A ROCKET TO THE MOON.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 March 1920, Page 3

A ROCKET TO THE MOON.

U.S. PROFESSOR’S CLAIM

NEW YORK, Jan. 14

A rocket which, it is claimed, is capable of rising to heights beyond the earth’s atmosphere, possibly even to the moon (238,833 miles from tlie earth’s centre), lias been invented by Professor Robert H. Goddard, of Clark College, Worcester, Massachusetts. The announcement of this achievement is authorised by tbe Smithsonian Institution, Washington (actually the U.S. Ministry of Science, founded in 1846).

The invention is described as a “mul-tiple-change, higli-effieiency rocket for exploring unknown regions of the upper air.” The highest altitude ever reached with recording instruments is stated to be 19 miles. Professor Goddard believes that he can send his rocket through the band of atmosphere surrounding the earth and even beyond the radius of the earth’s attraction. How be has attained to this is described by the Smithsonian Institution. The determining factor in the efficiency of the rocket, it- says, is the velocity at which the gases generated by the propellant are ejected. In the case of an ordinary ship’s rocket this efficiency is about 2 per cent By means of an improved form of nozzle and by increasing the weight of tlie propellant relative to tbe weight of the rocket, Professor Goddard succeeded in getting 64 per cent of efficiency. 230 MILES IN 6> MINUTES.

ihe great value of Professor Goddard’s experiments, says' thc| institution, is the possibility of sending recording instruments to tlie higher levels of the air, of which the chemical composition, temperature, and electrical nature have been for a long time the subjects of much speculation, and the knowledge of which would lie of great help to meteorologists. Tbe most interesting speculation in connection with the rocket, it adds, is the possibility of sending a sufficient quantity of brilliant flash powder to the surface of the moon to make its ignition oil impact visible through a powerful telescope. This would bo the only way of proving that the rocket, had left, the region of the earth’s attraction, as once it had escaped that attraction it would never come back The rocket will travel at an enormous speed, it being calculated that it will rise 280 miles in 6) minutes. •

Professor Goddard ic conducting his experiments with the assistance of a grant from the Smithsonian Institution. He hopes to carry out a trial of his invention shortly.