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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 0494.PDF
492 Missiles and Spaceflight In this connection I regard as a positive factor that at the 16th session of the United Nations General Assembly, the Soviet Union and the United States found it possible to agree on the proposal about the initial principles of space legislation, which was then unanimously approved by all the member States of the United Nations: about extending international law, including the United Nations Charter, to outer space and the celestial bodies, and that outer space and celestial bodies are accessible to all for research and use by all States in accordance with international law and can not be annexed by any State. In our opinion, we should go even further now. The expansion of space explorations, carried out by the States, definitely gives rise to the need for also reaching agreement that no one should create obstacles, during space experiments, to the study and use of outer space for peaceful purposes by other nations. Perhaps it would be necessary to make provisions that experiments in outer space which may render difficult the exploration of outer space by other countries should be the subject of preliminary dis cussion and agreement on a proper international basis. Mr President, 1 have mentioned a few of the questions which, in our opinion, have become ripe for solution already now and demand co-operation between our countries. In the future, international co-operation in space exploration, if we can now lay a firm basis for it, will undoubtedly spread to ever-new fields of space research. We hope that the scientists of the USSR and the United States will be able, together with the scientists of other countries, to undertake the elaboration and implementation of many projects for space exploration. The Soviet representatives in the United Nations space commit tee will be instructed to meet United States representatives to dis cuss specific questions of co-operation in the exploration and peace ful use of outer space that are of interest to our two countries. Lift-off of Titan 2, by Martin's Denver Division, from Cape Canaveral on March 16 (see news-item) FLIGHT International, 29 March 1962 These, Mr President, are our considerations about the, so to speak, heavenly affairs. We sincerely want the establishment of co-operation in the field of the peaceful uses of outer space to facilitate an improvement in relations between our countries, the easing of international tension and the creation of a situation fav ourable for the peaceful settlement of the problems that have become ripe here on Earth. At the same time, it seems obvious to me that the scope of our co-operation in the peaceful exploration of space, just as the choice of the directions themselves along which such co-operation will be possible, depend to some extent on the settlement of the dis armament problem. Until agreement is achieved on general and complete disarmament both our countries would still be limited in their possibilities for co-operation in the field of the peaceful use of outer space. It is no secret that military missiles, and spaceships which are launched for peaceful purposes, are based on the same achievements of science and technology. True, there already exist some differences here as well: space rockets require more powerful engines, as they have to lift bigger loads to greater heights, whereas military rockets do not, in general, require such powerful boosters—engines already in existence are capable of lifting warheads of great destructive potential and de livering them to any part of the globe. But you, Mr President, know as well as we do that the principles of designing and production are the same for both military and space rockets. I am expressing all these considerations for the simple reason that it would be better if we had a clear picture of all aspects of the matter. It is necessary to try to overcome the obstacles which may arise in the way of international co-operation in the peaceful exploration of space. It may be that we shall succeed in doing this, and this will be useful. The prospects for co-operation, for pooling our scientific and technological achievements up to and including joint development of spaceships for reaching other planets—the Moon, Venus, Mars—will be considerably greater when agreement on disarmament is reached. We hope that agreement on general and complete disarmament will be achieved, and we are exerting and will exert every effort to this end. I should like to trust that you, too, Mr President, will spare no effort to act in the same direction. National Tasks in ELDO Speaking on March 20 before the United Nations committee on the peaceful uses of outer space, the British delegate, Sir Patrick Dean, announced details of the respon sibilities assigned to member-countries of the proposed European Launcher Development Organization. "The first series of satellite test vehicles is to be developed under the leadership of Italy," he stated. "Long-range telemetry links are to be developed under the leadership of the Netherlands; equipment for the downrange guidance stations is to be developed under the leadership of Bel gium." Britain, France and West Germany are responsible for the three stages of the launch vehicle, and the seventh member coun try of ELDO is Australia. First three-stage firing will be from Woomera in "early 1966." . Commonwealth Satellite System Proposed A first-year report of the activities of the British Space Development Company, and a plea that Commonwealth governments should plan a joint com munication satellites system, formed part of a statement made by Sir Robert Renwick, chairman of the company, in London on March 20. Sir Robert's statement will be reported in greater detail in next week's issue. Titan 2 Launched Slightly later than originally programmed, Martin Company fired the first (N-2) flight example of the Titan 2 ICBM from Cape Canaveral on March 16. The nitrogen textro- xide and hydrazine storable (non-hypergolic) propellants were said by many observers to produce no real flame at all, but only faintly glowing jets from the two Aerojet-General thrust chambers. Impact took place "in the designated target area" some 5,000 miles down- range. Static firing of the two stages of the enlarged ICBM, sequenced to simulate an actual mission, were carried out by Martin-Denver at the end of last year. Weighing 300,0001b, and having a length of 103ft, Titan 2 is the largest weapon outside the Soviet Union.
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