Evening star., 1961-02-28
FotefuI Race


In a special report prepared for the
House Science and AStronautics Com
mittee, our top experts on the subject
have declared hatly that the United
States is far ahead of the Soviet Union
in space research.
The reports main point is simply
this: That although the Russians have
achieved a number of spectacular
"f1rStS" in putting heavy payloads into
the high heavens (important propa-
gandiStic attainmentS made possible by
the present superiority Of the thrust
power Of their rockets), their Spatial
experiments are as yet not nearly so
advanced, sophisticated or informative
as ours. Further, we have sent into orbit
and on interplanetary probes many more
vehicles than they have, and the vehicles
have been much better Instrumental
than theirs in terms of capacity to send
back to earth data Of great significance.
Thus, in the words Of the report
which was drafted by the National
AeronauticS and Space Administration
at the request Of Representative Overton
Brooks, chairman of the House COM
mittee-our country "lnas picked up
momentum from standing start and
now SurpaSses the USSR effort in its
breadth of interest, originality Of concept
and volume Of research. :. The contrast
between the output Of the USSR space
research program and our own cannot
have failed to impress the Soviet
scientific community itself and some
elements Of the USSR government. The
contrast is, in fact, so great that we may
expect a counter-reaction from the
USSR in the form Of a greater emphasis
on scientific effort in their space
program"
In reporting all this to the House
committee, NASA's experts have been
at pains to warn, implicitly, that the
United States-even though 1t appears
to be very definitely ahead in the
science and technology Of space, as
President Kennedy has said-haS no
reason whatever to feel the slightest
degree of complacency. Far from 1t.
Actually, as the experts have indicated,
our country cannot hope to win this
fateful race unless 1t undertakes some
thing like the 10-year program that
NASA has already advocated before
Mr.. Brooks committee-a program
designed to enable us not merely to
catch up with. the Russians in rocket
thrust power, but also to wreSt leader
ship from them, permanently, on the
roadway to the stars.
Calling for expenditures Of around
SIS billion year, this program would
entail no fewer than $50 major expert
mentS in space between now and 1870.
The experiments, involving progressively
heavier payloadS and increasingly diff
cult missions, would include the launch
ing Of revolutionary new satellites,
round-trip manned orbital flight around
the earth, exploratory lunar shots, deep
probes in the neighborhood Of Mars and
Venus, and numerous other celestial
ventures preparing the way for human
travel to the moon and beyond, con-
ceivably in the early 1905.
True, for this sort of thing the
Russians have propulsive power far
superior to ours. But it is a power that
we can be confident of equalling, If not
excelling, in the next three or four
years. Meanwhile, Judging from NASA's
latest evaluation, we enjoy decided
advantage in the "know-how" Of space,
and this is something we ought to be
able to maintain as we move ahead
as fast as poSsible-in developing
rocket booster systems much more
tremendous than anything now existing
on either side Of the Iron Curtain. This
Is how we shall win the race If it is