ROCKETRY—COX AND STOIKO 277 
With the advent of war in Korea, missile development programs 
were given new impetus. This acceleration was reflected in the missile 
budget. In the fiscal year 1951 the missile budget was $21 million; 
in 1952, it was increased to $169 million; and in 1958, it reached $800 
million. The one-billion mark was surpassed in 1954; and, in late 
1957, it went over the two-billion-dollars-a-year level and is still 
increasing. 
Thus, within the last 10 years, the United States missile industry has 
grown from the precarious incubator stage to a healthy three-billion- 
dollars-a-year business and is still expanding in all directions. 
There are today in the United States approximately 1,000 industries 
engaged in development, research, or production of rockets and 
missiles. To some, rocketry represents 100 percent of their business; 
furthermore, these industries employ about 50,000 engineers and tech- 
nical specialists, as well as an estimated 100,000 cther employees on 
the nontechnical level. The three branches of the Armed Forces have 
also committed a significant percentage of their manpower (in addi- 
tion to their utilization of more than half of the nation’s civilian 
scientific manpower) to implement their respective missile defense 
responsibilities. 
Since the early V—2 experiments, the Nation has developed and 
produced successful missiles in all four major military categories. 
The giants in the surface-to-surface category are nearing an advanced 
stage of development, and by the end of 1958 the United States 
should have successfully launched several artificial earth satellites. 
Without question, rocketry in the United States today is in a crucial 
transitional period where momentary daily developments can alter 
significantly the scientific, political, and military status of the Nation. 
To appreciate its current missile position, let us examine in greater 
detail some of the most important missiles in the basic tactical and 
strategic categories, considering first the air-to-air family. 
There are, as this is written, four major missiles in the air-to-air 
category: the Mighty Mouse, Falcon, Sparrow I, and the Sidewinder. 
Of these four, the Mighty Mouse is the oldest and best known. It has 
been the most reliable and for years the most utilized of its category. 
The Mighty Mouse is 48 inches long, 2.75 inches in diameter, and is 
propelled by a solid rocket motor. The projectile is equipped with 
a homing head and a proximity fuze. The power of the Air Force’s 
Mighty Mouse is equivalent to a 70-mm. cannon shell which probably 
is sufficient to bring down the largest aircraft. 
One of the newer guided types of Air Force air-to-air missiles is 
the Falcon. The Falcon is slightly less than 78 inches in length and 
has a span of 20 inches. It is powered by a solid-propellant motor 
with 6,000-pounds thrust, has a range of about 5 miles, and a top 
