The First Whoosh!

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.

From Erik Bergaust, editor of Missiles and Rockets magazine, came word that two months prior to Charlie Wilson's order the Army had in fact fired the Jupiter. Reported Editor Bergaust: the "Jupiter C," a three-stage rocket test device, whooshed from its Florida launching site in September, streaked an astounding 3,300 miles, reaching an altitude of 680 miles at 15,000 m.p.h.--higher and faster and possibly farther than any missile has ever before flown. Pentagon brass studiously avoided comment about Bergaust's disclosure.

If, as some suspect, Bergaust was the happy recipient of an Army leak, it was timely, for at week's end the Air Force was checking weather reports preparatory to launching its own IRBM, the Thor.

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