Evening star., 1952-03-24
A Trick for Posterity

Though OverShadoWed bit by the EiSen-
hower-Taft race. the outer reaches Of space
have lately been winning quite few headlines.
In spite of all the current political fevers -or
maybe because OF them-these far-off heavens
seem to be appealing more and more to people
who ordinarily have their feet on the ground.
A case in point Is the traffic jam caused the
other night by thousands Of Washingtonians
fiocking to the Naval Ordnance Laboratory at
White Oak, Md, to hear an expert talk about
interplanetary travel and celestial military in
StallationS
The expert-Dr Wernher Won Braun, one
Of the developers of the German W. rocket
has envisioned not -too-distant future when
ships flying at speed Of some thousands Of
miles an hour, viii be available to carry cargo
and passengers to. places like Mars and the
Moon. He has also senvisioned the development
Of "space platforms Ca thing Id which our
Defense Department has long shown considerable
interest) that win be capable Of circling our
globe every two hours and keeping constant
armed watch on the entire earth's surface. from
point more than 1000 miles up
Although DR.. Won Braun's views have been
derided In certain quarters, the fact remains
that they have been attractive enough to lead
great numbers Of our fellow townsmen into a.
motorists mess at White Oak. The phenomenon
other, including perhaps sheer escapism or a
latent mass desire to ny on to new worlds far
from automobiles, politics and the madding
throng of earthlings. Whatever the exact ex-
planation, however, the evidence Is plain that
people at large-and not just readers of inter-
planetary adventures In the funny sheets are
looking into this subject with increasing serious
ness And why not? After all, Enthusiastically
silly as the whole business may seem, It Is not
really laughing matter ii terms Of the long,
range future. Il it were, our military scientists,
competing with those abroad would not be
carrying out their very businessike experiments
with space.
In one Of the latest Of these experiments
as Just reported here to meeting of the Aero
Medical Associations live mice and monkeys have
been rocketed so miles up by Air Force scientists
seeking to learn about mans ability to journey
among the planets or operate military space
platforms" Although all the creatures involved
survived the actual flight during which their
heartbeats, blood pressures, etc. were radioed
to earth-the monkeys died In the end chiefly
because of faulty parachuting equipment. But
the mice aweightless" 1t one point for lack Of
gravity returned III fine fettle and are now
happily raising families. which proves that these
particular animals can travel tremendously high.
st terrific speed, and still come back to normal
existence. 81
AS for man, the highest he has gone thus
far Is Is miles theoretically, however, as indi-
Gated by his progress toward intercontinental
guided missiles and rockets, he very probably
Is capable Of eventually building ships Of the
sort prophesied hy DR.. Won Braun. But what
he win do with them. when and II he gets them,
Is another question. Not being mice, human
beings, regardless Of how the idea may fascinate
them or how eager they may be to nee from the
hurly- -hurly Of this world, win certainly refuse
to take on III such contraptions until after q
superdaring few become the C0lumbuses of
interplanetary travel Meanwhile, All of Us are
most likely to remain quite earthbound ia our
own lifetime. Tourism IN outer space IS 3 trick
that one Is Inclined to leave To posterity with
little d 10 envy