Nov 29 1962
From The Space Library
Dr. Edward Welsh, Executive Secretary of the National Aeronautics and Space Council, told Atomic/Industrial Forum: "We cannot afford to find ourselves with a space gap due to a lack of advanced planning and of attention to advanced developments. Yet, we will assuredly have such a gap if we do not push enthusiastically the potential of nuclear energy and power at an increasing rate in the field of space. . . . It would indeed be foolish not to develop and use the propulsion system which would carry the greatest weights the greatest distances most economically. The potential of nuclear propulsion in such an objective cannot be overestimated. . . ." NASA test pilot John McKay predicted X-15 would soon attain speeds seven times speed of sound at altitudes up to 500,000 ft. during a new series of flights.
AFSSD broke ground at Edwards AFB for construction of world's largest and most highly instrumented solid-rocket engine test facility. Stand was primarily to test five-segment 120-in. solid rockets for Titan but it also had capacity to test segmented solid rockets up to and including 156-in.
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