Astronautical and Aeronautical Events of 1962 - NASA's History Office

176 ASTRONAUTICAL AND AERONAUTICAL EVENTS OF 19 6 2
September 6: Congressman George P. Miller, chairman of the House
Committee on Science and Astronautics, defended the U.S. space
program in speech or] floor of the House. Arguing that Soviet
VOSTOK 111 and IV manned orbital flights did not justify changes
in the U.S. program, he said:
‘(Certainly I will not stand here and say that more and better
military space programs should not be undertaken. What I do
say is that a considerable effort in this field has long been under-
way and that the Monday-morning quarterbacks whose teeth
start chattering after every Russian ‘spectacular’ might exhibit
a bit more faith in those who have the actual responsibility for
the defense of the country. . . .
“[We should not overlook] . . . the fact that the Soviets have
now demonstrated two important capabilities : First, that they
have sufficient launch facilities and rocket reliability to launch
two manned spacecraft within a short time, and second, that
they have the ability to time launches with great precision.
These capabilities are an important step toward the development
of the rendezvous and docking technique which will be of great
value in achieving many advanced objectives in space explora-
tion, some of which may have potential military value.
“These, I think, are the formidable implications of their recent
feat. But these implications are no reason for us to put our
program in a constant state of flux, with projects starting,
stopping, and shifting in response to each new Soviet develop-
ment. Our undertaking is gigantic, immensely complex. It
cannot be assembled and disassembled and redesigned and re-
assembled without losing its direction and momentum, and the
space contest itself. . . .
“There is a suggestion that the military services should duplicate
work now in progress under the civilian agency. There is
nothing particularly military about solutions to problems involved
in the effects of long-term weightlessness, radiation, and isolation.
The capabilities of both civilian and military research agencies
should be brought to bear on these problems in a coordinated
manner.
“On the record, then, it appears that the critics of our space
program are not asking that we do twice as much-but that we do
everything twice. I do not think the economy will take that, but
even if it would-it just does not make sense.
“And how about the reciprocal use of the knowledge we are
gaining? Science knows no exclusive applications technologically
speaking, what is developed by civilians can be used militarily
and vice versa. . . .
“It seems farily well established that the real cause of all this
squabble about the military-in-space stems from an inhouse
difference of opinion within the military establishment. The
problem is not that our civil space program is retarding the
military. On the contrary, it is enhancing it and will continue
to do so in the future. The problem is that the military space
enthusiasts have not been able to obtain all the green lights they
want from their bosses. . . . I am confident the controversy will
be resolved in time-and expeditiously, I hope.”