Evening star., 1953-02-01

tHe TOcKeL SecLlOn OF tHe NuUuL
Research Laboratory. The article
appeared in Research ReuieWS,
published by the Office of NaUal
Research.
By N. W. Rosen
When rocket technicians meet
there is saying: You have either
just had trouble, you are now having
trouble, or you are about to have
trouble"
A few successful flights have re-
ceived wide publicity, but the pub
lie seldom learns about the many
rockets which do not fulfill pre-
dictionS.
Why is it so difficult to go much
higher than we have been? 1t is
because the engineers have caught
up with the scientists and have al
most exhausted our store of basic
knowledge.
Thus, present plans for space
travel and designs for spaceships
are based on meager store of scien-
tific knowledge and a large amount
of speculation. There is a place
for speculation if it is clearly
labeled speculation" and if it's pur-
pose is to stimulate interest. But
great deal of harm would prob
ably be done to the cause of space
flight if the United States were to
undertake any of the fantastic pro-
jectS for a Spaceship that have been
Where Do We Stond?
Where do we stand today with
respect to space travel?
Altitude is the primary factor.
Two attitudes, Is miles and so miles,
are significant.
According to unofficial but reliable
reports. a Douglas Skyrocket has
reached an altitude of Is miles and
its pilot has returned safely. For
an altitude of Is miles, then, feasi-
bility has actually been demon
Strated.
The significance of the 50-milo
height is that parachute recovery Of
rockets or instruments has been Sue
over, acceleration is within the toll
erance limit of human beings.
Above so miles the situation is en-
tirely different. Attempts at para
chute recovery even of instruments
have not been successful. Depending
upon the altitude to be reached,
acceleration could be beyond human
fn1nronnn Oh
the melting points of available ma
terialS.
Whot We Con Do
If we cannot build spaceship
today, what can we do to advance
the cause Of space travel?
We can discover the ingredients
for future engineering.
Before we can attempt to trans
port human beings in ship, we
must produce practical, reliable.
unnamed satellite. To do this we
need better. more efficient rocket
power plants, and unfortunately,
our progress in recent years has
been slow.
We need more research on fuels,
on hlgh-temperature metals and
novel methods for cooling the inner
walls Of rocket motors and the outer
skins of high speed airframes. We
need more and better sounding
rockets rockets which
can ascend far above the attitudes
thus far achieved. They are our
best laboratories for space flight re-
search.
(The WAC-Corporal, fired from
the nose of a captured German W.
rocket, reached an estimated ESQ
mile altitude)
Atomic Energy Limited
Atomic energy has been envisioned
as an almost limitless power source
for the rocket, but its value has
been overestimated, for some linita-
tions of present-day rockets still
apply.
All rockets are propelled by the
election of matter. Our atomic
rocket, like our present rockets, will
have to carry a working fluid. The
major gain to be achieved from a
nuclear power plant lies in the fact
that this fluid can have lower molec-
ular weight than the exhaust gases
of chemical combustion.
There are also disadvantages -
for example, the danger to instru-
ments and personnel from radiation
but despite such difficulties, the
potential use of nuclear power can
not be ignored.
Thus far, research contributing to
space travel has been accomplished
as by-product of other projects.
largely military The time has come,
believe, for someone or some group
to assess clearly the problems in
volved in space flight and to de-
we could do
Such a group should consist of
able and respected representatives of
Government, science and industry
and might be sponsored by the Ma
tional Science Foundation recently
created by Congress.
When the country can afford the
manpower and money required the
communications of the proposed
committee would constitute a prac-
ticable program to support work.
Why Do 1t?
Now comes the question-Why do
it at all?
The alleged military value of
spaceship is as speculative as to-
days spaceship designs. Moreover.
we can only speculate about the ma
terial benefits that might be derived
from exploration of outer space.
am reminded of an Aesop fable.
A farmer, being on the point Of
death. called his sons and said: MY
children, am now departing from
this life. All I have to leave you.