Evening star., 1936-03-24
STARS, MEN AND ATOMS
Notebook of Science Progress in Field,
Laboratory and Study.
RY THOMAS r HENRY
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

the best results were obtained with a
mixture OF liquid oxygen and gasolene.
Another knotty problem is that of
stabilization. From the first it was of
primary Importance to perfect some
means of keeping the rockets in a ver-
tical course automatically, since rocket,
it was shown by DR.. Goddard's calcula-
tions, cannot rise vertically to a very
great height without a correction being
made when it deviates from the vertical
course. Such a correction is especially
important at the time the rocket starts
to rise, for rocket of very great range
must be loaded with maximum amount
of propellant and, consequently, must
start with as small an acceleration as
possible.
After various experiments, the best
results were obtained with small gyro-
scope, developed after numerous tests,
which controlled directing vanes. This
has been found to work satisfactory in
correcting deviations from the vertical.
Such oscillations vary from 10 to 80
degrees and occupy from one to two
seconds.
Says Mr.. Goddard: "Inasmuch as the
rockets start slowly, the first few hun
dred feet of the flight remind one of a
fish swimming in a vertical direction.
THE continually increasing speed Of
the rockets, with the accompanying
steady roar, make the flights very i'm
pressive. Sometimes q rocket leaves a
smoke trail and has a small, intensely
white flame issuing from the nozzle. This
flame at times nearly disappears, with
no decrease in roar or propelling force.
Occasional white flashes are seen below
the rocket-explosions of gasoline vapor
In the air"
At present the motor itself is consid-
cred Satisfactory-certainly so as basis
from which to build. The means Of
Stabilization is satisfactory. Inasmuch
as one of these rockets will carry a
delicate gyroScope which functions in
flight, it would seem capable of carrying
delicate recording instruments, such as
would be needed for study of conditions
in the outer reaches of the upper atmos-
phere. The possibility of making auto
matte recordings there is the chief OBJ
jective of the rocket ship work at present.
The possibility of actually carrying an
observer Is so remote that 1t never has
been seriously considered by DR.. Goddard
and his co-workers.
The next practical problem to solve
is that of reduction of the weight Of the
rockets themselves. The lighter they
are of course, the faster and farther the
motor" will propel them. Those used
during the past two years have varied
in weight from So to IS pounds. DR..
Goddard already has made some prog
ress in reducing these weights, but much
work remains to be done.
The greatest height obtained in any
Of the flights up to the present is $500
feet-less than mile and half. Much
greater heights can be obtained. DR..
Goddard has not been trying for dis
tance before disposing of the more funA
damental problems.
Besides the support of the directors
of the Guggenheim Foundation, DR..
Goddard's work has had the enthuSi-
Astic Endorsement of leaders of Amer1-
can science, including DR.. Charles G.
Abbot, secretary Of the Smithsonian
Institution: Ur. John G. Merriam. presa-