Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-03-04

the prime contract for producing the ICBM but didn't
move speedily enough for the Air Force.
Either you get better results you lose the con-
tract" the Air Force warned. The company didn't
improve and the Air Force revoked its contract.
The ICBM means too much to the security OF the
United States for us to take chances, it ruled
The Ramo- Woodbridge Corporation of Los Angeles
now has the overall contract for producing the ICBM.
The General Electric Corporation has responsibility for
the electronic components North American Aviation
and Aeroje General working on the rocket engines,
and the Convair Division of the General Dynamics
Corporation is building the hull and tanks. These five
companies hold in their hands the lives of all their
fellowcounymen. And their job is the toughest prop
oston American airmen, scientists and industriasts
have ever had to tackle together.
Three Gargantuan problems have had to be met in
developing the lCBM The first is the question of pro-
pulsion. How do you fly 250-ton vehicle for 5000
nonstop miles speed of 900 miles an hour with
out refueling? 1t sounds almost impossible, but
real gains have been made toward this goal.
The system that has been worked out is this. Two
mighty Jet engines being designed with a combined
thrust of 100000 pounds 30 times greater than the
strongest airplane engine in the world today One OF
these engines will fling the missile the first 100 miles or
so up into the air. Then, its fuel exhausted it will auto
maticalIy drop off and tighten the load The second
engine will now take over. By the time it, too, has
exhausted its fuel 10 to II minutes after the launch
ing the ICBM will have built up such enormous
momentum that it will be able to flash through the
ectospere right to the target with no further propusve
power. like bullet from gun.
Naturally the most powerful fuel imaginable will be
required to the ICBM's two giant engines. Just
what it will be is not yet decided Best bet now appears
to be liquid oxygen plus a new secret chemical.
Terrific Speed, Terrific Heat
Second of the three mammoth problems the ICBM
designers have to face is heat. When the ICBM dives
back into the earhs atmosphere at the end ofts $1,000
mile perhour flight through space. the terrific speed at
which will be travelling is going TO generate absolutely
unbearable temperatures above 10 600 degrees Fahen
he That is hotter than it the 1t is hot that
any diamond exposed to it would Immediately turn
into puff of vapor.
under such heat" NACA officials say, the ICBM
could just disappear
The ICBM men think that they may have found an
answer this awful heat though They believe it may
lie in ntirely kind of material with which they
have BIN experimenting. 1t is called "cermets," an
alloy of metal and ceramics.
Just recently certain oermet tested at more than
5000 degrees. 1t survived.
The last of the three big problems in building the
ICBM more rugged than the others. 1t involves
guidance system for the missile. The question here is:
How do you launch missile in the United States
and expect it to find its way, with mans help for
5000 miles through outer space to little dot on the
surface of the earth?'
Not the slightest margin for error can be tolerated
Air Secretary Quares has stressed that in 6OOOmile