Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-13

from its successful breakthrough
into outer space. is stressing the
fact that only the Soviet Union
and the United States are. as Of
this moment, sponsors Of satellite
programs Therefore. say the So
Wet spokesman, agreement be-
tween Moscow and Washington
is the only practical answer to the
worlds fears of a nuclear holo-
caust. The U. N. action now. in
the Soviet view, should be adoption
Of q ban on nuclear testing.
Several delegates of the pro-
Soviet bloc nations took the view
that Moscow would move to jetti-
son the Vests proposal for aerial
and ground inspections Of mill
tary activity on the premise that
the universal eye of the satellite
made such inspection academic.
According to some reports last
week. the satellite now whizzing
around the world every Sc min
utes is equipped with Photographic
equipment. How information from
the satellites camera could be
transmitted to earth is not re-
vealed. but scientists in the Amer
lean satellite project. Project
Vanguard. confirm the possibility
Of such an arrangement.
Scientific Considerations
An Indian delegate told this
reporter informally that the move
to achieve some U. N. control over
space satellites and long-range
missiles. besides its concern with
their military potentials. was also
impelled by purely scientific con-
siderations.
Vast benefits can be expected
TO accrue to mankind. he pointed
out. through the discoveries now
possible with the penetration Of
the mystery Of space. 1t is thus
essential, he argued, that all ma
tons participate in the fruits of
such new knowledge.
And as vast as the scope of
outer space is. there is already
some concern, justified or not.
with a possible space trafic
problem. Not as ridiculous as 1t
may seem, the potential problem
might be compared in general to
the traffic problem existing at busy
airportS. where hundreds Of air.
craft converge on a single small
area. DRIFTING objects move
throughout the earth's ATTITUDES
as the earth itself continues to
spin Thus careful computations
would be necessary if large num-
Der of satellites were launched.
and such computations would have
to be made in full knowledge of
the established orbits Of other
satellites, Of whatever national
origin.
There is great variety in the
opinion expressed here on the
proper steps for obtaining peaceful
purposes for space satellites. But
there is general agreement that,
by the very nature Of space ac-
tivity, the problem is one for this
international organization.
Despite the general attitude,
however. the Soviet Union appears
still to oppose u N. action. Some
delegates recalled the Moscow
stand in 1916, when the Baruch
plan for international control of
atomic energy was before the U. N.
Then as now. they observed, the
Soviet position was one calculated
to take full advantage of the
power potentials Of a new weapon.
Today, the Soviet Union has ac-
tually launched its satellite, and
asserts that the ICBM is already
a part Of the Red arsenal. In
1916, Soviet technology had not
yet mastered the atomic bomb.
Yet in both instances. the Moscow
approach was one coldly aimed to
upset radically the balance Of the
worlds military power.