JimMcDade
06-25-2008, 12:44 PM
The Long Playing Rocket: Part 1
By Jim McDade
<o></o>
Marshall Space Flight Center is a major national landmark; a place where history was, and still is being made. What if <st1:city><st1>Marshall</st1></st1:city> had never been built? What would <st1:city><st1>Huntsville</st1></st1:city> look like today? Cotton fields and cows would probably still dominate the landscape of <st1><st1>:placename>Madison</st1>:placename> <st1>:placename>County</st1>:placename></st1> were it not for an embarrassing accident. What if Florida's Space Coast had never become America's prime home of space launch operations? What if NASA funded engineering projects, educational grants, and technology sharing was never begun? What would the world be like today if the Space Race had never happened?
<o></o>
The <st1>Soviet Union</st1>, after years of struggling to erase their image as a technologically backward and largely agrarian society, finally appeared to take a giant leap ahead of their bitter rival- the <st1:country-region><st1>United States of America</st1></st1:country-region>. In early October 1957, the Soviets stunned the world with Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. The leadership of the <st1:country-region><st1>USA</st1></st1:country-region> was totally unprepared to deal with the internal and external public relations disaster when the Soviets fired the shot that was still whizzing around the world every 90 minutes in January 1958.
<o></o>
The USA had been working on its own satellite projects prior to Sputnik, but the approved Navy managed Project Vanguard failed to get off the ground while the US Army rocket team based in Huntsville, AL was ordered to stand down and wait for the Vanguard team to win the first round of the Space Race for the Red, White and Blue. Holding back Dr. Wernher von Braun and his excellent team of rocket builders resulted in the Soviet’s first Cold War victory- Sputnik.
<o></o>
Joseph Kaplan, the late director of the <st1><st1>:placetype>University</st1>:placetype> of <st1>:placename>California</st1>:placename></st1> at <st1:city><st1>Berkeley</st1></st1:city>’s <st1><st1>:placetype>Institute</st1>:placetype> of <st1>:placename>Geophysics</st1>:placename></st1>, was excited about the long-term potential of earth-orbiting satellites. Kaplan recognized the value of boosting useful payloads into earth orbit. The visionary Johns Hopkins trained physicist called the proposed American satellite a, “Long Playing Rocket”. Kaplan was inspired by the “long playing” phonograph records that were just beginning to revolutionize the music business in the 1950s.
<o></o>
The capability to place scientific, commercial and civilian facilities into space for many months or years at a time was a necessary requirement for nations that desired to enjoy the benefits of economic expansion, physical security and leadership in science and engineering. Satellites promised otherwise unattainable improvements in weather forecasting, navigation, communications, scientific knowledge, and many then-unimaginable applications.
Advances in science and technology were good selling points for space exploration, but national prestige was probably the most powerful argument in favor of the space dreamers who wanted the USA to become the unquestioned leader in space. The United States space program probably gained a longer term advantage by immediately falling behind at he starters gate of the Space Age. The humiliation of being shown up by the Soviets resulted in a call to action from ordinary citizens, politicians, military advisers, and leaders in the national space community.
By Jim McDade
<o></o>
Marshall Space Flight Center is a major national landmark; a place where history was, and still is being made. What if <st1:city><st1>Marshall</st1></st1:city> had never been built? What would <st1:city><st1>Huntsville</st1></st1:city> look like today? Cotton fields and cows would probably still dominate the landscape of <st1><st1>:placename>Madison</st1>:placename> <st1>:placename>County</st1>:placename></st1> were it not for an embarrassing accident. What if Florida's Space Coast had never become America's prime home of space launch operations? What if NASA funded engineering projects, educational grants, and technology sharing was never begun? What would the world be like today if the Space Race had never happened?
<o></o>
The <st1>Soviet Union</st1>, after years of struggling to erase their image as a technologically backward and largely agrarian society, finally appeared to take a giant leap ahead of their bitter rival- the <st1:country-region><st1>United States of America</st1></st1:country-region>. In early October 1957, the Soviets stunned the world with Sputnik, the first artificial satellite. The leadership of the <st1:country-region><st1>USA</st1></st1:country-region> was totally unprepared to deal with the internal and external public relations disaster when the Soviets fired the shot that was still whizzing around the world every 90 minutes in January 1958.
<o></o>
The USA had been working on its own satellite projects prior to Sputnik, but the approved Navy managed Project Vanguard failed to get off the ground while the US Army rocket team based in Huntsville, AL was ordered to stand down and wait for the Vanguard team to win the first round of the Space Race for the Red, White and Blue. Holding back Dr. Wernher von Braun and his excellent team of rocket builders resulted in the Soviet’s first Cold War victory- Sputnik.
<o></o>
Joseph Kaplan, the late director of the <st1><st1>:placetype>University</st1>:placetype> of <st1>:placename>California</st1>:placename></st1> at <st1:city><st1>Berkeley</st1></st1:city>’s <st1><st1>:placetype>Institute</st1>:placetype> of <st1>:placename>Geophysics</st1>:placename></st1>, was excited about the long-term potential of earth-orbiting satellites. Kaplan recognized the value of boosting useful payloads into earth orbit. The visionary Johns Hopkins trained physicist called the proposed American satellite a, “Long Playing Rocket”. Kaplan was inspired by the “long playing” phonograph records that were just beginning to revolutionize the music business in the 1950s.
<o></o>
The capability to place scientific, commercial and civilian facilities into space for many months or years at a time was a necessary requirement for nations that desired to enjoy the benefits of economic expansion, physical security and leadership in science and engineering. Satellites promised otherwise unattainable improvements in weather forecasting, navigation, communications, scientific knowledge, and many then-unimaginable applications.
Advances in science and technology were good selling points for space exploration, but national prestige was probably the most powerful argument in favor of the space dreamers who wanted the USA to become the unquestioned leader in space. The United States space program probably gained a longer term advantage by immediately falling behind at he starters gate of the Space Age. The humiliation of being shown up by the Soviets resulted in a call to action from ordinary citizens, politicians, military advisers, and leaders in the national space community.