two charged-panicle counters for register-ing the intensity of cosmic rays and (8) two photo-multipliers for studying the composition of cosmic radiation. The radio and scientific equipment in '• the container waspowered by silver zinc accumulators and mercury oxide batteries. The container was filled with gas at a pressure of 1.3 atmospheresand its internal temperature was maintained at about 20 deg C. BIG TOE INTO SPACE This year's flight programme of the North American X-15 wasdescribed last week by Dr. T. Keith Glennan, director of the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration, as "stretchingour big toe into the edges of space." Dr. Glennan was speaking before the Senate Preparedness Subcommittee in Washington onJanuary 30, and the first flight of the X-15 (secure under the wing of a B-52) is likely to take place next week. Before the end of the year, Dr. Glennan said, the X-15 shouldreach an altitude of 100 miles, launched from the B-52 at about 40,000ft and propelled by its two liquid-fuel rocket engines (firingfor 90sec) into a ballistic trajectory. It was planned to launch the machine near Wendover A.F.B., Utah, and for it to land at RogersDry lake, Edwards A.F.B., California. The North American company test pilot for the early X-15flights will be Scott Crossfield, who will demonstrate the machine's potential without reaching its performance limits. Three "cus-tomer" pilots will then take over for further flight-testing; Capt. Robert A. White, U.S.A.F., Mr. Joseph A. Walker of NASA, andLt-Cdr. Forrest S. Petersen, U.S.N. Two further X-15 vehicles are now approaching completion at North American's LosAngeles plant and are scheduled for delivery by June this year. Overall cost of the X-15 project has been quoted as $123 million. North American X-15 mounted beneath B-52 wing. Three main attach- ments are used plus quick-disconnect supply lines for nitrogen and liquid oxygen. Fuselage blister houses closed-circuit television cameras FOR THE RECORD ":,VV.H:3.;;;;!.;•--;::-.: ; The proceedings of the 8th International Astronautical Federa- tion Congress, held in Barcelona in 1957, have recently been published by Springer-Verlag, Vienna. Papers presented on that occasion are grouped into general astronautics, upper-atmosphere research, physics of spaceflight and astrophysics, astronautical engineering, propulsion, artificial satellites, space biology and medicine, and space law. The publication is available through the British Interplanetary Society, 12 Bessborough Gardens, London, S.W.I. The 1959 international astronautical congress will be held in London during the week beginning August 31. WHY EXPLORE SPACE? ••/"VBJECTTVES of Space Exploration" was the title of a dis-*-' cussion session on January 27 at the four-day annual meeting of the Institute of the Aeronautical Sciences in New York. Firstly,should we speak about "man in space," or "Ph.D. in space"? This question was posed in humorous vein by Prof. Guyford H.Stever of Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the chairman of a panel well qualified to discuss the serious aspects of the subject. The "man" need not be an astronomer, replied Mr. Leo Gold-berg, chairman of Michigan University's Astronomy Department, who cited the "observation of electromagnetic radiation" as thehighest-priority task facing science in its initial study of outer space. Everything known thus far about radiations had beenderived from measurements taken at the bottom of the ocean of air surrounding our planet. The atmosphere absorbed most ultra-violet radiation and parts of the infra-red spectrum. Virtually all electromagnetic radiations between 0.5 and 30 Mc/s wereabsorbed upon entry into the protective air blanket. To view these radiations in outer space, Goldberg suggestedthat the forthcoming satellites be equipped with stabilized plat- forms and suitable detectors for "reconnaissance of the Sun'sultraviolet spectrum" and radiations from the planets and stars. The possible existence of vegetation on Mars had been reportedby some astronomers, and placing a telescope beyond the atmo- sphere would assist in exploring this possibility. Satellites might also prove useful in resolving the question ofwhether the "gravitational constant" was indeed constant. There had been speculation in many quarters, the speaker reported, thatthe constant varied slightly. Placing a "gravitational clock" in a satellite and comparing its readings after several years with thosefrom an Earth-based atomic clock might reveal slight changes. Mr. Stever inquired at this point whether the payload capabili-ties of existing rocket engines were sufficiently large for the required scientific exploration. He noted that current Thor/Atlasvehicles were capable of placing 200-8,000 1b payloads in a 300- mile orbit around the Earth; 600-3,000 1b in the vicinity of theMoon; and 1,500 lb as far as Jupiter. The "million pound" rockets under development would be capable of placing 25,000-50,000 lb payloads in 300-mile orbits around the Earth. It was agreed that these rockets would be adequate for the experimentscontemplated at present. Prof. Bruno Rossi, an expert on cosmic rays from the PhysicsDepartment of M.I.T., thought that it would be unnecessary to send a cosmic-ray specialist into outer space in the early stages ofspace exploration. Cosmic rays had a very high penetrating power and could be observed through the Earth's atmospheric cover.Put there were three reasons for sending an instrumented vehicle into outer space: to look back at the Earth; to look around at ourplanetary neighbours; and to look beyond our solar system. Looking back at the Earth had several obvious and oft-statedbenefits. Looking around in outer space would provide science with the first opportunity to escape the Earth's magnetic field andto view and understand the hydromagnetic environment which surrounded our planet. Specifically, the interplanetary "weather"(in the form of magnetic storms), the "plasma" which fills the solar system, and the density, velocity, temperature and magneticstrength of the Sun's radiations were of interest. Being a completely spontaneous discussion the session covereda wide variety of topics, and detail questions and problems were frequently raised. Mr. George Valley, director of developmentplanning of Melpar, Inc., cited the problem of communications over long ranges, such as from Mars. As yet there was no reliablelong-life electronics capable of withstanding the rigours of space- flight. The development of interplanetary electronic and otherequipment might in fact be as difficult, and require as much time and experiment, as the development of the rocket engines them-selves. The development of a drill, for example, capable of boring into the Moon's surface might require considerable effort. In reply to a question whether orbital or glide vehicles wouldbe logical military weapons beyond ballistic missiles, Mr. James R. Dempsey, manager of Convair-Astronautics, stated that it was notclear to him that such systems met the prime requirement of all practical weapons. A new weapon system must be capable eitherof performing a new mission, or of carrying out an existing mission better (either in terms of people or money) than some existingweapon. Orbiting weapons did not at present meet these require- ments, according to Mr. Dempsey. Dr. Simon Ramo, executive vice-president of Thompson RamoWooldridge, Inc., perhaps summarized the meeting when he stated that space research had three main objectives. The first,and the most urgent at the present time, was to obtain information which would increase the military preparedness of the U.S.A.With the present cold war, it was far easier to obtain government support for space research if the end-results had military over-tones (all the assembled scientists agreed that a great deal of research was being carried on under the "space banner," simp'ybecause "space" was a popular cause which enjoyed widespread popular support). Another reason for space research was that itshowed promise of improving life on earth. Improved weather forecasting techniques and communications should result fromcurrent space explorations. The third main reason was simp'y that of pure research—the better to understand Nature. DONALD A. IMGRAM.
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