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Challenges of the Space Age, 1959
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The original documents are located in Box D15, folder "Challenges of the Space Age, 1959"
of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford
Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Digitized from Box D15 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
THE CHALLENGES OF THE SPACE AGE
It was almost a year ago that the
first Soviet sputnik rose into orbit,
to be followed by two more of great weight
and by four of more modest weight put up
by the United States. Despite all the head-
lines which have accompanied launchings,
there is reason to question whether the
people as a whole fully recognize that our
life has begun to change, following a new,
irreversible path.
In the late winter of 1958, the House
of Representatives established a Select
Committee on Astronautics and Space Explora-
tion to consider the legislative needs
which the new space age would bring. This
committee, of which I am a member, held a
month of public hearings and spent several
weeks in executive session to study the
implications of the new technology for
military strategy, for scientific advance,
and d f or the economy. We also considered
a large number of possible organizational
patterns before there emerged the draft
bill which the Congress enacted into low.
GERALD R.
This is the National Aeronautics and Space
Act of 1958. It implemented the objectives
which President Eisenhower set forth in his
message to the Congress on this subject
last April. The Act as finally signed into
law on July 29 compromised the drafts
developed by the corresponding House and
Senate committees to provide the President
withthe organizational tools he needs to
giventhis country an ultimate strong program
in space technology. Those of US who were
fortunate to be able to participate in
these activities are fully aware that the
Act is merely the first step in a program
which is going to be long and hard, with
disappointments along the way. We do have
a new National Aeronautics and Space Ad-
ministration created with a grant of broad
powers to pursue civilian interests in space,
and to continue the research in aeronautics
as well, long conducted by the NACA, which
is the nucleus of the space administration.
We have also created a Council of which the
President is chairman, with high ranking
members of Government and leaders of the
- 2 -
GERALD R.FORD.
scientific-engineering community to guide
overall policy, both civilian and military.
I want to emphasize that the Congress
has felt the program to develop space
capabilities was so important and the facts
of the situation so compelling that the
approach it has followed has been strictly
bipartisan. The differences between the two
parties make the headlines, and our two-
party system represents a key tool to
clarify issues and to reflect public will.
But in the present instance, we are all in
the same grave situation together, and the
flexibility of our institutions of Government
were demonstrated by the complete team
play possible in hammering out the legisla-
tive program. John W. McCormack, the
Democratic Majority Leader was our chairman.
Joseph W. Martin, Jr., the Republican Leader
was our vice-chairman. This was something
of a departure from tradition where normally
one party controls a committee of the
Congress. I also want to record that althougl
we debated the issues vigorously in our
closed sessions, when it came time for
decision, there was such a meeting of the
FORD.
within the committee.
minds that there was never a dissenting GLREAM vote
ARARY
- 3 -
However much we may wish to dedicate
the use of outer space to peace, the im-
mediate realities are that we face a military
threat, and only a strong American capability
can minimize the risk to ourselves and to the
rest of the world. We Middle Westerners
are sometimes called isolationists. I don't
agree with the label; but there can be no
isolationists anywhere when a thermonuclear
warhead can flash down from space at hy-
personic speed to reach any spot on earth
minutes after its launching.
Since the V-2's hit Britain and the
Low Countries in World War 11, we have
been moving slowly, but now at a quickening
pace toward major reliance in war on mis-
siles following a ballistic path which
arches through space. I doubt if even the
experts can really say whether the United
States or the Soviet Union will be the first
to attain a full operational capability at
intercontinental range. But it is clear
that unless we give adequate support to
the research, development, and engineering
of such weapons, we shall come out second
best.
- 4 -
GERALD LISSEY FORD
It will not be enough for US to create
an operational ICBM. Of necessity we must
think about putting some launching bases
underground, and making others mobile.
We must find ways to overcome the time-
consuming long count-downs presently requir-
ed for a launching. We need complicated
systems of radar detection. And we must
set a high priority on tremendously complex
and advanced anti-missile missile systems.
Never before has the urgency been so great
for new scientific ideas and their rapid
translation into practical hardware.
Another type of project of high priority
is the reconnaissance satellite for military
purposes. Indeed, it may become andim-
portant bulwark in any "open skies" plan
of military arms limitation. I am sure that
many of you recognize that mapping on a
world basis is incomplete, and we do not
have accurate information as to the location
of one continent in relation to another.
That is, we do not know accurately enough
target locations so that even a perfectly
- 5 -
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
launched ballistic missile will reach an
intended destination acress the ocean.
Television ground search could supply many
kinds of strategic information. A recover-
able satellite, which is also in prospect,
could bring back important photo coverage.
These same positive military capabilities
of satellites would figure in any effort
to police against military aggression.
Sensitive instruments could detect radiation
in violation of a nuclear test ban. Infra-
red detectors could locate underground in-
stallations. Short-range communications
information could also be listened in on by
satellites. The Soviets have already
demonstrated the ability to lift into orbit
satellites of a size to carry a vast array
of reconnaissance devices. Our project
sentinel in time will do the job, too.
Official pronouncements have denied
any future for the satellite as a bombing
platform. However, testimony before the
House committee made clear that such a
conclusion would be premature in a rapidly
evolving technology. It is true that an
object loosed from a satellite simply ac-
- 6 -
GERALD 134817
companies it in orbit rather than falling
to earth because of the Kepler effect.
It is also true that a manned station in
space in a fixed orbit might be vulnerable
to counter measures. But such authoritative
witnesses as General Gavin and Dr. Wernher
von Braun made clear in open session that
there are important possibilities under
development for ultimate destructive use
of satellites There is every reason to
believe that the Soviets are quite as capable
as we are of discovering these possibilities.
Roy Johnson, the head of the Pentagon's
ARPA space organization has testified
figuratively of a potential death ray, long
the theme of science fiction stories, which
might wreak destruction on the earth below
without the reentry problems of a satellite-
launched bomb.
There are even military transport uses
envisioned for space craft. The people
at the Redstone Arsenal believe they can
shoot a man into space and bring him back
alive within a year of the time they get
- 7 -
a go-ahead signal. As Dr. von Braun des-
cribed the later operational delivery system,
small units of military specialists could
be shot to particular points far behind
enemy lines to arrive without the same
dangers of interception as aircraft flight
across defended air space now entail. The
prospect is that some of these future de-
livery systems will not be especially
costly.
Manned flight into space is coming by
stages. The X-15 is half-aircraft, half-
space ship which will make brief excursions
to altitudes on the general order of 50
or 100 miles up. The B-70 so-called chemical
bomber utilizing borane fuels will be able
to sustain flight at mach 3 over long ranges.
Preliminary contracts have been let for the
Dyna-Soar concept. In effect, this will
be a manned satelloid, capable of making
several passes around the world at 10 to
18 thousand miles per hour. It will be able
to maneuver and to choose its reentry point.
My discussion of these military pos-
sibilities and realities is to emphasize
that we can not afford to neglect the
- 8 -
development of space techniques. The Soviets
are moving ahead on a broad front, and no
procrastination on our part will spare US.
They can be expected to refrain from
blackmailing or even destroying US only if
we have similar capabilities. If we expect
any workable agreement for disarmament, it
will require that we are as capable of
implementing controls as any other nation.
1 lhardly need tell this audience that
sound applications of advanced technology
require a thorough understanding of basic
principles and much background knowledge.
The space sciences depend upon a broad
attack on the frontiers of scientific
knowledge. We need to know much more about
the chemistry of combustion. We need to
advance our metallurgy. We need to explore
new approaches to computer control. We
need to know more about electronic wave
propagation. We need to know much more about
the effect of new environments on biological
processes before space flight will be
completely successful.
- 9 -
FORD is LIBRARY GERALD
Similarly, what is discovered in the
scientific exploration of space will contrib-
ute across the board to other fields of
technology and science. It is in the nature
of things that some of these ultimate con-
tributions to other fields are quite un-
predictable. Our committee understands
that along with the spectacular projects
such as putting man into orbit or sending
rockets to the moon must come much less
glamorous work which will back up the big
projects of the future.
We have been conducting an upper at-
mosphere research effort since the end of
World War 11. This must go on, even on an
expanded scale to support growing needs for
data. The scientific satellites launched
under the IGY must also be continued.
One of our witnesses told US that our
first Explorer satellite brought back data
in two weeks equivalent to a century of work
with sounding rockets of the type he had been
using for the previous ten years. However,
the two approaches are not strictly inter-
changeable, and both are needed.
- 10 -
GERALD FORD LIBRABY
As you know from the extensive publicity
given our satellites, they are collecting
fundamental data on cosmic ray intensity,
on meteoritic dust, on wave propagation,
on the mysterious band of radiation around
the earth, and on the effects of gravity
and magnetism. Before the series is over,
we will also have new data on world-wide
cloud cover and on energy balances of radiation
from the sun and heat loss by the earth.
One of the more intriguing studies will be
to test a hypothesis of relativity theory
that changes in gravity can affect time.
Incredibly precise measurements made by a
so-called atomic clock in a satellite with
signals sent back to earth may provide
experimental proof of whether such a change
in gravity will slow time as precisely fixed
through known rates of atomic disintegration.
We are developing not only the capacity
to boost large loads into space but the means
to create a stabilized platform out there.
You will recall that photographs reveal the
Soviet sputniks tumble end over end in their
free fall around the earth. Our later
satellites will first be spin-stabilized, FORD
- II -
GERALD LIBRARY
and then even equipped with vernier rockets
to keep them in a fixed relation to the earth
This will be extremely important to several
kinds of earth surveillance. It will also
be important to future observation of the
heavens. You know how our observation of
other planets and of distant stars is
handicapped by our atmosphere with its
screening and distorting effects. The
inability to photograph Mars to determine
the truth of the canali, and many other
problems should be overcome by our more
sophisticated satellites when they can carry
moderate-sized telescopes. One school of
thought is that all such experimental and
observing work can be done by remote control,
as exemplified by Dr. Fred Whipple's scheme
for telepuppets. Another group believes
that the full potentialities for space
research will not be realized until a
manned station can be constructed. It was
Krafft Ehricke of Convair Astronautics
who demonstrated before our committee
quite detailed plans for establishing a
permanent station based upon use of the Atlas
missile as a booster unit and building
material in space.
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
- 12 -
Although it is still speculative, I
think one of the more intriguing ideas of
recent months is the plan to use the earth
itself as an observing instrument. Since
light is bent by the effects on space-time
by material bodies in space, the idea is
that a satellite placed the right distance
from the earth could use the earth itself
as the equivalent of a huge lense which
might even make possible the observation of
other stars to see whether in fact they have
families of planets. Observation of a planet
as close as Mars by this technique might
provide astonishing detail. Now this may
sound pretty fantastic, but the possibilities
of giving it a test are not particularly
distant and are no stranger than many other
aspects of the unfolding space program.
The publicised lunar probe program for
this year with its pictures from the back
side of the moon is only a start on what
is to come for both this country and for the
Soviet Union. Instrumented probes to Mars
and Venus should be launched within the
decade, and may come much sooner. Dr.
Dryden of the NASA testified before our
- 13 -
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
committee that our ICBM guidance system
probably has sufficient accuracy to send
a probewithin several diameters of Mars
or Venus. But work is underway on mid-trip
guidance devides and on final guidance to
increase the chances that what we send out
will accomplish its mission of coming close
enough/iget to pictures and make other useful
readings of data on these planets which have
held man's interest for so many conturies.
There are only certain launching times which
would be good in terms of the relative
positions of earth and these other planets
in the same way that lunar probes must be
timed for best results.
Making soft landings on the moon with
instruments should come within five years.
If a big enough effort is launched, we may
even have the capability of a round trip
to the moon with men in less than ten years.
This is not just a matter of money, but one
of scientific and industrial mobilization.
I can't tell you whether such a project is
practical in terms of the results to be
obtained. But I think that General Boushey
- 14 -
BERALD FORD VIBRARY
of the Air Force makes a good point when
he says that until we do some of these things
we can not know whether the moon will be
important as a military base or for other
purposes. The Soviets certainly are determ
mined to get there, and I just don't think
we can afford to neglect the possibilities.
Many of the things I have been
discussing are projects which are going to
cost a lot of money. As a member of the
Appropriations Committee of the House, I
have something of a reputation with my
colleagues for being pretty careful with the
tax payers's money. I certainly expect to
continue to insist upon prudent use of
our revenues in order to keep our free
economy strong. I think it is in the light
of this background that you must assess my
plea for national support of the space pro-
grom.
I am especially interested from the
practical point of view in what economic
benefits may flow from the space program.
Some people have stressed that we can expect
a tremendous employment boom in the years
- 15 -
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
ahead as a result of expenditures for
space. I know that we all welcome this.
But I would contend that this is not by
itself a justification for expenditure.
A good economic rathole can provide that kind
of employment, too.
Fortunately, there are other promising
benefits which will flow from the space
program to help all sections of our country,
and indeed the world. One of the chief of
these is more accurate weather prediction.
It was Dr. Reichelderfer, the Chief of the
Weather Bureau, before our committee who
testified that a fairly conservative
estimate of the annual savings to the United
States to be expected as a result of weather
observation satellites could be expected
to run to about $4 billion. His Bureau
in collecting figures on the importance of
weather prediction savings has come up with
such astonishingly large totals that they
have been afraid to release them as too
fantastic. The estimates he presented to
US were well scaled down. Weather experts
- 16 -
BERALD R.FORD FIBRARY
think that satellites should afford US with
the world-wide data required to enable new
computers within the next decade to provide
US with accurate estimates.
Some very prominent scientists also
foresee the day when weather control will
become a reality. Satellites may provide
some part of this technology. As strange
as it may seem, engineering studies show
some possibilities for reflecting solar
energy from satellites to influence growing
rates in some locations, and another scheme
would supply enough light in thesky as to
substitute for present city lighting systems
now in use.
One of the early uses for satellites
will be for communication. Three satellites
in position over the equator, with a speed
to match the rotation of the earth can be
used to give world wide broadcast coverage
of television programs. Undoubtedly you
have read how an Explorer satellite has
carried a tape recorder capable of playing
back in a few seconds all the data accumulated
in more than an hour of travel around the
-17-
world. Dr. von Braun estimates that six
larger satellites with such tape recorders
could be placed in orbits to permit broadcast
from major cities to these satellites for
recording on tape, with the stored messages
being triggered from the ground at another
city for replay. These six would have the
capacity to convey the entire overseas mail
volume of the world.] Presumably either
solar converters would supply the power
needed for the communications devices, or
one of our developing SNAP nuclear power
units would do the trick.
Other witnesses looked forward to the
day when freight and mail ballistic rockets
will give long distance delivery in a matter
of minutes. Even passenger delivery tras-
atlantic in 30 minutes is possible, once
engineering reliability has been achieved
in our rockets. The Soviets long ago an-
nounced plans for rocket passenger ships
between Moscow and Peking based on the ideas
of Professor Tsien who used to teach at
CalTech before he went to Red China. It
wuld be premature for US to announce plans,
but it is within the realm of possibility
- 18 -
GERALD LIBRARY
With the space sciences still so new,
it would be foolish to try to anticipate
all the things which may flow from these
developments. One responsible major industrio
firm in this country has proposed to our
committee a plan for moving to Earth selected
asteroids of alloy metals to meet a large
part of the world demand for special steels
at a cost which in time may be less than
that of our present metallurgical methods.
Who knows, too, whether the mysterious
band of radiation around the earth which now
poses a limited threat to manned satellites
may not be turned to some practical use
as a power source? Cryogenic research in
space may bring tremendous advances in
computers and in communication techniques.
Where else could experimental conditions
of cold, weightlessness, and high vacuum
be obtained on the same scale for many
types of experiments?
Every indication of past experience
suggests that the real advantages of our
space developments are not even foreseeable
now. In the nuclear energy field, no one
- 19 -
GERALD
seriously considered that the nuisance
byproducts in the form of isotopes would
afford such savings to industry, agriculture,
and medicine as to yield a capitalized return
in excess of our total investment in nuclear
energy, both military and civilian. Space
may very well afford some of the same
pleasant surprises.
As engineers, you are aware that these
advances will.not come automatically and
easily. We will need more scientists,
engineers, and technicians with the proper
training to support the space effort.
We will need to give the same kind of
meticulous attention to engineering detail
as was required for the nuclear submarine
before we can translate scientific ideas
into working engineering.
Our committee is especially concerned
with the propulsion problem where now the
Soviets seem to have a lead with their big
boosters. American chemical know-how should
be able to overcome the Soviet lead if it
is used properly. Before the year is out
we expect to sponsor a symposium on propulsia
to act as a catalyst between scientific
ideas and industrial application. Hydro-
carbons and liquid oxygen 10 will continue to
play a major role in rocketry. When
present development work on a million to
a million and a half pound thrust engine
is complete in five to ten years, we should
be able to put up to 40,000 pounds into
orbit, or land 10,000 pounds on the moon.
These are estimates of the flight propulsion
experts at the Lewis Laboratory at Cleveland,
a part ofthe NASA. If we can develop newer
fuels related to the boranes or incorporating
hydrogen and fluorine, we may even be able
to return 10,000 pounds from the moon. This
means practical round trips with ships
carrying several men.
Our committee is also interested in
nuclear propulsion. Project Rover, the
simplest of these schemes, involves enormous
complexities. With the right effort, success
is certainly possible. A nuclear reactor
heating a hydrogen propellant should give
several times as much weight-lifting capacity
as the best chemical fuels, and could make
possible manned flights to Mars which would
be extremely costly if purely chemical means
were used. The project looks promising
- 21 -
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
enough to deserve support. The first
working model reactor, called Kiwi because
it can't fly, is to be tested in Nevada
shortly.
Bur committee has also been interested
in more exotic forms of propulsion. These
may be more years away but still will be
important to any large scale interplanetary
movement. Ion propulsion was demonstrated
before the committee with a small working
model. It will provide extremely high
escape velocities for the cesium propellant,
the metal most often proposed for such a
device. The problem is one of creating a
compact, light weight source of electricity
to accelerate the cesium ions.
A number of plasma jet schemes are under
discussion, too. Magnetohydrodynamics as a
growing science has all kinds of space
applications including solutions to reentry
through electrical braking. One approach
to propulsion which came up in our hearings
seems quite remote, but we would favor
continued study of it. This is photon
- 22 -
BERALD R.FORD LIBRARY
propulsion. If we ever learn to make total
conversion of matter into energy, a directed
beam of photons might supply thrust over a
sufficient period of time as to build up
tremendous velocities. Photon power is the
only approach which so far would seem to
offer the prospect for manned flight beyond
our solar system.
Many of our scientists believe that the
challenges of travel to the nearby planets
will offer sufficient field for some gen-
erations to come, and do not see much
point to discussion of really long distance
travel. At several points in our hearings,
however, the concepts of such travel, and
models of the universe were discussed by
reputable scientists.
Following the principles of relativity
which have stood up against experimental
test successfully so far, some very amazing
phenomena emerge. New perhaps some of
you are more familiar than I am with the
concepts, as my professional field is the
law. However, let me repeat what our scien-
tific witnesses agreed is our best under-
- 23 -
FORD is LIBRARY GERALD
standing today of what high speed travel
can mean. One of the constants in the
universe is the speed of light. It is part
of the equation between what we know as
energy and what we know as matter. Light
travels at a speed of 186,300 miles per
second, and this is true whether its source
is stationary or shows relative motion.
The committee showed great interest in
questioning selected witnesses about the
consequences of maintained accelerations
which would build up velocity close to
that of light. No speed can exceed that
of light. One member wanted to know, what
would be the effect of throwing forward
a baseball in empty space from a space ship
just short of the speed of light. Would
it leave the front of the ship and exceed
the speed of light? We were told that since
all motion is relative, and there would
be no sensation of movement in such a space
ship maintaining a constant speed just
short of light, the baseball would appear
to move forward with the same increment of
velocity as it would here on earth as far
as the space ship was concerned. After all,
- 24 -
GERALD FORD LIBRASE
the earth itself travels at high speed around
the sun, and our sun travels around in our
galaxy, and our galaxy is moving away from
other galaxies without discomforting US.
But to a stationary observer, the baseball
would not appear to exceed the speed of
light. We postulate for a variety of reasons
I could not explain here without help, that
at the speed of light, any material object
would have infinite mass. This is not
the same as infinite size, but means infinite
inertial resistance to movement. As a matter
of fact, as one approaches the speed of
light, to the stationary observer, the
traveling object shrinks in its length,
finally having no length at the speed of
light.
Now what I think particularly intrigued
US was the solemn assurance that such high
speed travel would make time shrink for
the occupants of the space ship, as compared
with the stationary observer. For example,
the nearest known star is Alpha Centauri
which is about four light years away.
This means that if we could build a space
- 25 -
ship with photon power to travel there and
back at close to the speed of light, it
would take something over eight years for
the round trip, not making the necessary
allowance for acceleration and deceleration.
Now this would be a pretty long voyage in
terms of the people here at home waiting
to see how the trip turned out. But to
the crew, it might seem as if they had
been gone only a few weeks, in terms of
their cycles of eating, and sleeping, and
how little they would age. Indeed, one
calculation is that the estimated universe
could be circled at that speed in an ap-
parent lapsed time of 30 years, asfar as
the crew was concerned. Yet actually,
billions of years would have passed, and
the earth might not even exist at the
time such a ship returned.
In a time of rapid scientific advance,
it is hard to predict how soon the speculation
of today will become the practical question
of tomorrow. The hard work which must
be done meanwhile will be concerned not
-- 26 --
FORD & LIBRARY GERALD
with fuels alone, but with materials to
stand high temperatures. And the super
speeds of which I speak also raise questions
of the density of scattered ions in space
which at very high speeds might be the same
kind of barrier that the atmosphere is
to today's top speeds.
I think the discussions I have brought
you on this occasion can be summarized as
a message of hope and of faith in our
country and in mankind. We stand at the
edge of a new age. We have but to lift
our eyes, to work to meet the challenge,
and the destiny of our kind will be shaped
by these great opportunies now before US.
# # #
- 27 -
GERATO FORD LEBRARY