SPACE EXPLORATION — SEAMANS 265 



I transmitted nearly 23,000 television pictures of the earth's cloud 

 patterns. Tieos II, launched in November 1960, has transmitted more 

 than 40,000 pictures and has reported important information about 

 the atmosphere and the radiation of solar heat back from the earth. 



The Weather Bureau made use in 1961 of Tiros III pictures of 

 storm Eliza in the Pacific and hurricane Anna in the Atlantic. 

 NASA also used Tikos III for weather support of Astronaut Gris- 

 som's July 21, 1961, Mercury suborbital flight. Twice a day as the 

 satellite passed over the Caribbean, one of its two TV cameras was 

 triggered to report weather conditions in the area of the flight. Also, 

 when Major Grissom was briefed just prior to his flight, he was shown 

 TV pictures obtained from Tiros for visual comparison during the 

 actual flight. 



According to the House Committee on Science and Astronautics, 

 "An improvement of only 10 percent in accuracy [of weather fore- 

 casting] could result in savings totaling hundreds of millions of dol- 

 lars annually to farmers, builders, airlines, shipping, the tourist trade, 

 and many other enterprises." 



RISK OF DELAY 



It is not my place to discuss military missions, but there is an 

 important interchange of components and vehicles between the NASA 

 and the Department of Defense programs. United States mastery 

 of space is essential insurance against finding ourselves with a tech- 

 nology inferior to that the Communists will develop as they press 

 forward on the space frontier. If we allow them to surpass us, their 

 space technology in its military aspects could jeopardize our security. 



In addition to potential direct military conflicts, the free societies 

 are in deadly competition with the Communists for the support of 

 the uncommitted peoples of the world. Space activity has great 

 emotional appeal, and we cannot afford the risk of being passed or 

 appearing to be passed. Today, prestige is one of the most important 

 elements of international relations. Essential is the belief of other 

 nations that we have capability and determination to carry out what- 

 ever we declare seriously that we intend to do. 



In the minds of millions, dramatic space achievements have become 

 today's symbol of tomorrow's scientific and technical supremacy. 

 There is, without a doubt, a tendency to equate space and the future. 

 Therefore, space is one of the fronts upon which President Kennedy 

 and his administration have chosen to act broadly, vigorously, and 

 with continuous purpose. No other single field offers us the oppor- 

 tunity to gain more of what we need abroad and at the same time to 

 achieve such a wealth of both practical and scientific results at home. 



