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CONFLICT IN SPACE by Michael N. Golovine

CONFLICT IN SPACE

By

Pub Date: Oct. 18th, 1962
Publisher: St Martin's Press

In a galaxy of space books out this year, a Russian born, English scientist gives us a specialized view of the deadly side of rockets and satellites----of a possible space war within the conceivable future. In doing so, he presents no over-dramatized nor feverishly imagined Buck Rogers world of tomorrow. Writing calmly and with logic he extrapolates from present technology to arrive at some convincing possibilities for 1970. His book deals with the idea of grand space strategy, and how that strategy could affect politics on Earth. Beginning with a grim appraisal of the killing potential of ballistic missiles under varying conditions, he goes on to the U.S. Air Force and its attempts with supersonic bombers and ICBMs to bridge the missile gap with Russia. That gap, and the disturbing possibilities of orbiting satellites as worse weapons than rockets, occupies the next section. Of interest too is a listing of U.S. firms involved in the space race, and of the space budgets of European powers. Finally comes the nightmarish picture of space war---dispassionately unfolded---with missiles, orbiting bombs, anti-missiles, and the like filling space. A theory of space attrition, as opposed to an all out blasting of Earth, opens the way to new possibilities of war and of a radically changed diplomacy. A disturbing but intelligent book.