How Nigh the Moon

The moon, in the imaginings of some, plays magic with men's minds, as it does with the wine-dark sea. It is the object of the hound's howl, the songsmith's loony tunes, the lover's gauzy dreams. But the moon itself is above all this, steadfastly gliding on its course, turning little more than half its surface to earth,* a safe 238,800 miles beyond the poets' and peasants' overtures. But not for long; last week, in one of the most extraordinary state documents ever issued by the White House, the U.S. announced plans for a look at the moon by automated rockets that will provide man's first major remote-controlled exploration. The details of these "lunar probes," combined with a primer called "Introduction to Outer Space," added up to a vision more astounding than any man-made magic yet dreamed of in the fast-paced 20th century. "This," announced President Eisenhower, "is not science fiction. This is a sober, realistic presentation . . ."

From the President's office went the order to begin. Legislation was prepared, calling for civilian control over the U.S. space program except in specific areas of military endeavor. Scientific space-administration would, in the plan, be handled by a new agency comprised of members, of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics and other top civilian figures, under NACA Director Hugh L. Dryden. For a starter, the Defense Department laid aside $8,000,000 and started plans for the first series of lunar probes. The Army will undertake one, perhaps two, using modified Jupiter rockets; the Air Force, with a combination of Thor and Vanguard components, will take on three. The Navy's job: development of a mechanical "ground-scanning" system for use by the Army and Air Force machines.

Compelling Urge. For the whys and wherefores of the new "national space program," the U.S. could look to the deceptively simple, 4,000-word space primer turned out by members of the Science Advisory Committee under the direction of White House Science Aide James R. Killian Jr. of M.I.T. (see EDUCATION). Chief why: "Space technology affords new opportunities for scientific observation and experiment which will add to our knowledge and understanding of the earth, the solar system, and the universe." Defense and national prestige play their roles as well, but the scientists gave top billing to the one overpowering drive: the "compelling urge of man to explore and to discover, the thrust of curiosity that leads men to try to go where no one has gone before."

To get a man to the moon and back would cost roughly $2 billion, and that, say the scientists, raises an important question: "Since there are still so many unanswered scientific questions and problems all around us on earth, why should we start asking new questions and seeking out new problems in space? Scientific research, of course, has never been amenable to rigorous cost accounting in advance. Nor, for that matter, has exploration of any sort. But if we have learned one lesson, it is that research and exploration have a remarkable way of paying off --quite apart from the fact that they demonstrate that man is alive and insatiably curious. And we all feel richer for knowing what explorers and scientists have learned about the universe."

The Hidden Side. Moon exploration "will involve three distinct levels of difficulty. The first would be a simple shot [taking two or three days and] ending either in a 'hard' landing [i.e., a ballistic impact] or a circling of the moon. Next in difficulty would be a 'soft' landing, i.e., by use of reverse thrust rockets. And most difficult of all would be a soft landing followed by a safe return to earth [a dry run for a man-carrying flight]. To land a man on the moon and get him home safely again will require a very big rocket engine indeed--one with a thrust in the neighborhood of 1,000,000 or 2,000,000 lbs. The cost of transporting men and material through space will be extremely high, but the cost and difficulty of sending information through space will be comparatively low.

"Photographs of the back or hidden side of the moon may prove quite unexciting, or they may reveal some spectacular new feature now unguessed. Was [the moon] originally molten? Does it now have a fluid core, similar to the earth's? And just what is the nature of the lunar surface?"

Cushion on Venus. Beyond the moon, "the nearest planets to earth are Mars and Venus. We know quite enough about Mars to suspect that it may support some form of life. To land instrument carriers on Mars and Venus will be easier, in one respect, than achieving a 'soft' landing on the moon. The reason is that both planets have atmospheres that can be used to cushion the final approach . . . The Venusian atmosphere, of course, consists of what appears to be a dense layer of clouds, so that its surface has never been seen at all from earth."

Echoing the straight-from-the-shoulder words of Caltech's President Lee DuBridge (TIME, March 31), the primer plainly points out that military uses of space vehicles lie more in the fields of meteorology, communication and reconnaissance than in such gimmicks as satellite bombers and moon-based space power. "Two or three weather satellites could make a cloud inventory of the whole globe every few hours." But a satellite cannot simply drop a bomb. "An object released from a satellite doesn't fall. In short, the earth would appear to be the best weapons carrier." The scientists also posted a polite keep-off sign for Air Forcemen, who are yearning to potshot at the moon with an atom bomb to kick up a visible cloud of dust. "There are strong scientific reasons for avoiding radioactive contamination of the moon until its naturally acquired radioactivity can be measured."

How nigh the moon? Says the primer: "Remotely controlled scientific expeditions to the moon and nearby planets could absorb the energies of scientists for many decades. Since man is such an adventurous creature, there will undoubtedly come a time when he can no longer resist going out and seeing for himself. It would be foolish to try to predict today just when this moment will arrive [see chart]. It might not arrive in this century, or it might come within one or two decades."

* The moon rotates on its own axis in the same time (27.32 days) that it takes to orbit around the earth, hence earthmen see only one side.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.