their efforts to develop the nuclear rocket and you are familiar, of course, with the Rover program aimed specifically at this task. (The chart referred to appears on p. 59.)

COOPERATION WITH AEC

Dr. SILVERSTEIN. We are supporting this work by providing the hardware associated with making a complete system. The AEC is providing the reactor. We are working very closely together under the guidance of a coordinating committee.

This, briefly, is the outline of our program. I might mention the funds involved.

PROJECTED PROGRAM EXPENDITURES

On the Scout in 1960 we are spending $2 million. On the Delta vehicle we are spending $13,300,000. On the Vega we are spending $42,800,000; on the Centaur, $41 million. The Defense Department is spending $15 million for the Saturn development and NASA will spend $30,200,000 on the 112-million-pound engine.

These sums will be spent on contracts that currently exist. The costs of the program during 1960 have been well defined, based on contractual relations for construction of a certain number of vehicles for each program.

CONTRIBUTION TO MISSILES PROGRAM

Senator ROBERTSON. May I ask a question?

Of those expenditures, what percentage do you estimate will contribute to the missiles program of the Defense Department?

Dr. SILVERSTEIN. May I answer it this way: Within this program, as you will have noticed, we are using basic boosters from the military missiles program. Initially we can make big gains in the program and in the costs of the program because these vehicles have been developed over a number of years, bringing them up to a certain level of performance. As we continue our work in the field and develop new boosters, and as it becomes clearer what the military missions are out in space, it is quite certain that the new vehicles can be used in our defense efforts.

DEVELOPMENT OF INTERCONTINENTAL MISSILE

Senator ROBERTSON. Does your program directly contribute to the development of a satisfactory intercontinental missile? Dr. SILVERSTEIN. That is not our mission.

Senator ROBERTSON. I know it is not your mission, but I was just wondering what part, if any, of your appropriation could be classified as a part of the defense effort?"

Dr. SILVERSTEIN. Yes; there is a substantial part of our program that contributes to the defense effort. For years, the NACA supported the defense effort in their various laboratories in the country. In the development of the airplane the NACA was probably the most important agency in the country providing basic aeronautical research information. We are continuing this work. We are in daily contact with the military services on these problems providing basic research and development support for their programs.

CREATION OF A NEW ART

Now as to these specific missiles, I feel that the same thing is taking place. We are creating a new art. As this art is created, it will be made available to the Defense Department. In fact, they are involved in it as it is being created, so there seems little question that in the future it will be of great value to the country from a defense point of view.

Senator ROBERTSON. The answer is: You make no contribution, but there may be some indirect benefits?

BENEFITS TO DEFENSE PROGRAM

Dr. GLENNAN. If I may speak to that, Senator, I think there can be no question about the benefits to the Defense program which will flow out of the Nation's civilian space program.

Underriding any operational system development is the research and development effort which must support the individual elements of such a system. Much of the activity that we undertake will flow right into the governmental, or rather, into the Defense Department activities. I have been hard put, as a matter of fact, to find an element in our program where I do not think that the Defense Department will benefit from the activities we are undertaking.

Senator ROBERTSON. Thank you, that is all.
Chairman HAYDEN. Senator Martin.

MILLION-AND-A-HALF-POUND LAUNCHING PAD

Senator MARTIN. You spoke of a million and a half pounds-do you have any other million-and-a-half-pound launching pad planned or in being?

Dr. SILVERSTEIN. A pad at Huntsville is being used for the development of the Saturn vehicle which I showed to you. At Edwards Air Force Base there will be a thrust chamber assembly testing rig which is currently being constructed.

Senator MARTIN. The propellant is that a solid-fuel propellant? Dr. SILVERSTEIN. In this case it will be a liquid-fuel propellant. Now that I have presented one very important phase of the research and development program, we would like to continue and have Dr. Hagen present our space science program.

Dr. GLENNAN. Before Dr. Hagen speaks, I would like to have the privilege of pointing out to you and the committee that this vehicular program, which has just been described to you, and which is being pursued vigorously, as both an immediate necessity and a long-term effort, will undoubtedly suffer substantially should the cuts made by the House be sustained.

Dr. Hagen came to us from the Vanguard program, you will remember, and is working directly with Dr. Silverstein in the space flight development activities.

SPACE SCIENCE PROGRAM

Dr. HAGEN. I would like to spend just a few minutes to refresh your memory on the NASA science program.

space

The point I would like to make this morning is that the space science program is really the foundation upon which our applications program is built, and that this will be the tangible return to the Congress and the public.

The space science program can be broken down into several parts: A study of atmospheres, both of the earth and of the moon and planets; of ionospheres, of the energetic particles that fly through space and impinge on our atmospheres, electric and magnetic fields associated with the planets, the earth and the sun; a study of gravity, of the local gravity here on the earth and then gravity within the solar system itself, and then of astronomy.

Now the point here is that each of these different elements of the program is complex in many ways and, further, their interrelation is extremely complex.

(The chart referred to follows:)

SPACE SCIENCE AREAS

ATMOSPHERES

IONOSPHERES

ENERGETIC PARTICLES

ELECTRIC AND MAGNETIC FIELDS

GRAVITY

ASTRONOMY

BIOLOGY

STUDY OF ATMOSPHERES

Dr. HAGEN. In atmospheres: We know quite a bit about the lower part of the earth's atmosphere, due to our long history of weather studies plus the fact that we have now shot a great many sounding rockets up to a height somewhat in excess of 50 miles. Beyond that height, however, our knowledge of the atmosphere is extremely limited. We know that the atmosphere, of course, supports itself and, therefore, becomes more and more diffuse as we go higher and higher.

(The chart referred to appears on p. 63.)

Dr. HAGEN. It is in the outer region of the atmosphere that the interchange between the energy coming in, in the form of particles and high energy radiation from the sun, and in the form of ultraviolet radiation and X-radiation, takes place.