Old Devil Moon

Just before dawn one morning last week, a 98-ft. Atlas-Able rocket rose majestically from its launching pad and for 68 seconds cut a brilliant, steady swath through the Florida sky. Then, suddenly, the rocket's nose lurched, and an instant later a red-orange mushroom blast shattered the sixth U.S. attempt to put a paddle-wheel satellite in orbit around the moon. If the feat had succeeded, it would have rivaled even the Russian successes of hitting the moon and photographing its backside.

As it was, last week's failure put an ignominious end to the $40 million hurried-up Atlas-Able lunar probe program. Rather than try again with Atlas-Able, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration last week called off future moon shots until next summer, when more powerful rockets are due to be available: the Centaur and Agena B which, atop the Atlas booster, will provide more efficient thrust in the upper stages, should be able to carry payloads of up to 700 lbs. to the moon. But with the U.S. out of the running now for at least six months, the Russians may well get there with a profitable payload first.

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