Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-20

weight to be lowered by parachute
will be very little and the instru-
mentS can be brought down with
entire safety.
It is believed that the results
to be obtained from the shooting
of instruments to great attitudes
by rocket will be of far-reaching
value in the fields of meteorology
astronomy, radio broadcasting
aviation and science in general.
1t is expected, for example, that
much will be learned of the spec
trum of the sun above the ozone
layer, from so to rs miles above
the earth'S surface. Further
knowledge may be gained of radio
broadcaSting waves, which are
known to follow an electrical
ceiling" known as the Kennedy
Heaviside layer, which is assumed
to be a layer of air charged cleo
trically. In the field of meteor
ology, as a particular aid to avia-
ton, 1t may be possible to prepare
high elevation weather maps.
FlrSt Report In 1916.
Prof. Goddard's first report on
his experiments was made in 1916
and was published by the Smith
Sonian Institution three years la
ter. He has developed a new
method of reaching high alti-
tudes, shown to be operative in
theory, which is regarded as so
valuable that the experiments are
to be continued under the direc-
ton of a committee composed of
DR.. ]. C. Merriam, president of
Carnegie Institution, of this city;
DR.. Charles G. Abbot of the Smith
sonian Institution, Charles F.
Marvin, chief of the Weather Bu-
reau; Col. Charles A. Lindbergh,
DR.. r. A. Millikan of the Cali
fornia Institute of Technology,
DR.. Walter S. Adams of Mount
Wilson Observatory, John A..
Fleming, acting director of the
Department of Terrestrial Mag
netiSm of Carnegie Institution,
this city, and Henry Breckin-
ridge.
In the opinion of DR.. Abbot,
Prof. Goddard'S inventions, his
development of proper gas orif1ces
and continuously burning liquid
I~opellantS and his mathematical
form the foundation on
which important events in the ex-
ploration of the air will depend.
"Goddard's rockets" DR.. Abbot
said, will enable scientists to ex-
plore the air from sea level to it's
highest layers. Studies will be
made where the air density is less
than in our most perfect vacua.
and helium may be
found more plentiful than oxygen
and nitrogen here, samples for
chemical composition will be
brought down, temperatures and
preSSureS will be determined, the
and magnetic properties
Of the higher atmosphere will be
and light will be thrown
on the idiosyncrasies of radio
Will Photograph Spectrum.
even the spectrum of the sun
will be photographed beyond the
of the violet, where it's
most interesting part is forever
cut of to all observatories by alb
Sorption of the traces of ozone,
which always exists in the higher
atmosphere.
"These things we have been
speaking of relate to the atmos-
phere Is to $50 miles up. They
are of absorbing scientific inter
est. OF greatest value to the avia-
tor OF the future will be the mod
erate-height measurements of
temperatures, preSsures, wind We
locities and electrical conditions,
which rockets at all principal air
ports will be making daily. At
present our measurements for the
aviator'S air chart must be made
by watching drift balloons, by
sending up planes, by flying kites
and captive balloons, or by eSti-
mating from observations made on
the ground. It is impossible to
get quickly results on the air con-
ditionS at considerable heights in
these ways. With the parachute
rocket, however, we may expect
that automatic instruments will
be sent to any desired height and
will bring back their records safely
within a few minutes. Thus, by
means of a network Of stations,
the Weather Bureau will be in
position to map the weather of
the air as successfully as now 1t
maps the weather Of the earth's
surface"
For use as the propulsive me-
dunn in aircraft, however, the
rocket principle presents prob
lems which have not yet been
worked out fully. 1t is regarded
as possible that jet propulsion by
the emission of expanding gases
may be replaced by the emission
of air through jets from a turbine
or blower. In Germany the ennis
sion of gases from explosion Of
powder and liquids has been en-
ployed for propulsion Of railway
carriages, automobiles and air.
planes.
German Rocket Plane.
In the case Of the German
rocket plane, the take-off was
made by means of the ordinary
aviation engine and propeller,
after which the rockets were fired
to continue flight. This method
is employed in a unique plane de-
signed by Maurice Poirier, which
employs ordinary engines to take
off and climb to safe attitudes
and then contemplates the use of
rocket jets for high-speed flight.
At any rate, the humble sky
rocket at last seems to be coming
into It's own and 1t seems likely
that ubafavar yooseihiIifias IT. NAV