Science: THE RACE INTO SPACE

With the Russian satellite still revolving around the earth, the public is beginning to accept it as a normal part of the solar system. But the public is also asking questions about the implications of the satellite:

What Has the Sputnik Accomplished?

Its considerable weight, the 184.3 lbs. announced by the Russians, is enough for elaborate equipment. Either it or its successors can report on cosmic rays and solar radiation above the atmosphere. They can observe the density of the fringe of the atmosphere, its temperature and composition. They can judge the danger of meteors, the reefs and shoals of space navigation. They can observe the earth's gravitation, its magnetic field, its electric charge, and the cloud patterns of its weather in ways that are impossible for earth-bound humans. Some of these jobs might be difficult for a light satellite, such as the 21.5-lb. U.S. Vanguard. But a properly equipped satellite could take pictures of the earth or the sun and transmit them to the ground by some sort of TV or telephoto process. Such data, in the hands of the world's scientists, would give the human species a much better understanding of its home planet, and the ocean of space around it.

How About Hitting the Moon?

If the Russians have really put 184.3 lbs. on an orbit, they can probably hit the moon with a lighter object. The speed of the Sputnik, 18,000 m.p.h., is not a great deal less than the speed (about 25,000 m.p.h.) needed to move from an orbit to the moon. If a good part of its weight is invested in additional fuel, the remainder should reach the moon without much trouble. The Russians are rumored to be scheduling a shot at the moon for Nov. 7, and they may try to mark its bright face with a visible splash of red powder. U.S. experts believe that the Russians can hit the moon, as their moviemakers have promised (see NEWS IN PICTURES). The moon and its gravitational field are a big target. A trip around the moon should not be difficult either, but a pretty big projectile would be needed to report what it sees on the unknown far side.

What About Manned Space Flight?

Both the U.S. and Russia have sent animals on short rocket flights without hurting them, but this is not at all like keeping humans alive on a satellite or other space vehicle. The difficulties are enormous, and much greater weights of life-preserving equipment must be lifted into space than is possible with today's biggest rockets. The problem of return to earth looks tough too. At the present state of the art, men who fly into space could not return alive.

What About Armed Satellites?

Many imaginative military planners have dreamed of satellite fortresses armed with nuclear missiles to shoot at the earth below. All space vehicles must be lightly built to conserve weight. They would therefore be vulnerable, and since they are forced to move on predictable orbits, they should not be too hard to shoot down. One suggested method of dealing with a hostile satellite is to shoot a modest rocket into its orbit, but moving in the opposite direction. The warhead would burst and fill the orbit with millions of small particles. Any one of these, hitting the satellite with twice its orbital speed (36,000 m.p.h.) would have the effect of a meteor, punching a hole and sending a blast of flame and shock into its interior.

What Is the Next U.S. Step?