Scrapbook 2: Nov 1962 — Apollo, Gemini, ELDO, missiles

Army to Get New Missile, Cargo Truck

WASHINGTON (Special) — The Army has announced the selection of the Chance Vought Corp., a division of Ling-Temco-Vought Inc., as prime contractor for two of its newest development programs, Missile B and a 1¼-ton cargo truck, the XM561.

The Missile B contract will be for development and initial production of the missile system and is anticipated to be approximately $100 million. The XM561 contract will be for development of the new vehicle and is expected to be approximately $2½ million.

When developed, Missile B will provide increased fire support for the combat divisions. It will complement conventional artillery with both nuclear and non-nuclear supporting fire on the battlefield.

Planned as a simple, low-cost, rugged and reliable weapon system, Missile B will use a new guidance concept developed by U.S. Army Missile Comd engineers at Redstone Arsenal, Ala.

The XM561 will be a six-wheeled vehicle which can “swim” inland waters and traverse rough terrain with an agility unmatched by other wheeled vehicles. The contract calls for development and construction of several prototypes.

The basis of the new development will be a vehicle called the “Gamma Goat,” already developed by Chance Vought on its own initiative. The “Gamma Goat” has demonstrated exceptional mobility over numerous rugged military test courses both in the United States and in Europe.

In soliciting proposals for the development of the XM561, the Army specified that primary consideration would be given to maximum mobility and other cross-country and off-road capabilities. After a thorough analysis of all proposals, including those from several automotive manufacturers, the Army selected the Chance Vought design concept as offering a substantially higher degree of off-road mobility.

The XM561 will derive its mobility from two lightweight units working together in combination — a four-wheeled tractor unit and a two-wheeled carrier linked together to provide power to all six wheels and pivoted to permit unusual flexibility.

Work Laid Out for First Man on the Moon

GATLINBURG, Tenn. (AP) — The first man on the moon may be a geologist, or a civil engineer.

He will look for living forms on the surface or at some distance below the hostile lunar surface. Or he will search for remains of previous life.

He will poke inquisitively here and there, picking up specimens for laboratory study, taking pictures, drilling holes and implanting instruments.

This was the picture of man on the moon, envisioned by Homer E. Newell, director of the Office of Space Sciences of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.

Newell drew the picture for about 300 scientists and technicians gathered here to discuss space radiation hazards, to stress the point that man, in person — not merely machines or satellites — must eventually explore space.

“No matter how you design and build, you won’t be able to put man’s discernment, judgment, versatility and adaptability in space except by putting the man himself there,” Newell said.

For these and other reasons, the United States has committed itself in efforts to place a man on the moon within this decade, he said.

“At some point in complexity and distance from the earth, it will actually become cheaper to use the man than to build the mechanical substitute,” Newell said.

One can foresee the need to assemble in space large laboratories, huge antenna systems, stations to serve as launching areas for interplanetary flight, and even space vehicles for the flights, Newell said.

He also predicted that engineering in space will form an important segment of manned operations in space for future military purposes.

Besides finding clues to how the moon and planets were formed, the astronaut-scientist will seek indications of present or past life on the moon, the NASA scientist said.

Finding living beings there is unlikely, he said.

“But even if there are no living forms on the moon, other biologists point out that the moon is still of interest in that it may carry the residue of previously living forms or . . . precursors to life.”

Mars, on the other hand, has certain characteristics which do not prove the existence of life but are “most certainly highly provocative,” he said.

THE intense activities in space recently and those to come before Parliament reassembles mean pressure will undoubtedly be brought to bear on the Government to step up Britain’s endeavours in this field.

Britain’s present efforts are a minimum, compared with those of the two major space Powers. Also, both our main contributions are international rather than national in character. Our satellites, and only one has been launched so far, are going into space by kind permission of the United States.

Britain’s rocket programme is going to succeed in launching anything only if it receives the co-operation, and money, of certain European countries.

Yet other European countries have plans of their own, apart from any co-operative ventures. France, Italy and West Germany are all working alone on various significant space projects.

LOW OUTLAY

Present policy

The success of the Telstar operation was clouded, or so many thought, by the realisation that the Post Office and our communication systems would always have to do their work in space by the courtesy of the Americans, unless present policy is changed.

Present policy dictates that British spending on space be kept low. On satellites the budget is £400,000 a year; on a European launcher under the European Launcher Development organisation’s scheme, Britain is to contribute about £6 million a year; and on communication experiments the Post Office has spent just £750,000 in putting up the Goonhilly aerial.

“NATIONALIST EYES”

France a competitor

Mr. Kenneth Gatland, vice-president of the British Interplanetary Society, and author of a new book, “Astronautics in the Sixties,” contends that British technology will suffer if a greater part is not played in the space age.

He said yesterday that British policy was being fashioned chiefly by scientists, not technologists. If Britain does not care more for the technological by-products resulting from space work, she will slip behind in such spheres as automation, computers, ceramics, metallurgy, and plastics.

He added that it may be honourable and correct to see space as something that should be explored co-operatively, but other countries were looking at it with nationalist eyes. France was doing so, and she was a powerful competitor.

BIGGER BENEFITS

Other countries’ work

For the European Launcher Development Organisation, Britain’s share of the work was just to do with Blue Streak, a rocket based on principles 10 years old.

All the other countries, including Italy, France, Germany, Holland and Belgium, will be breaking new ground. For lesser contributions in money they may be benefiting more.

Some day, when communication satellites are being fired as regularly as communication cables are laid now, it will pay the launchers to have an equatorial launching site.

The rockets will not have to use valuable fuel twisting their flight paths so that the satellite arrives in an equatorial orbit, the one most suitable for communications.

Woomera is quite unsatisfactory from this point of view. Places like the Seychelles, the island group in the Indian Ocean, would be much better.

FLOATING ROCKET SITES

Italian scheme

The Italians are taking a considerable interest in Somalia. Besides plans for launching platforms at sea, which could fire the Scout-type rockets Italy expects to buy from the United States, they have prospected the land for launching sites.

Space exploration is expensive. But so are, for instance, land-based communications, and the intra-Commonwealth cable now being laid will cost £90 million.

Britain will be using space for communications at some time. But when or how has not been decided officially.

Indonesian rocket

JAKARTA, Monday.—Dr. Hadinoto, an Indonesian scientist, said here that Indonesia hopes to launch its first space rocket for scientific purposes in 1964 with Russian support.—AP.

LEONARDO SCHEME FOR SPACECRAFT

ESCAPE SYSTEM

FROM A SCIENCE CORRESPONDENT VARNA, Bulgaria, Wednesday.

A DESIGN by Leonardo da Vinci is being used as a model for the escape system in the American two-man Gemini space flight due to start next year.

If anything goes wrong after re-entry to the atmosphere an inflatable plastic paraglider, half glider, half parachute, will be extended above the capsule. This will provide lift for a controlled landing.

The kite-like shape of the extended 42ft wings is derived from Leonardo’s sketches for a bat-like flying machine. The spacecraft makes a gliding descent.

In another escape system the men can be thrown clear in ejector seats. A specially designed parachute has been developed to bring them to earth.

Astronauts will not go up in the Gemini spacecraft until the escape systems have been proved. Test fights will be made next year.

LONGER FLIGHT SOON

Dr. S. A. Glazunov, of Russia, said at the annual congress of the International Astronautical Federation at Varna to-day that the astronauts Lt.-Col. Popovich and Major Nikolayev survived their days of weightlessness so well that longer manned space flights may be expected “very soon.”

But the Russians are still worried by possible effects of weightlessness. “What we are afraid of is that a degree of muscular disintegration may develop.”

“Hercules” explosion

A NIKE Hercules anti-aircraft missile exploded 500ft above the launching pad at McGregor Range, El Paso, Texas, yesterday. Four French soldiers, from a guided missile brigade attached to NATO, and one American soldier, were killed.

COMBAT TEST OF MISSILE FAILS

VANDENBERG, California, Friday.

A Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile was fired from the Vendenberg Air Force base to-day. It was destroyed by a safety officer within minutes.—Reuter.

INDONESIA GETS RUSSIAN MISSILES

JAKARTA, Wednesday.

AN Indonesian Army spokesman said in Jakarta last night that Indonesia is to establish a guided missile flotilla equipped with surface-to-surface and surface-to-air missiles supplied by Russia.

He said that the Indonesian Government had sent hundreds of Navy personnel to Russia for missile training over the past 18 months.