Evening star., 1963-02-06
BY WILLIAM H. HINES
Star Science Writer

SAN ANTONIO. Tex, Feb. g..
The man in charge of the Air
Forces X-20 'Dyna-Soar" pro-
gram is whistling a happy tune
these days-a tune that some
how ends up sounding very
much like q dirge.
Col. Walter Moore, Dyna-
Soar project officer, gave a
progress report here yesterday
at an Air Force sponsored meet
ing Of medical officers. He re-
ported that Dyna-Soar would
make its first flight in 1865 and
profesSed to see no reason to
doubt that this prediction
would come true. Actually,
there Is plenty of doubt, and
it all adds up to five little
letters: MONEY.
To people close to the space
program, the Dyna- Soar of
1868 A. D. Appears to be on
the point Of becoming just as
extinct as the Dinosaur Of $50
million B. C.-and for the same
reason: inability to adapt.
Dyna-Soar originally was
enviSioned in the sos as the
Air Forces entry In the space
spectacular" sweepstakes. The
initial idea. changed several
times in detail but still basically
in force. was to boost q glider
like craft to orbital altitude,
circle the earth with it. and
land it airplane fashion on the
ground. In the context of 1858,
this seemed q real eye-opened.
Many More Millions
Since then. Dyna-Soar has
been funded to the extent of
roughly q third Of O billion
dollars (through fiscal 1859
Col. Moore yesterday put the
programs probable cost at
about $500 million-not includ-
ing development costs for the
booster rocket. which are ex-
pected to run between $500
million and 81 billion more.
Dyna-Soar's concept has not
changed radically over the
years, but conditions have. The
public's ho-hum attitude to-
ward the Forthcoming lS COR
22) orbit flight Of Mercury
Astronaut Gordon Cooper gives
some indication of the excite
ment with which a one-orbit
Dyna-Soar flight would be
greeted in 1865.
Actually, it would be 1866
before the first orbital Dyna-
Soar mission could take place,
at the earliest. The 1865 flight
date is only for dropping pro-
totype Dyna-Soar from an air.
plane in order to practice land
ings without orbit.
Humdrum Stuff
BY 1866, unless the whole
moon program falls apart in
the interim, we will see three
man Apollo crews circling the
earth for three weeks at a
stretch. and two-man Gemini
teams rendezvousing their craft
in orbit with friendly and pos
sihlw hostile spacecraft. BY
comparison. orbital flights and
glide landings In one man
Dyna-Soars will seem hum
drum indeed.
But this consideration in It
self would not spell Dyna-
Scars death sentence. Govern
ment agencies do not abandon
projects simply because they
are obsolete. They do adbandon
them, however, in favor Of more
attractive alternatives.
And that is what Is happen
ing to Dyna-Soar. Last month
the Defense Department gave
the Air Force a green light on
participation in the space
agency's Gemini program. To
some observers the go-ahead
was interpreted as a gift OF
great value, but TO others II
had a questionable look about
1t, despite the fact that
Gemini's space-rendezvous
capability seemed the answer
TO an airman's prayer.
Source Of Funds
In giving the Air Force clear
ance TO share In Gemini. the
Defense Department. by chance
or design. overlooked one thing.
It failed to provide funds in
either 1868 or 1864 for support
OF Gemini. The Air Force, In
short, was given program ap-
proval but was told 10 take the
dollars from something else.
The only big non-priority
money lying around In the Air
Forces research and develop
ment till was for Dyna-Soar
and Titan III, the rocket de-
signed TO boost Dyna-Soar.
There was money enough 10
take care Of both. but not 10
take care Of both plus Gemini.
Something would have TO give.
II Is a good bet that the give"
win come in Dyna-Soar.
II may turn out that Gemini
participation will cost the Air
Force even more money thar
becomes available through a
Dyna-Soar cutback. II so.
Titan III may have 10 be cut.
II Is entirely conceivable that
the Air Force - once proudly
hopeful OF a front-line role in