NINETEEN MILES UP

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 98, 24 February 1947, Page 3

NINETEEN MILES UP

COSMIC RAY SEARCH An ascent nearly 19 miles into the stratosphere is planned for 1947 at the Naval Ordnance Testing Station here, states an American newspaper. The 100,000-foot climbs, to be attempted via special balloons carrying natural scientists and their complicated instruments will be in search of new discoveries on cosmic rays, which contain particles with 5,000,000 times as much energy as those in the atomic bomb.

New kinds of particles, different from the protons, neutrons, elections and other things familiar to atom smashers, are sought. Natural scientists are particularly interested in the mesotron, a powerful but short-lived component of rays found at present research levels and a product of nuclear disintegration of a type never achieved by scientists. If successful the newest invasion of the stratosphere will leave far behind the previous ascension record of 72,395 feet achieved by two U.S. Army balloonists in 1935. The announcement was made in the course of a press inspection of a carefully-guarded laboratory from which 829 bombers are being utilised to capture evidence of the cosmic rays six miles above the earthy Design for the stratosphere balloons already has been completed, and some now are undergoing tests.