Satellite Progress Report

The U.S. will probably launch a trial earth satellite some time this fall, perhaps in October. Speaking last week before a meeting of the International Scientific Radio Union, which drew delegates from 23 nations to the University of Colorado in Boulder, the Navy's Dr. John P. Hagen, civilian scientist, gave the most complete report yet on U.S. plans to launch a covey of man-made moons in the International Geophysical Year (June 30, 1957 through Dec. 31, 1958).

As director of Project Vanguard, Hagen said that, starting this fall, four grapefruit-size satellites will be launched to test radio-tracking systems for the six major satellites that will begin to go up next spring. This fall's minor moons will be only 6.4 in. in diameter, weigh only 3.25 lbs. They will be launched at Florida's Patrick Air Force Base by the same type three-stage rocket that next spring will catapult into space the full-size satellites, which will be 20 in. in diameter, weigh 21.5 lbs. Hagen thinks the test satellites will stay aloft only briefly, but admits that one might accidentally hit upon an orbit that could keep it circling the earth indefinitely.

Next spring the first major satellite to rise will carry instruments to study the sun's ultraviolet rays; the second will record the erosion of meteor particles the size of sand grains; the third, only 13 in. in diameter, will be made of plastic (instead of magnesium), will measure air density and the earth's magnetic field. Jobs for the other three satellites have not yet been picked.

To hear Hagen's progress report, delegates strained for their notebooks when he started to tick off key facts. One engrossed note taker: Russia's Vladimir Kotelnikov, who headed a 16-man delegation. Kotelnikov shrugged off questions about Russia's progress in moon making: "They will launch one when they are ready."

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