!
f
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7
St
ir . ji(U
- 1 t ;-
In November parade marking anniversary of Bolshevik revolution, Reds displayed huge missiles but did not explain them. Were they Sputnik-launchers?
- td.X - ciil:
Western observers at
parade described the
missiles as "overgrown
V-2s," single-stage
rockets of same type
developed by Germans
toward close of World
War II, with range of
only a few hundred
miles. If so, rocket
that launched Sputniks
is still kept under
wraps by Reds, unseen
by Western world.
4. What is the military significance of these Russian feats?
None directly. It proved that the Russians have
rocket missiles of the necessary size and power, but
this is not news. They said so themselves before they
fired the satellites. But there is some indirect military
significance. The Russian T-2 missile with a 1,500
mile range is in production and, while it could not
touch us directly, it puts all our European allies with
in Russian rocket range. Naturally the Russians will
try to frighten our allies with this fact.
5. How far ahead of us are the Russians in missiles?
That depends on the kind of missile you have in
mind. We have a number of short-range missiles de
signed to be fired from one airplane against another.
Our short-range missiles are excellent. We are also
well-equipped with missiles having a range of up to
200 miles. Our Redstone is an excellent weapon.
It is in the longer ranges that we are behind. We
do have an experimental 1,500-mile missile, but the
Russian 1,500-mile missile is in production; ours isn't.
In the ICBM field, both sides have experimental
missiles. It is possible but doubtful that the Russians
are nearer production than we are.
Stage 4
I Rocket
nd Satellite
Stage 2
II Rockets
I - Stage 3
S'Spi" Table
Stage I - , '
Ethyl Alcohol
'
' , Ti . Liquid Oxygtn
ceil A
( Continued on page 23 )
4.000 Miles
1.500
1.000
500
Rocket Engine
Jet Vanet
U.S. Farside Research Rocket
Soviet Sputnik II J
'.Carrying Dog
i
- S U.S. Jupiter "C"
Army Test Missile,
Soviet ICdM1 ' !
Exact Data " :
Unknown -,
Soviet Sputnik I
Artist's simplified sketch of four-stage vehicle on which earth satellite
rides into outer space. Rockets use both liquid and solid propellants.
U.S. Thor
Air Force
Test Missile
0 500 1.000 1,500 2.000 2.500 3,000 3,500
Diagram shows relative ranges of top missiles. U.S. Farside rocket holds record.
Family Weekly. January 19, 195S
13