Evening star., 1961-04-12
PROGRAM
Continued From First Page

between Sputnik II and the
first "Spacecraft" in May, 1860
when nothing much but
luniks seemed to be happening
in Russia-iS not an overlong
time for such development work.
This space craft, otherwise
known as Sputnik w, is said
to have weighted five tons,
which is excessively heavy by
American standards for a one
man, low-orbiting vehicle. But
American standards, as we have
seen, are not necessarily Rus
sian standards, and if the Rus
slams need lot of weight to do
a space job, at least they have
the propulSive force to lift it.
1t is difficult to argue with |
success.
Shaking the Bugs Out
From last summer on, the
Soviet effort has seemed with |
the single exception of the
Venus probe) to be directed at
shaking the bugs out of the
man in space life support sys-
tenn. Sputnik w orbited and
returned two dogs plus a num-
Der of lesser organisms on
August 1920, 1860.
The mission of Sputnik VI
with dogs aboard was the equiv
alent of what we hope to do in
the final stages of the Mer-
curry program with men aboard,
perhaps three years hence. 1t
was an 18-orbit mission of
about 27 hours duration and !
again the living occupants
seemed to survive nicely.
At this point, the Soviet space
experts seem to have satisfied
themselves that their manned
flight project was potentially
feasible. The time clearly had
come to shake out the last re-
naming bugs and score another
first in space.
Sputnik VI Of last December
/, was announced as a test
OF equipment for ultimate man
ned space flight"
The Russians said it did not
follow the proper trajectory on
re-entry, and burned up on the
way back into the atmosphere.
1t, too, was said to have had
dogs aboard.
A failure of this nature in
variably means another trial
before taking subsequent for
ward steps. This is the case in
the United States, and appears
to be true in Russia, also. Spute
mix VII, of February 4, ap-
parently was sent up to test
attitude guidance, and was pro-
nounced successful. No effort
was made to recover it, which
may mean any number of
things, but probably means only
that the Russians were more
interested in keeping the orbit
ing payload on a precise path
than in bringing it back to
earth. There is a hint along
this line in the official an
nouncenient about Sputnik
WIS flight. Special instrument
tation was said to include
radio telemetry systems to
keep watch on the perimeters
Of the ships structure and
equipment for trajectory meas
urements."
Shots at Regular Intervals
Once the trajectory trouble
was corrected, the Russians
apparently felt thay had moth
ing more to worry about, The
reported spaceman shot fol-
lowed at a decent interval.
The interval is important.
Assuming that Sputnik w was
the first Russian Mercury-type
launch, it was the kickoff eff :
fort Of a series that went at
two month intervals, approx
mately. May-August-Decem-
Der - February - April. The
only multiple hiatus is in Octo-
Der. Did the Russians try one
and fail, keeping it secret, or
did they just not try in that
particular month?
We do not know the answer
to this, but it is not a par
ticularly important point. Miss
ing a firing date is not an un-
known phenomenon. at Cape
Canaveral or anywhere else.
And a two-month interval be-
tween shots of this magnitude
is understandable.
What does this three-and-a-
half-year effort of the Rus
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