SPACE: Missiles West

Despite some spectacular experimental failures and some anguished cries that the U.S. has lost its touch, the nation is deep into the most intensive, fast-moving and spectacularly promising scientific development program of its history. One sign was the Army's attempt to shoot the moon from Cape Canaveral last week—an attempt that was rated a failure because the Army's Pioneer III stopped rising after a breathtaking 66,654 miles out, gravitated back to burn up in earth's atmosphere (see SCIENCE). Another was the almost routine Defense Department announcement of an open-ended, long-term program to...

Want the full story?

Subscribe Now

Subscribe
Subscribe

Learn more about the benefits of being a TIME subscriber

If you are already a subscriber sign up — registration is free!