It was obviously time for all of us to take stock of where we were and where we wanted to go.

That is shown on our next chart, where I have plotted the altitude in miles against the speed in miles per hour. The altitude goes up to 60 miles and the speed goes all the way from zero up to satellite speed.

(The chart referred to appears on p. 117.)

CORRIDOR OF STABILIZED HORIZONTAL FLIGHT

Mr. ABBOTT. I have shown here a broad yellow band which represents a corridor in which the stabilized horizontal flight of winged vehicles is possible.

Below this corridor, in this region [indicating] the air density is too high and consequently the pressures and temperatures are too high for sustained flight. Above the corridor, there is not enough air to support an airplane and it can only jump up into this region and come back in essentially ballistic flight.

In examining this region, it became apparent to us that the greatest problems were those relating to heating in the general speed range of around 12,000 to 14,000 miles per hour. It consequently became apparent that this represented our major problem area, but that we must explore this entire corridor.

At the present time our best airplanes are way down here [indicating]. Our satellites are up here. There remains a tremendous intermediate region of potential aeronautical application.

As a result of research studies it became apparent that a good way to explore this region would be by a glider which would be propelled by rocket boosters from the ground. The glider would be accelerated up to the necessary altitude and speed by the booster and then coast back to a landing through this corridor.

DYNASOAR-1 PROJECT

As a result of these studies there is now underway a cooperative program between the Air Force and NACA, now NASA, which is known as the Dynasoar-1 project. This is a project to produce a research vehicle to explore this entire region.

There are many unknowns in this region, both technically and with regard to potential usefulness of such airplanes; however, our research has progressed to a point where I think I can say that these unknowns are no greater today than those about supersonic speeds were 12 years ago this summer, when the X-1 airplane made its first flight at supersonic speeds, both with respect to the usefulness and possibility of such flight.

This work is going on at the research centers which perform the functions of the former NACA plus new functions of supporting the space work of both the NASA and of the military departments. This is a very large and energetic research effort requiring laboratories which are modern in all respects.

FUNDS FOR RESEARCH FACILITIES

Of this $57,800,000 requested in this appropriattion, $20,800,000 is for new research facilities at the four research centers.

The present cost of these centers is approximately $400 million. This represents the capital investment in these centers.

The $20,800,000 being requested this year accordingly represents only about 5 percent of the investment in these research facilities, and this seems to me to be the absolute minimum that is required to keep these centers modern and up to the job, which is to do research in the advance fields I have described.

TOTAL CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT BUDGET

Senator MAGNUSON. In other words, your construction and equipment budget for 1960, insofar as the estimate is concerned, was $57 million, approximately; is that correct?

Mr. ÁBBOTT. That is correct.

Senator MAGNUSON. Of which $20 million is for these particular things that you are talking about?

Mr. ABBOTT. That is correct.

Senator MAGNUSON. And that leaves how much?

Mr. ABBOTT. $37 million.

Senator MAGNUSON. That leaves $37 million for the construction and equipment which will be spread over all the other phases of your activity; is that correct?

Mr. ABBOTT. That is correct.

Senator MAGNUSON. Now, if the House figure stood, what projects would you cut out or would you shave them off some?

Dr. DRYDEN. May I speak to that, Senator Magnuson?

Mr. Chairman, we have been through this for a great many years. Senator MAGNUSON. So have I, and we need a little priority here once in a while.

EFFECT OF 10 PERCENT CUT

Dr. DRYDEN. The effect of a 10 percent cut is that you usually have to throw something out completely, and, in my experience, it comes back again the next year or the year following, and because of inflation, it always costs you a lot more than if you had done it at the original time.

Senator MAGNUSON. Well, we are stopping inflation now, and you do not have to worry about it.

But suppose you do not get the amount, what will happen?
Dr. DRYDEN. We will have to go over this.

PRIORITY OF ITEMS

Senator MAGNUSON. Well now, what projects will be thrown out, if you are going to throw out any projects?

Mr. ULMER. Senator Magnuson, this is a very difficult question to

answer.

The whole program consists of about 25 individual items, most of which are less than $5 million each.

Now, I suspect we would have to go down this list and probably cut some of the smaller items and perhaps reduce the technical capabilities of some of the larger ones.

Senator MAGNUSON. In other words, you have not crossed that bridge because you are optimistic about getting the full amount.

Mr. ULMER. We certainly hope we will get the full amount. Senator MAGNUSON. And the chairman and I, being in many conferences up here, are not that optimistic. Sometimes we end up with half of it and sometimes we end up with less.

Chairman HAYDEN. At this time you could not establish priorities? Mr. ULMER. That is correct.

Senator MAGNUSON. I know you are a new organization, but sometimes—and this is a great habit around here with the older organizations they come up here and they will tell us which ones they are going to cut out and usually they will pick out the one that is most appealing.

Dr. DRYDEN. We have that problem internally.

Senator MAGNUSON. That is the one they are going to cut out. They are not going to cut out any other. We do not want to get you into that habit.

Dr. GLENNAN. We would like to avoid that habit, to be perfectly frank with you.

PRIOR APPROPRIATION TO NACA

Senator MAGNUSON. Now, how much did we appropriate, and I should know this figure, but I do not at this moment, for the NACA in its last appropriation?

Mr. ULMER. If I may, I will show you the chart here.

(The chart referred to appears on p. 120.)

Senator MAGNUSON. Yes, but I want the record to show what difference there is, if any, for that phase of your work.

Mr. ULMER. That chart shows our current 1959 budget of $335.7 million, which was made up, approximately, of $204 million for R. & D., $83 million for S. & E., and $48 million for C. & E. Those funds came from $80 million in the original NASA appropriation of 1959, $101,100,000 in the 1959 NACA appropriation, and $154,600,000 in transferred Department of Defense funds.

Senator MAGNUSON. Well, did we appropriate $101,100,000 for NACA?

Mr. ULMER. You did, sir.

Senator MAGNUSON. That is for fiscal 1959 ?

Mr. ULMER. That is correct, and the subsequent supplemental appropriation added an additional $80 million for the first NASA appropriation.

LEVEL OF NACA FUNCTIONS

Senator MAGNUSON. I remember that. So your figures on that phase of activity, the aeronautic phase of it, are not any higher than what was being spent by NACA?

Mr. ULMER. Your statement is correct, Senator. This level of NACA effort is being carried into 1960 at approximately a fixed amount, at the same general level.