Show - This Week ' - ' - - IMPAIOAlktele A - l By - pho Iwo f S ' I 4 G HAMAIOND USAF Major IVINTON Otylet Moore Astronaut Wally Schirra was minutes two airborneand a bad 20 seconds behind scheduleALIone ' ' - ---- — - - i -- I Air Force officer had to make the biggest decision of his life Should lte destroy-throcket? e -- -' ---- -- - A CAPE CANAVERAL 1 t' 7 I ' A01 PAT FRANK: One of the most jobs in the world belongs to Major Winton C Hammond His job is to destruct sick birds As every schoolboy knows a "bird" is a rocket and "destruct" means nerve-torturin- 1 ri' C) Hammond is senior among- -fiVe range safety officers at Cape Canaveral As seiorle draws the big ones --- Mercury Titan Saturn He has no margin for error If a rocket runs amuck and is not destroyed in - blow up nC i I 't - ' I - —time e '' NI fn flight- - Major - - - v kf ' -- -- be like to imagine a Saturn 33 stories tall and laden ' with tons of volatile fuel exploding on an American on a city or European or South American capital or wiping out a peaceful village in Africa? of a mistake Even aside from the human tragedy catastrophe could do terrific damage to the hobbling our space program losing us an inflaming a neutral state i such a US by ally Or But if Major llammond flicks the snitch in a moment of unwarranted apprehension he unneces sarily kills a bird costinglie to tuentyfite million dollars not counting the payload Its' nose may be packed uith sophisticated instruments representing years of labor The mirth of some launches such as ts probes to the Moon and planets and our be cannot measured in mOney A portion of our national prestige rules such rockets ' - N - ' I I t I k :14 diii' A man-shoo- io ot ' As in Cape Canaveral is a scientific laboratory every laboratory experiments sometimes fail The scientist learns from failure whether the exrri 'ment is housed in a tiny test tube or an enormous - ' rocket - - A few birds go crazy - or at launch:tumbling pinwheeling shedding pieces spewing fire from split—tanks These Major Hammond destroys as quickly as possible but at the precise moment when -- - -- mot ON rut Stott Major Hammond mast be ready to aci and can't afford a niistake - - 4 - Range safety officers are chosen for eihnness and emotional stability but what- must it - - - - it caspread The cost '!4- - late(' area i' - :i' g - - - THIS yeEk mslogi IMrck 171963 - |