Evening star., 1957-12-06
Buck Rogers Is Here

The American Rocket Society, whose
members include many distinguished
scientists, would have been twitted or
laughed at few years ago II 1t had
advocated the kind Of program 1t ad-
vocateS now. But times have changed.
All Of sudden. 1t seems, our world has
been thrust into an age when fantasy
and reality look like one and the same
thing, and when such erstwhile comic
strip characters as Buck Rogers and his
fellow space-travelers have acquired the
stature of interplanetary prophets and
trail-blazers
So the AIRS program. even though
parts Of it may be altogether impracti-
cal, commands serious attention today
instead Of evoking jeers or tickling any
body's sense Of humor. AS just made
public. the program-which was drawn
up prior to the launching of Russias
two Sputniks, and which has since been
placed before President Eisenhower
proposes. among other things, the prompt
establishment OF a great new Federal
enterprise that would have complete
charge Of all the Nations unnamed
and manned space projects. excepting
only those OF a strictly military char
acter.
This enterprise, to be known per-
hapS as the Astronomical Research and
Development Agency" would combine
In its own field duties and operations
roughly comparable to those Of the
Atomic Energy Commission and the Ma
Aufe
nautics. It's objectives. which would be
scheduled for attainment over varying
periods between now and 1888, would
include the following: (1) The launch
ing Of numerous big and heavy earth
satellites; (2) the dispatch Of special de-
vices on exploratory lunar expeditions;
60 the creation Of artificial comets that
would be sent heavenward to seek scien-
tiflc information in the regions between
Venus and Mars, and az the building Of
space ships that would each carry as
many as 10 persons on return-trip flights
around our own globe and around the
moon, with regular landings to be made
on the latter.
Fantastic as some Of them may
seem at first glance. these are ideas
based on a solid foundation Of what
must now be regarded as realistic
probabilities and possibilities. Majority
Leader Lyndon Johnson, for example, Is
no visionary. As chairman Of the SEN
ate's satellite missile investigation, ne
is interested solely in hard and demon
strable facts, and 1t is just such facts
that have led him-as in his Houston
speech the other day-to warn that
we are all moving with breath taking
speed" into a tremendously revolution
ary new era. To quote him In part:
Rockets to the moon are Just over the
horizon. Space ships are only few
years away. Most Of us will live to see
them"
1t is because Of this onruShing pros
pect that Senator johnson, like mem
bers OF the American Rocket Society,
firmly believes that the time is already
here when our country must begin to
take extraordinary action. His own rec
concentrations call for measures that
would include great speed-up in missile
development, far-reaching changes in
our educational system, and maybe even
the organization Of a huge space acad-
emy' to train men for trips TO the moon.
These are matters that may have been
laughable at one time, but now they are
deadly serious. Buck Rogers, whether
we like him or not, is here to stay.