Word: missilemen
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...biggest problems afflicting space-travel specialists as well as U.S. missilemen, said Schriever, are how 1) to propel the vehicle "up to empty space with, velocity sufficient to continue inter-body space travel" and 2) then "bring it back through an atmosphere without disintegration. In each of these respects . . . the ICBM is attaining the necessary capability." The ICBM re-entry test vehicle, the Lockheed X17, has made a number of successful flights at critical speeds (which other sources place as high as 26 times the speed of sound). Moreover, "the same guidance system that enables the warhead of a ballistic...
...Army missilemen have been bristling furiously ever since Defense Secretary Charles Wilson set forth orders last month which in effect turned over to the Air Force and the Navy the development of all guided missiles that range farther than 200 miles (TIME, Dec. 10). In theory, this gave the Air Force control of the Army's "unproved" intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM)-the Jupiter-as well as final control over its own intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Just how furious the Army was, only relatively few could know-until last week...
Atomic Defense. So far in warfare, every new weapon has brought forth a counter-weapon. Missilemen suspect-they even hope-that this will happen again. Their best hope is in atom-armed birds, whose fireballs may be more de-tructive in space than in the atmosphere. Some believe that they can even destroy an ICBM striking at 16,000 m.p.h. Such missiles can be tracked by their heat and ionized trails, and their trajectories determined. The "reaction time" will be frighteningly short-only a few minutes...
...missilemen are not happy, however. Both civilian and military, they know too well the potential effect on the earth of thermonuclear warfare. They fear that some small, irresponsible nation may get hold of a missile or two and blot out the capital city of a nation that it hates. Or perhaps when the great nations are armed to the teeth with long-range missiles and nervously watching each other, some quick mistake will be made. An innocent meteor may be mistaken for an invading missile. There will be no time to check or debate, and the decision to fire...
...missilemen also have a hope that supports them: the ultimate weapon may produce the ultimate stalemate, a world in which all factions are afraid to start a war, and will take measures to keep it from starting accidentally...