Fight for Space

Energetic Dr. T. Keith Glennan, chief of the newly created National Aeronautics and Space Administration, made his way into the Pentagon office of Army Secretary Wilber Brucker last fortnight with a message: civilian-run NASA, operating under Congressional authority, intended to take over the Army's missile-making Redstone Arsenal, 2,100 scientists from its missile team, the Army-backed Caltech Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Los Angeles and various other installations.

Brucker lost no time hustling down to the office of Deputy Defense Secretary Donald Quarles to protest. In Chicago Major General John Medaris, Redstone commander, dramatically got aboard a plane for Washington to fight off NASA capture--while a news leak rallied press reinforcements.

Quarles, apparently sympathetic, told the Army's Brucker to plead his case to White House Scientific Adviser Dr. James Killian. The President in press conference tried to head off a williwaw by insisting that Glennan's move was only part of a "study" in which the President himself would make the final ruling. But Glennan, plowing on, returned to Brucker's office at week's end with a written confirmation of his decision.

Behind Army's pressagentry lay some hard facts: 1) NASA takeover would break up Spaceman Wernher von Braun's dedicated Redstone team, which produced the dependable Jupiter-C and the first U.S. satellite, scatter experts into private industry; 2) Redstone works 85% on military, nonspace projects, and NASA is not allowed to make military decisions; 3) operating Redstone would cost more than NASA's total $301 million budget in overhead and equipment.

In a desperate rearguard action, Army hinted reasonably that it would gladly let NASA have the jet propulsion lab and other installations if it could only keep Redstone--and there it would take on any chores NASA assigned. "All we need to do," Medaris argued, "is put up a new wicket gate where they can hand in their orders." Added point: if Army could prevent an ultimate decision by the President until year's end, it would probably get to keep Redstone for good. Under the law creating the civilian agency to control space operations, NASA cannot take over military facilities after December 31 without express permission from Congress.

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