Evening star., 1960-08-14
BY WILLIAM HINES
Star Science Writer

the first thing they will have
to do is dig in-and dig in
quick.
This is the conviction of ex-
perts from the Army and In
terror Departments who have
just completed a geologic map
Of the moon. From what they
have learned from exhaustive
study of the pock- marked satel-
lite. it must be something like
a corner of He'll where ditch
diggers have been at work.
In the blazing noon of the
moons two-week day, the
temperature tops the point at
which water boils on earth. At
midnight" a fortnight later,
1t is cold enough to liquefy air
which does not exist on the
moon.
MeteOric Dust Threat
Merciless and ultra -viole
solar radiation. cosmic rays un-
damped by a protective atmos-
phere and a constant rain OF
meteoric dust add to the un-
Inability of the place.
The only answer for the
lunar explorer, the experts say
is to seek cover.
Fortunately, Col. Leonard L.
Haseman of the Army Engi-
neers says, six inches Of moon
dirt will provide a satisfactory
shield. BY selecting the right
area of the moon and using
some sort of robot bulldoZer for
the cut-and-cover operation
the first men on the moon
could probably get adequate
quarters in practically no time
After setting up housekeep-
ing, the explorers could make
trips in suitable protective
clothing and vehicles. Col
Haseman says. But he warns
that they must come back
home" after short periods.
Col. Haseman, Col. Lloyd l.
Rail, also Of the Engineer
Corps. and Maxim Elias and
Don Dow of the Interior De-
partment's Geological Survey
told of the moon-map project
and their findings yesterday.
Data from the survey, which
cost about $4,000. will be in
corporated into a relief mar
Of the moons surface now being
built by the Army Map Service
in nearby Maryland. The big
IS million map" on a scale OF
1:5,000,000 or l inch to about
80 miles, will be ready next
spring.
Setting Up Final Map
Thousands of photos of the
moon. made by astronomers
over the last so years. were
examined for the geologic
study. The final map, So inches
in diameter. was compiled from
64 Photographic pairs" each
pair being two photographs OF
the same area taken with light
from the sun coming from diff
ferent directions.
Importance Of the survey l.
related to the imminence oi
lunar exploration. Both the
United States and Russia are
speeding plans to land instru-
ments, and later men. on the
moon. A timetable laid out by
the civilian Space Agency early
this year calls for the follow.
ing key events:
1861: Impact Of an instru-
mented probe on the moor
with a force sufficient to de-
stroy it. (This has already
been done by the Russians, who
either learned little Of impor.
tance or have kept what they
learned secret.
1868: Soft" landing of in.
struments Gin working order)
probably including temperature
sensors and perhaps TV CAM
eras.
Late 1865: Instrumental
and later manned fight arounc
the moon, near to its surface
(The Russians sent a probe out
past the moon and made some
crude photos of the hidder
side, but the circumlunal
flights planned for the 1865
81 period envision finer tech.
niques and better results.)
Landing Unlikely
After 1870: Landings on tn,
moon by men are considered
unlikely in this decade. accord
ing to the American program
There has been talk that th'
Russians will attempt luna
explorations before that.
The geologic map and tn
relief map which will be fin
ished next year are regarded
as only crude beginnings. Col
Haseman said better picture
are needed than can be takeI
through earth-bound telescope
before a really adequate mai
can be made.
The Space Agency's tim
table calls for orbiting an un
manned astronomical labora
tory outside the earth's at
mosphere in 1868. This woult
radio pictures to the ground
With suitable transmission ap
paratus these pictures un
doubtedly would improve Of
the best yet made by astrono
mers. Even better picture
could be made by a satellitt
telescope orbiting the mool
rather than the earth.
Though the whole lunar sur
face is inhospitable, some part
are better than others for land
ing, movement and construc
tion of living quarters, the geo
logic mappers found. Col. Hase
man said one of the most prom
ising areas for early landing
would he in the vicinitv n