Great Advances In Manned Space Flight

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30955, 11 January 1966, Page 8

Great Advances In Manned Space Flight

The historic rendezvous in space between Gemini VI and Gemini VII marks a turning point in man’s conquest of space. There is no longer any doubt that large space stations can be built or that extensive expeditions can be assembled in space for exploring the moon and planets.

By making use of the rendezvous principle the size and scale of space operations will be almost unlimited. The old restriction of a single rocket launching for every mission is gone for ever. No longer will larger operations demand ever-larger rocket boosters.

The way is now open for many rocket payloads to be marshalled in orbit and assembled into a single large unit which would otherwise require an impossibly huge launch vehicle.

It is interesting that the first space rendezvous was not accomplished in the way the Gemini programme planners originally intended. Instead of the planned rendezvous with an unmanned Agena rocket, which failed when the Agena exploded in space last October, the meeting was between two manned vehicles. “Pop And Nik”

It brings back memories of the Soviet Union’s dual Vostock flights in August, 1962. On that occasion Lieu-tenant-Colonel Popovich, piloting the Vostock 4 spacecraft, came within five miles of Vostock 3 which had earlier carried Major Nikolayev into orbit. The two cosmonauts remained in space for a further three days before returning to earth.

Now, why was it that over three years had to pass between this tantalising nearmiss and the first successful space rendezvous? The Russians are not disclosing the real reason but the successful rendezvous of two space vehicles is every bit as vital to their plans for manned space exploration as it is to America’s Project Apollo. It appears that the Vostocks, although heavier than the Gemini spacecraft, have not as much ability to manoeuvre in space. But one thing is certain: the Russians must also make a successful rendezvous between two spacecraft within the next year or so, otherwise they will find it impossible to race the Americans to the moon. Neck and Neck

In another important respect the Russians and the Americans are running neck and neck. Last year, within

three months of one another, a cosmonaut and an astronaut went for the first walks in space. This twin achievement shows that with suitable protection a human being can perform tasks outside his capsule in the vacuum and weightlessness of space—just as Buck Rogers did in the comic strips of 30 years ago.

Another vital space event of 1965 was the American announcement of plans to launch a manned orbiting laboratory early in 1967. It will be launched by the powerful new Titan 111 rocket and the early versions will sustain a two-man crew in space for at least a month.

Later versions will be large enough to be given the name space station and these will exploit the knowledge gained from the Gemini rendezvous and walk in space.

The payloads from several large rockets will rendezvous in orbit and will be assembled into a single large structure by men in space suits.

The possibilities are limitless. There could be stations in synchronous orbits 22,000 miles above the equator relaying television and radio broadcasts to the countries below. Further out there may be a manned astronomical observatory with several large telescopes. In lower orbits there could be weather stations with meteorologists mak-

tag their forecasts on the basis of first-hand observation of weather systems over wide areas and there may be other stations from which geologists map a mineral bearing deposit without setting foot on an inch of it. Fulfilling these and many other tasks might mean that there could be well over a hundred men orbiting the earth at any one time by 1976. This would not call for much more expansion during the next 10 years than we have seen during the last eight years since the spaceage began. Transport Rockets Having all these men In space will bring problems of maintenance resupply and crew rotation. During the year this has been occupying the thoughts of Dr. Wernher von Braun, director of the Marshall Space Flight Center, who recently urged the building of a reusable transport vehicle capable of ferrying five-ton playloads to space stations and returning to earth undamaged. The vehicle would probably look more like a plane than a rocket and might employ ram-jets as well as rocket propulsion. It will Close the gap between the supersonic transports now under development and rockets like the Titan and Saturn. Perhaps in 10 years it will be hard to distinguish rockets from aircraft.