Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-02-16
Pentagon Sits
lover 20 Ideas
|0n Space Flight
BY ELTON G. FAY
Associated Press stan Writer

Associated Press stan Writer
The Defense Department al
ready has received more than
. score Of proposals from the
three armed services for major
space projects big satellites,
shots at the moon, DRIFTING
flights around the moon with
robot reconnaissance vehicles.
With limited funds available,
1t is trying to sort out the prof.
ects with the most technical
merit.
Up to $1e5 million is poten-
tally available for space prof.
ects. However. this total in
cludes items earmarked for
other research and develop
ment. including studies on mis-
sile weapons.
Currently, the assessment Of
requests Is being carried on by
10 department committee and
the Pentagon's missile director,
William Holiday. But when
the new Advanced Research
Projects Agency, headed by
Roy johnson, begins operating
this spring, all space problems
win be handled by the agency.
Jupiter to the Moon
One Of the latest proposals
came this week from the Cali
fornia Institute Of Technol-
ogy's Jet Propulsion Labora-
tory. That laboratory built
Explorer I, the satellite which
the Army launched successfully
with a modified Jupiter-C re-
search vehicle.
At a news conference in
Pasadena on Thursday, JPL
scientists said that by adding
another rocket stage to a Jupi-
ter-C, thus making it q five-
stage vehicle, the cone Of the
device could reach the moon.
! 7
The Air Force is understood
to have the largest number Of
space requests pending, includ-
ing plans to hit the moon with
a rocket before the end Of this
year and to put up a satellite
weighing more than half a ton.
However, the Army may have
a strong argument in the fact
that the only American object
so far put into space was
placed there by the Army.
Competition Continues
All of this falls into the ia
miliar pattern of service COM
petition-including competition
for limited funds.
Even within individual serv-
ices. there are diverging views
about which space project
should be attempted first. For
example, some Army space ex-
lperts hold that a reconnais-
sance satellite should be sent to
circle the moon and radio back
information Of conditions there,
This information would be
needed before any attempts
were made to establish an un-
manned or manned base on the
moon.
But others in the Army con-
tend that international pres
tige requires the United States
to hit the moon with a rocket
before Russia does.
Chavez Hits "X-15B" Delay
Meanwhile, Senator. Chavez,
Democrat of New Mexico. has
protested what he termed q
three-month delay in Pentagon
decisions to push development
Iof manned rocket ship.
! "Our country cannot afford
to abide lack Of decision" Sem
ator Chavez, chairman Of the
appropriations group that ham
fdles defense money bills, said
in a statement.
Senator Chavez said he "re-
Iceived q thorough brieflng on
the manned recoverable space
vehicle, the Air Forces X-15B"
last october when he visited
the Air Force ballistic missile
division In. California.
He added that officials told
him then, THE program was
awaiting final word from the
Pentagon before proceeding.
To date Air Force officials have
not made this decision"
Defense Department spokes-
men were puzzled by Senator
Chavez reference to an
"X-15B" program.
They said contracts have
been awarded to North Ameri-
Eeai Aviation. Inc, for produc-
ton Of three experimental
rocket-powered aircraft desig-
mated as Kills without the "B. "
These are designed to travel
at 5000 miles an hour and
climb to 100 miles and higher
for exploration of the outer
atmosphere, This project has
been sponsored by the National
Advisory Committee for Aero
nautics with both the Air Force
and Navy participating.
The initial Kills is q research
rather than combat aircraft
under presently announced
plans. First test flights Of the
experimental research rocket
plane are scheduled for late