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Show Sunday February 16, Want Ad Oept, 532-1971 The El Paso Times THE EL PASO - -El But Shoot Fails Athena Missile Creates Big Boom In Green River By HAROLD R. WILLIAMS Associated Press Staff Writer Durango, Coio., residents might not think much of the wayward Athena missile, but Green River, ! Utah, still thinks she is a doll. The scond stage and payload of the four-stage, experimental rocket smashed into Durango's backyard Monday instead of hitting inside White Sands Missile Range, N.M. A disgrace or not, the Athena is still the sweetheart of Green River. Known to grow some of the tastiest watermelons in the world; Green River now has a new claim to fame. The community never had it so good. At least as far as a boom i goes. While the surrounding area ;is worrying over the cutback in 1 uranium and no rain, the missile age's magic finger touched Green River and brought the success that usually accompanies this new era. "It's just like the uranium boom in the '50s" said a whiskered service station attendant, "only a jlot bigger. I sold as much gas [last year as I did in two years." i Most of the residents have been [affected by the Athena. Many | work at the. base and many more work for the businesses that have sprung up in the small commu- j nity. "You used to carry on a con-i versation talking across the highway," said a store owner. "But now, we are thinking about putting up a traffic light. You can't hardly walk across the street let alone talk to someone on the other side." The Atlantic Research Corp., the Air Force and White Sands Missile Range moved men into Green River about one year and a half ago. The company, which has been plagued by internal problems and skirmishes with the federal government about its j stock, set up shop in a large abandoned uranium mill on the outskirts of town. Mote'.s sprouted up, and additions were needed before the paint was dry. Cafes were opened, laundromats, everything but bars. Utah sells 3.2 beer only over the counter. The state controls liquor sales through its own liquor stores. Ray's pool hall has since become known as "the conference room." The sign at the edge of town says 500 population, but W. F. Hatt, rancher and one of the owners of a new motel, said there were more like 1,000 before the boom. "Now we have about 1,750," he said. "The Athena has helped us immensely," he said. Monday's launch was the climax of all the activity of a year. High School students built a float with a crepe paper Athena sitting in a launch position. The gaily colored float was placed right in the middle of town. Signs in the stores read: "Good Luck Athena" "See You in White Sands, Athena," "Go South Athena.." and "History is Being Made Today in Green River, Watch the Athena Go." j The Athena did go. The reliable first stage castor and recruit motors, which their makers, Thiokol Corp., say have 100 per cent performance records, blasted the slender Athena to the fringe of space. The huge, white streamer left trailing behind was characteristic of solid fuel rocket motors. The winds played havoc with the long contrail, twisting spiraling and turning it. j The trouble didn't start until after the second stage ignited. Veteran missile watchers said they saw the missile tumble about two seconds after the motor fired. Safety officers, watching the flight with instruments in a block house, were caught offguard with an unexpected and swift change of direction. They had a choice of blowing the Athena to bits and showering the countryside with flaming debris, or determining where the missile might hit and let it go its way. They chose the. latter. The tumbling set up terrific pressures and the missile broke into several parts anyway, landing over the countryside near Durango. Colorado and Arizona were skipped by an Army team fromj White Sands that toured New Mexico and Utah assuring the residents that there was; no danger from the missile flying overhead. The only parts of Coloado and Arizona thought to be affected were in the four corners. When it was first determined that the Athena had decided to have her own way and land in Colorado, Maj. Gen. Frederick Thorlin, commanding general at White Sands, called to Colorado' Gov. John Love to inform him the missile had strayed. A White Sands spokesman said all scheduled firings of the Athena would be postponed until the] malfunction could be ferreted outj and corrected. : No time has been set for the! next shot. It was to have been in' two weeks. But whenever it might; be, Green River,will be an extra booster, hoping tile next attempt will make it to White Sands. |