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Teen-age rocket scientists from Pennsylvania and Connect
icut appraise a 1 2 - foot model about to be launched ot
an Army range in Virginia. Boys all wear safety helmets.
An Open Letter to the American Rocket Society
Can We
Make
Rocketry
Safe for
Teen-Agers?
By MAJ. BERTRAND R. BRINLEY
As a U.S. Army Reserve officer. Major Brmley recently was cited for
his "initiative and selflessness m conducting a safety program for jun
ior civilian scientists interested in the Army's rocket and missile pro
grams." While serving as neuis chief of the First Army Information
Section at Governors Island, N. Y., he founded the First Army Junior
Rocketeer Program, which has some 25,000 young members. He served
in both World War II and Korea, and is author of the recently pub
lished book, "Rocket Manual for Amateurs."
Your croup's semiannual meeting,
which opens in Los Angeles on
Monday, may be a truly momentous
one. You can help decide what America
should do about its amateur rocketeers.
And, perhaps, about its future as a
space-age leader.
Last year the American Rocket So
ciety reported that at least 85 percent
of amateur rocketeers were "thrill
seekers" simply fascinated by pyro
technic devices, with no serious scien
tific purpose. You even asked that
their experiments be prohibited.
Shouldn't your membership now re
consider this? Shouldn't it reappraise
a stand so vitally affecting our scientists
of tomorrow?
Regional sections of your society al
ready have decided that educational
experiments are imperative for young
sters with a budding interest in rock
etry. In addition, two bills have been
introduced in Congress to establish na
tional programs along these lines.
Rep. David S. King of Utah has pro
posed that the National Aeronautics
and Space Administration build and
operate static testing facilities and
launching sites for amateurs in every
state. Rep. Victor L. Anfuso of New
York has urged establishment of a
Space Cadet Corps to help provide the
necessary education and experience
for missile-minded youngsters.
Either of these measures would go
far toward providing opportunities for
space-conscious young people.
No doubt your group is aware that
an estimated half-a-million American
teen-agers are designing and building
rockets. If, as you argue, most of them
are merely junior "pyromaniacs," we
have a difficult law-enforcement prob
lem on our hands. But if a substantial
number of these youngsters is gifted
with technical or scientific aptitudes,
we have an opportunity a duty, really
to accelerate their development
Certainly, during the last two years,
we have learned about the acci
dent hazards of rocketry. Safety organ
izations, insurance associations, state
fire marshals, and others have warned
us of the tragedies that can result from
"allowing children to play with rock
ets." Teachers, scientists, public offi
cials, industrial leaders, and various
civic organizations that could" help
young rocket students have become re
luctant to associate themselves with an
activity labeled "foolhardy."
Among federal agencies, only the
Army has taken a firm stand in
helping amateur rocketeers. Perhaps
this is because the Army, with 175 years
of ordnance experience, knows that
accidents can be minimized through
education and preventive measures.
A survey shows that only three states
Washington, Idaho, and Vermont
have formally recognized the educa
tional value of rocket experimentation
and have published regulations permit
ting tests under controlled conditions.
The majority of states, however, are
negative in attitude, ready to use laws
on explosives and fireworks to curb
amateur rocketry.
Despite this, amateur rocketry is the
fastest-growing youth activity in the
United States. With or without legal
authority, with or without the super
vised guidance of qualified experts,
thousands of young people are launch
ing rockets. Last year, 20,000 amateur
rockets, ranging in size from three
inches to 14 feet, were fired.
And while the National Safety Coun
cil and the National Fire Protection
Association have joined your society in
condemning amateur rocketry, they do
not speak for all their members. At
least as many rocket scientists are in
favor of controlled amateur experi
ments as are opposed. Indeed, some
safety experts believe the quickest way
to prevent rocket accidents is to edu
cate youngsters in protective and pre
ventive techniques:
Educators, too, arc divided on the
Atlantic City, M.J.
Family Weekly, May I, I9C0