Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-10-06

House dramatically announced 10 the
world our country's plans to launch
small unnamed earth-circiing satel-
lites" during the 1878 international
Geophysical Year. At the time. in view
of the Kremlin's reported activity IN
the same field. the possibility was sug-
gested that Russia's scientists might
outpace ours In perfecting such vehicles
and hurting them into space. Generally
speaking, however, most Of US had the
feeling that this particular race would
be won BY the United States.
But now we know better. We know
that above US, some $50 miles up, q
Soviet-made and soviet-launched artifi.
cial moons (weiehing about lc5 pounds,
much heavier than the type we plan TO
release) Is at this very moment looping
around the earth at q speed Of $4,000
miles and hour. As for our own project,
although we have done q great deal Of
talking about Il since 1855, 1t Is not
expected to get on the ground, the way
the Kremlin's has, until some time next
spring. So. even II grudgingly, we must
take our hats OF to the Russians. They
have done the Job frst, and It Is unde-
niably great scientific achievement for
which they well,deserve high praise.
Beyond that. Of course, there can
be no doubt that this Disappointing
event constitutes q major triumph for
the Kremlin in terms Of enhancing its
prestige and giving q powerful boost to
its propaganda throughout the world.
Yet, even though that is q fact which
we can hardly welcome, we ought not
to be unduly agitated or depressed by
what has happened. Actually, as far as
near-future military applications are
concerned, the earth satellite has no
present war potential; on the contrary.
its primary significance is limited now 10
the highly important role 1t promises to
play as scientific instrument with
which man can acquire precious new
knowledge about such things as cosmic
rays, solar energy, interstellar static and
numerous meteorological phenomena
that still mystify him. In that respect,
We have suffered no setback simply be-
cause the Russians have launched their
little moon months before our own
planned launching.
Still. with that said, we would be
very foolish indeed II we did not see in
the Kremlin's earth satellite exceedingly
impressive evidence Of the high quality
of Soviet science and technology. More
than that, 1t would be sheer blindness on
our part II we failed to recognize this
Russian achievement as q singularly
convincing confirmation of Moscow's
past claims about It's success in develop
ing an intercontinenta ballistic missile.
That weapon may yet be only in the
prototype stage, but any country that
can make vehicle ride far out in space,
$50 miles above the earth, Is a country
very well advanced in the art of rocketry,
and we can pooh-pooh that only at our
peril.
All Of which raises the question
whether we are really doing as much as
we can, as fast as we can, in the missile
field. The advent Of Russia's artificial
moon, several months before ours Is
scheduled to 60 up. suggests that We
have been Just q bit too sluggish, and
perhaps just bit too complacent, In
our approach to the whole fantastic bus
mess. Certainly. II that is the case, We
had better wake up and redouble our
efforts. Otherwise we may live to regret
our mistakes as we have never regretted
onvftiY1C elsa hef0re