Word: rocketeers
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Khrushchev was tough, petulant, vital, bantering, implacable. The U.S. was calm, curious, confident, challenging. Khrushchev staked claim to rocket power and the inevitable acclaim of history. Millions of Americans, lining his route, countered with a crash of unapplauding silence more eloquent of unshaken resolution than batteries of rockets on the moon...
...before he sounded a prideful note of power that was to echo, sometimes blaring, sometimes muted, as the dominant theme of his trip. "Shortly before this meeting with you, Mr. President," he said, "the Soviet scientists, technicians, engineers and workers filled our hearts with joy by launching a rocket to the moon. We have no doubt that the excellent scientists, engineers and workers of the U.S.A. will also carry the pennant to the moon. The Soviet pennant, as an old resident, will then welcome your pennant." Khrushchev's tone at this point was so pleasantly conversational that Ambassador Menshikov...
...face turned darker; he began to shake his head, clench his fists, pound the table, as the audience looked on in amazement. "But just now," he said, "I was told that I could not go to Disneyland. I asked: 'Why not? What is it? Do you have rocket-launching pads there? I do not know.' And just listen, just listen to what I was told, to what reason I was told. We, which means the American authorities, cannot guarantee your security if you go there...
...pilot pressed a button. From its nest under the bomber's right wing, the long, black, needle-nosed X-15 dropped free at 38,000 ft. In its instrument-crammed cockpit at that instant, Test Pilot Scott Crossfield started his rocket engines and flashed ahead on the first powered flight of the experimental plane that is designed to take man to the edge of space...
Turn in Space. The Russians issued no explanation of how this was done. Easiest way is to turn the final-stage rocket in a desired direction by gyros or gas jets and then burn additional fuel to speed it up, slow it down or move it sideways. The necessary orders can be given by radio from the ground or by the rocket's own inertial guidance system. If the orders came from the ground, the problem was to get an accurate track of the rocket's course. The cloud of glowing sodium that the rocket released may have...