To Catch a Meteor

The Army's Jupiter nose cone that was recovered undamaged two weeks ago (TIME, May 26) did not slam down through the atmosphere in a crude and simple manner. Last week Cook Electric Co. of Chicago described the Rube Goldberg-type invention that delivered it to the search parties.

When the nose cone hit the atmosphere after its arch through space, its tip got so hot that it glowed like a star. It was, in effect, a man-made meteor that gradually lost speed by air friction. When its speed was low enough (figure secret) to eliminate further heating, a lot of things started happening fast.

First a ring of explosive anchor screws blew off the cone's back cover (see diagram). Fifteen seconds later, when the cone was about 5,000 ft. above the sea, a small explosive charge fired a tight-packed parachute out of a mortar-like container. It was a ribbon chute made of concentric rings of strong fabric 2 in. wide, and at first it was reefed by a band around it to lower the shock of opening. When the falling speed was reduced still more, explosive bolts freed the recovery package, the parachute was unreefed and its powerful drag pulled the package a short distance away from the hot shell of the nose cone, preserving it from heat damage. Then a small, tough balloon popped out of the side of the package and was inflated with compressed air. An automatic knife cut its air hose, allowing the balloon to drag behind and making the chute take most of the shock of landing.

The string of odd items hit the sea at moderate speed and started shouting, "Here I am!" in four different voices. An underwater bomb exploded, sending sound waves to distant hydrophones. An antenna rose from the top of the floating balloon and transmitted radio signals that were audible 60 miles away. A stroboscopic light started flashing so brightly that it could be seen for 20 miles. A fluorescent dye spread over the water, making a patch of bright color to attract search aircraft. As a final touch, a shark-repelling chemical dissolved in the water. Sharks are fascinated by the recovery apparatus, and a nip from one of them could send the whole thing to the bottom.

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