FLIGHTS TO MOON

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 16, 26 August 1946, Page 7

FLIGHTS TO MOON

FEAT NOW POSSIBLE ATTEMPT MAY BE MADE WITHIN 15 YEARS An attempt may be made to land on the moon from a rocket ship of between 1500 and 2000 tons within the next 15 years. This Jules Vernian possibility is the view of a mechanical engineer, Mr M. W. Wholey, who is a member of the British Interplanetary Society, which is “prospecting” for a suitable landing place. Mr Wholey told the Daily Mail that the first “astronauts” would be equipped with oxygen apparatus and special suits to protect them from the intense ultra-violet and cosmic rays and the enoromus changes in temperature. Snowshoes four to five feet long would allow walking more easily on the slithers of rock on the moon, which, because of the low force of gravity, would be disturbed at the slightest touch. Mr Wholey painted a fascinating picture of conditions which the astronaut is likely to encounter. “On climbing down to the ground he would be conscious of an amaz-

ing sense of lightness, because tha force of gravity is one-sixth that of the earth,” he said. “He would note the contrast of intense shadow and blinding light, and the inky black sky with coldly brilliant stars. The sun would be unbearably bright, exhibiting the full glory of its corona. Possibly a small puff of dust would remind him of the continuous shower of meteorites raining unchecked on the moon’s surface, adding to the mass of small pits already there.

“Apart from danger from radiation, the astronaut would face extremes of temperature not met even at the equator and poles on the earth. Facing the sun, he would experience temperatures far higher than any felt on the earth, while on the side away from the sun the temperature would drop to 243 degrees below zero. “The first adventurers will probably be able to stay awy from their rocket ship for only minutes at a time.

“Part of the research work in the next few years will include the use of sounding rockets equipped with instruments, to measure the strength of radiation outside the earth’s atmosphere.” Support for Mr Wholey’s conten-

tions is given in a Washington message which says it wil be only a matter of years before people will be able to fly to the moon, according to an official statement by the United States Navy.

Reviewing its guided missile and jet propelled pilotless aircraft programe, it says : “A little further in the future are satellite vehicles circling the earth hundreds of miles up like moons. Inter-planetary travel will be only a short step from these satellite vehicles.”

Discussing other aspects of its guided missile programme the Navy says one of the new weapons being developed is a pilotless aircraft that can be sent into the air to “sniff out” enemy targets. When it detects an enemy plane or ship it will dive bn it, exploding as it strikes. This weapon has its water counterpart—a missile that dives deep and speeds unerringly to a fast manoeuvring target. The New York Times correspondent says the Navy has in immediate prospect a pilotless plane capable to carrying atomic bombs.