The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1933-11-09
Commander Describes
Flight to DAILY"
Correspondent
BY vERN SMITH

MOOSOW, u. .. .. R.--COm-
mander Prokofiev of the Stratostat
~. 8. s. r." grinned all over his
broad Russian face and ran his hand
over his brown hair I'VE did it." he
said, I'VE workers, men and women,
OF the Soviet Union, with the scien-
lists and chemists and our new tech
meal equipment we made ourselves,
we have demonstrated that we can
and will overtake capitalist science
in all fields, that we have overtakea
1t in this field. We do not adver-
tise our achievements because work.
ers do not need to boast. But we
made this flight to the shakespeare
for the advancement OF our science
and its practical results TO the work
ers."
Prokofiev sat with Godunov. the
engineer on the expedition, and gave
this interview to the correspondent
OF the Daily Worker and CORE
spondents of other workers papers.
The two filters made up two-thirds Of
the crew OF the historic flight, the
other member being the radio OPP
orator and pilot, Birnbaum.
On Sept. 80 OF this year. the
Stratostat ~. s. 8. r." essentially
huge balloon, assembled to height
OF $4,000 meters. That means 10000
feet, or nearly IL miles, right up in
the air over Moscow. This carries
one well into the shakespeare, the
space of very thin air above the
atmosphere that we breathe.
What practical results from this
record breaking flight of the U. S. s.
R.?" the correspondent demanded.
ut is the beginning of systematic
study Of the stratosphere for one
thing"
The stratosphere, the fliers ex-
planned, is closely connected with the
lower atmospheric weather condi-
lions, and must be investigated for
that reason. Furthermore, the posi-
bility of airplane transportation in
the thin air must be investigated.
High speeds with small motors may
be possible there because of low air
resistance, whereas in the lower
atmosphere increase in speed means
bigger, heavier engines with more
air resistance.
The other line of discovery was
the registering of radiations of cos
mic and other rays in the upper air
Cosmic rays were just discovered
few years ago; they penetrated ma
terials as x-rays do, and seem to
come from outside the earth, from
empty space or the stars.
One ray, called Gamma" grew
stronger above a certain height, until
which the machines carried had been
registering it weaker. Prokofiev sug-
gests that there may really be two
Gamma" rays. The whole question
of analyzing such data is in the
hands of the experts in the Soviet
Union, and findings will be pub
lished before long. Some use will
sooner or later be found for these
discoveries.
"0UR strstosphere flight tested out
" conditions for other flights to
follow" the filters said, land a real
study of the stratosphere means sys-
tematic flights at all times of the
year and collecting Of mass of in
formation.
Flights in winter possible2"
"Oh, yes"
Can flights go higher than this
one did,"
eyes, but our stratostat was con-
structed with 10000 meter maxi
mum altitude in mind, and we car
ried out strictly according to plan"
Both Prokofiey and Godunov de-
scribed at length the construction Of
the stratostat. They got practically
no help from Piccard's flight. Pic
cards instruments left no record
they could use. Piccard's balloon
was built in different countries, one
part in each, and when he made his
first unsuccessful attempt his repairs
required a delay of eight months.
The first flight of the q. S. s. r."
was planned for Sept. "a and weather
conditions forced the deflation of the
big balloon. The actual flight was
only six days later.
In this connection II might be
noted that the British Daily Mail"
and other capitalist papers COM
nented sarcasticaly after Sept. "a, |
but were quickly silenced when the |
record was smashed on Sept. 80.
DICCARD'S balloon took two years !
to build. The ~. 8. S. r." was
ordered built last November. All
work done on it was in The nature
Of social work" in addition to the
regular tasks Of the engineers, scien-
lists, Red Army commanders and
factories constructing it, all of which
had their full quota of ordinary"
work to carry on. They rejected as
4 personal affront any suggestions to
pay them overtime for this building
If the stratostat.
Every effort was made to econo-
nize on the cost, which totalled only
10000 rubles, instead Of the seven
DR. eight million rubles" estimate cur
rent in Western European and Amer
can newspapers.
Prokofiev declared that Engineer
Todunov deserved a big share of the
credit for this first planning, as well
Is for construction later. Construc-
lion lasted from February to May,
with every bit of material used being
If Soviet manufacture. 1t is this
TACT as well as the courage Of the
crew and brilliance Of design that