Editor’s note: This article ran in the Jan. 30, 1959, issue.
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. — The American people “have not yet fully awakened to the breadth and depth of the Soviet challenge,” Dr. Wernher von Braun told a meeting of the General Contractors Association of the. U.S. in Miami this week.
“There seems to be an illusion that this is a kind of race between competing teams of rocket builders,” the Army missile and space expert said. “The notion that we must catch the Russians in this race, but have nothing else to worry about, is completely fallacious. A determined and able rival has challenged us in many areas — political, scientific, ideological, cultural, economic and educational as well as technological.”
The test, therefore, is not confined to the abilities of Tom Jones, American rocket engineer, and Ivan Podbrosky, Russian missile designer, Dr. von Braun pointed out.
“This is a test of stamina, ingenuity, courage and faith between every man who operates a lathe, who lays brick, who pours steel, who mixes concrete, who sews cloth, who analyzes chemicals, who solders connections, who resolves mathematical equations, who writes editorials, who comments about news, who delivers babies, who teaches children, who grows crops, who manages industry, who engages in trade and commerce, — and his Soviet counterpart …
“It is a fight in which all of us are directly involved and the stake is our and our children’s future. The result will demonstrate to all the world whether we are in fact, as we still have every reason to believe, the greatest nation on earth and the shining hope of men everywhere.”
There can be no possibility of mistake in evaluating Soviet intentions as far as outer space is concerned, said Dr. von Braun, who is director of development operations for the Army Ballistic Missile Agency.
“The objective is to master the spatial environment, certainly for peaceful, scientific purposes initially, but with the long-range motive of putting the capability of manned travel through outer space to use for the same overriding goal of expansion of their sphere of influence which is the ultimate purpose in all Communist endeavor.”
The speaker declared that “the times call for sober realization” and for “a resolution … to get to work … I would not have you think that nothing has been done by this country since the Russians made their opening bid.” He stated. “A great deal has happened in the last 12 months … Out of these projects we have derived a wealth of data about the spatial environment.”
NO ONE accustomed to earthbound concepts can possible visualize all the wonders which may be the fruits of exploration into the far reaches of the universe, Dr. von Braun concluded.
“But I believe that enough can be visualized to justify the assertion that we are on the verge of a truly golden age of discovery, one that yields manifold benefits if we can proceed in peace and without the menacing possibility of employing space technology for aggressive ends. The only sure guarantee of eliminating that threat is to advance our space exploration programs with redoubled vigor to the end that we have established, beyond all doubt and question, the supremacy of free peoples in this most challenging of all fields.