V—2 ROCKETS—KRAUSE 
ation of the saturation current for 
electrons and positive ions. 
Miscellaneous 
Cameras have been included in 
several flights and pictures obtained to 
altitudes of 160 km. (42). A com- 
posite of several such pictures is shown 
in plate 6. The Gulf of California and 
surrounding territory are clearly evi- 
dent in the picture. Photographs of 
this type are very useful for meteoro- 
logical cloud studies as well as for 
cartographic purposes. 
On the night of December 17, 1946, 
the first night V—2 launching in this 
country was made for the purpose of 
conducting an experiment with arti- 
ficial meteorites. This experiment, 
conducted jointly by the Applied 
Physics Laboratory, the California 
Institute of Technology, and Harvard 
University, consisted of dropping out 
special charges, at intervals of about 
20,000 feet, above 60,000 feet. The 
charges were to explode 1 or 2 seconds 
after leaving the missile. High- 
velocity particles should then appear 
as artificial meteors and as a matter of 
fact in a few cases some of the particles 
might have enough velocity to escape 
the earth. This experiment was un- 
successful because ofejection difficulties 
but will be repeated sometime this fall. 
On various flights special strains of 
rye seeds, corn seeds, and fruit flies 
have been taken to altitudes of 170 
km. to determine whether radiation 
above the atmosphere might produce 
mutations. The order of magnitude of 
cosmic radiation was, of course, known 
and because of its low intensity very 
little or no effect was anticipated. 
However other less energetic radiation 
might exist at these altitudes which 
could possibly produce an effect. 
Analysis made by Harvard on re- 
covered seeds and flies has shown that 
no detectable changes are produced by 
the radiation. These results are not 
yet conclusive because in most cases 
the seeds were shielded by metal (in 
order to facilitate recovery) so that 
only the higher energy radiation would 
205 
have been effective. If recovery 
methods are improved, containers hav- 
ing very thin walls will be used to 
study the effects of the lower energy 
radiation. 
In general the various laboratories 
involved are approaching the above 
A. ALTITUDE 12 Km.,43 SECONDS AFTER 
TAKEOFF 
haere Sn 
B. ALTITUDE 79Km.,94 SECONDS AFTER 
TAKEOFF. 
vs, 
iii eS aaa 
CG. ALTITUDE 90Km., 103 SECONDS AFTER 
TAKEOFF. 
MAA AAAI 
@ 
D. ALTITUDE l0O0Km., 1I3 SECONDS AFTER 
TAKEOFF. 
ARRAN LAME WNT AY 
veyed 
E. ALTITUDE Ill Km., 123 SECONDS AFTER 
TAKEOFF 
FicurE 10.—Representative sections of the 
continuous-film record showing beats of 
harmonically related frequencies. (a) Rec- 
ord obtained below the ionosphere (up to 
43km.). (6) Slowly varying beat recorded 
at an altitude of 79 km. (c) Record at 
approximately 90 km. showing a well- 
defined wave form. (d) The beat above 
100 km. showing a more complex wave 
form. (e) The sudden cessation of the 
phase beat frequency at 111 km. at which 
point the 4.274 mc. signal disappeared 
completely. 
problems in different ways. Nu- 
merous other experiments are being 
planned for the future, of which a few 
might be mentioned. The Applied 
Physics Laboratory and the Watson 
Laboratories are both planning differ- 
