Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-05-03
balIoonists Plan
High-A|titude
Hurricane Study
BY THOMAS R. HENRY

1auCdSClc neVer-neVer realm
vaulted by a coal-black sky in
which stars shine at noon. Navy
balloonists are planning extern
siye observations of hurricanes.
thunderstorms and other weather
phenomena from the relatively
safe calm Of the earth's strato-
sphere this summer.
Plans for Project Hurricoon of
the Once Of Naval Research
were described to the American
Meteorological Society here yes
terday by 1t. Comdrs. Malcolm
d. Ross and M. Lee Lewis.
Storms are to be photographed
from above by special techniuuesl
and perhaps even televised, I'll
was explained. from what may
be considered almost stationary
platforms in the sky when COM
pared to fast-flying aircraft.
The platforms" are inclosed.
spherical fiberglass gondolas.
carrying their own atmosphere,
attached to polyethylene plastic
"skyhook balloons" similar toI
those in which Comdrs. Ross and
Lewis already have made several
ascents to great attitudes. Safety
factors. it is believed. now are
fairly well established.
Gives Detailed Data
Project Hurricoon calls for
launching skyhooks OF the At
lantic Coast In advance Of hur-
ricanes moving northward from
the Caribbean and being in a
position for leisurely observation
when the great storms pass be-
low. In this way it should be
possible to get much more de-
tailed pictures of hurricane
structure than has been possible
before, Comdr. Lewis said.
It is also planned to photo
graph the progress of warm and
cold fronts. vast masses of air
moving from the poles or Equa-
tor. which now are recognized as
major factors in weather phe-
nomena.
At 100000 feet, Comdr. Ross |
said. the floating baskets are
above all but about / per cent |
Of the earth's atmosphere. This
makes possible studies Of atmos-I
phere Of other planets without
the confusion that comes from
interference by the earth's blan-
ket of gases.
Flights in the Midwest during
the past two years have demon
strated the practicability Of hu-
man observers remaining at great
attitudes in balloons for hours
at Q time. Previous flights have
been concerned with physiologi-
cal studies and observation Of
the intricacies Of high cloud |
formations. Sky voyages at three
levels are contemplated, depend
ing on the phenomena to be |
observed.
Low Flights Studied
Low-altitude flights can be
made with the observers in open
baskets with essentially no spe-
cial equipment. They still are in
the so-called troposphere, the
earth's blanket Of relatively
thick air in which most weather
phenomena occurs.
The next stage is the lower
stratosphere, the region of the
atmosphere where temperature
no longer goes down with alti-
tude. Here cold-weather protec-
ton and oxygen masks are es-
sential In the extreme upper
levels from which many of the
observations will be made a COM
plete artificial atmosphere will
be needed.
Additional plans for observa-
tons to be made by automatic
recording instruments attached
to the artificial satellite which
Will be launched this summer
were described to the meteorolo-
gists by staff members Of the
smithsonian Astrophysical OBJ
servatory at Cambridge, Mass.
which will be in charge Of keep
ing track Of the man-made
moon.
Seeks TO Calm Fears
DR.. Fred L. Whipple treasured
people against fears that the
satellite may 60 astray and
plunge to earth in an inhabited
area. An insurance company is
being set up at the University
OF Iowa, he said, which willII
insure against any satallite
damage at a premium of only
IL cents per million dollars.
Twelve stations now are under
construction for tracking the
object during its l00-minute
voyages around the earth, it
was explained by DR.. j. Allen
Hynek Of the observatory staff
From these stations scattered
along the calculated orbit-in
Australia, India, Iran, South
Africa, Spain, Florida, New:
Mexico, Curacao, Peru and Ar
enthusiastically it will be
quite feasible to observe and
even photograph the object in
morning and evening twilight
These are the only times in
which 1t can be seen. Its lumi-
mostly will be about Tooth of a
candle power, but this is well
within the limits Of astronomical
observation.