Evening star., 1949-01-10
Stars, Men and Atoms
Atomic Power for Rockets
Seen Remote Possibility
Ship Worked Out on Paper at NIT,
Would Weigh $50 Tons
Bv TtOm0s r. Henrv


Would Weigh $50 Tons
BY Thomas X. Henry
Use of atomic power for rocket propulsion ia
one of the more fantastic possibilities of the
future.
1t would be major step towards push.
button war" carried on across oceans and conti-
nents. 1t would open up the prospect Of flight
far above~the earths atmosphere and even
beyond this planets gravitational field.
Several conceivable plans have been worked
out on paper One, which appears to many
experts as probably the most practical is that
of DR.. Hsue-Shen Tsien of the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. 1t calls for stream
of superheated hydrogen spurted from the rear
of the rocket
Speed of rockets depends in large measure
on the speed of the materials used as pro-
pellants. The super-heated hydrogen would
consist largely of protons. the heavy positively
charged particles in atoms. Their speed, If
the temperature were great enough, might ap-
proach that Of light, or about 10000 miles q
second. This, of course is far from any prac-
tical conception.
One of DR.. Tsien's calculations calls for Q
rocket which, loaded and ready to leave the
earth, would weigh 1850 tons. BY far the
greater part of 1t would be taken up by the
atomic pile, which would be about 95 feet
long and have diameter of approximately
100 feet. 1t would carry 1,246 tons of hydro
gen, Hghtest of all the gasses. There would
be about 120 pounds of the vital u 235 and
from SO to "a tons of neutralizing material.
The total heat which could be generated Prof.
Tsien calculates, would be about $4,000 900, 900
calories This would serve for the propulsion
of rocket weighing with its fuel exhausted,
a total of about 280 tons.
Technical Difficulties Are Great.
Nobody mas any conception of the technical
difficulties that might stand in the way OF
the actual construction of such rocket. At
the best it would be extremely cumbersome
and expensive, but anything smaller does not
seem feasible. Presumably it would not be
intended to carry human beings If so, 1t
would be necessary to have an enormous ad-
dtional weight in protective shields.
Among the schemes proposed for utilizing
atomic energy, other than through the agency
of a steam or gas turbine engine. Is by gen.
Grating electric current in a gigantic thermo-
couple. When two metals which are unequal
as conductors of electricity are Joined together
and one kept at different temperature than
the other, an electric current Is generated
across their junction. The greater the diff.
ference in temperature, generally speaking,
the greater the current
The device has been used in the past for
extremely delicate heat measurements and in
various delicate thermostat devices. 1t could
be utilized for production of electricity but, 1t
is stressed only by very radical changes from
any designs known at present. Whether 1t
could be made practical can be determined
only by long and expensive experimentation.
There are constant rumors that somebody
has devised new way for direct utilization Of
atomic power, but SO far as can be ascertained
these are nothing more than rumors
A substance can be extracted from brain
tissue which acts against viruses which attack
the nervous system-such as those Of the vari-
Gus forms of encephalits.
This discovery has been reported to the
American Association for the Advancement Of
Science by Drs. Jordi Casals and Peter K
Olitsky of the Rockefeller Institute for Medical
Research.
Extracts obtained from the brains of appar.
emily normal mice and sheep protected mice
infected with ordinarily deadly doses of the
virus of Russian Far East encephalitis, chosen
because IL was possible 10 prOuuce measurable
infections with very light doses. The protec.
tive action, the two scientists report, was far
from absolute but its evidences were too great
to be attributed to chance
Four Week Delay Required.
The brain extract had no effect when used
Immediately after extraction. Only after it
had been kept in a refrigerator for about four
weeks was the protection observable. The
extract had to be given within 4S hours after
the animals were infected.
would be of value against other nerve-attack.
ing viruses but, it is claimed, there is little
reason to believe that it should be effective only
against one rare species chosen almost at ran.
DOM
Drs. Casals and Olitsky make no claims to
having obtained the pure principle which Is
responsible for the anti-virus action. There Is
some possibility that this may be due to .
bacterial contamination.
The result might be interpreted as indicating
that the brain itself is building up protection
against agents of nerve destruction but that
this process has not yet gone very far. The
extract of course is far from the status where
it can have any medical value, but the finding
may be an important opening wedge to new
biological principle.
Questions and Answers
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