• VDTL 17 June 1957

MENDRANDUN FOR coma, TERME

SUBJECT: Eighth International Astronautical Congress

1. The undersigned respectfully =quarts 'emission to make

arrangements to attend the Eighth International Astronautical Congress

to be held in Barcelona, Spain, 6-12 Oct 1957.

a. Justification

Over a period of time, I have became increasingly involved

in various types of planning for the future. ftemples are:

Technological forecast, 1955-1975, for use of

Gen Schriever on ARDC Ballistic Missiles and Space Vehicles Committee.

R-W Study on Follow-on Missiles, Satellites, and

Space Vehicles for AFDAP.

Speech for Gen Schriever to present to Astronautics

Symposium at San Diego on the "Ian - A Step Toward Space Conquest."

Material for Gen Schriever to present to Scientific

Advisory Board on "The Future of Ballistic Missiles".

R-W Study of Technical Programs and Management of

en AF Guided Missile Center.

Review of ARDC Technical Program Planning Documents

from the standpoint of having these documents reflect true ballistic

missile and space vehicle technical requirements for the future.

Review of R-W research proposals to determine degree

of applicability to immediate and future requirements.

Numerous small studies contributing to plans for

the future, such as solid propellants, nuclear vs chemical powered

rockets, etc.

This type of activity has required that I keep in very close touch

with everything that is going on in this area. ) position has helped

considerably in this respect, as I have numerous contacts with industry

(both in and outside our progress), research organisations, and educational

institutions. I have also had the opportunity to attend a reasonable

number of symposia, all of which have been sponsored or co-sponsored

by ARDC agencies with one exception. This exception was a local IAS

Meeting for which I was the Chairmen of the morning session.
Contacts such as noted above have afforded me a fair crosssection view of U.S. technical thinking in various areas 'adhere

allowed me to Rieke rational estimates of technical possibilities for

the future and to weigh the estimates of others.

This Astronautical Congress mould give me the cheme of determining

the status of foreign ideas. Imam foreign countries, scientists

are limited in their actual accomplishments by Hinds or a ben on

certain advanced work (0ermmnp), but there is no limit to the amount

of thinking that these scientists can do. The foreign field thee

presents an opportunity for learning of the bizarre ideas that have

come to light unhampered by kmowledge of hardware limitations, which

may affect thinking in this country.

I mould also propose on this trip to contact the Brussels Office of

Hq ANDC and the Technical Intelligence Office at Wiesbaden, Germany.

In our FY '57 and Fr '58 budgets, Mow was set aside fOr specific

work that could be accomplished on an unclassified.tesis by foreign

scientists in the propulsion, guidance, and nose cone areas. During

FY '57, these funds were reprogrammed as no-one bad the opportunity

to take a first-band look at the possibilities. One attempt was

made by Dr. Millard Barton of R-W during his visit to the Applied

Mechanics Congress last fail. This however, was unfruitful as this

Congress vas held in Brussels and the ARDC Office was preoccupied

with those activities. Gen Flickinger has made a couple of trips to

AMID with regard to aid that they could furnish to our progrua, but

he has been preoccupied with othmrsatters, and although an the last

trip, he brought over some information on an extremely interesting

project, insufficient details were available for an evaluation. A

first-band contact is necessary.

2. I present three plans for accomplishing this trip in order

of my priority.

PLAN COST TO OOV'T MUMS

a. Normal TDY Transportation

21 days Rd trip to Wash.

Paris

Barcelona

Paris

Frankfurt

Per Diem

Total

283.80

59.RD Rd Trip

32.40 Via

Brussels

252.00 

*667.40

2

MATS transatlantic

transportation

utilized
COST 20 GOV'T

TGY at no

expense to

Govt - 21

digs

Transportation 0 This would provide me

Per Diem 0 with orders permitting

MATS transatlantic transportation. All nonmilitary transportation

would be at my ovn expense.

leave Transportation 0 I would still plan to use

30 dye Per Dien 0 WAS for transatlantic

flight an a "space mailable"

basis, therefOre require

additional time.

Plan a. does not appear to cost the Government anymore than many trips

vithin the U.S. of equal duration.

Plan b. is proposed in case this is considered somewhat of a "boondoggle".

Plan c. is proposed in case the trip is considered a complete "boondoggle".

I will lose approximately three vests leave this fiscal year, so taking

this trip on a leave status is of ao =jar concern to me as contrasted

with Plan b.

Plan a. is, of course, preferred. If I vent under Plan c. I would

feel no responsibility for submitting a trip report, although, I would

still obtain the desired initmmetion.