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Show M.I Moab, Utah Feb4 65 TIMES-INDEPENDENT Athena Missile Testing Program To Last Through 1965 and '66 Senator Wallace F. Bennett (R-Utah) announced today the Air Force plans to con-tniue its Athena missile testing program near Green River, Utah, through all of 1965 and through most of 1966. The Utah Republican reported the 1965 schedule calls for at least three Athena launchings each month. The Air Force and Atlantic Research of Alexandria, Vir- ginia, are testing re-entry and solid fuel missiles at Green River, where the pencil like Athena is launched to the White Sands testing ground in New Mexico. Since the first Athena was launched a year ago, the Air Force has fired eight more missiles, including the most recent on January 16. TheJ haustive safety investigation when the missile malfunction-l OIL •& INDUSTRY Dynolectron BUSINESS NEWS Awarded Three Year Contract Moab TIMES IMDEPEKDEM, Moab, Utah 2_8Jaa65 A new contract • 1ms been signed by Land-Air Division of the Dynalectroii Corporation of Washington, D.C. for the support and maintenance of the White Sands Missile Range, Green River test complex. The first increment will be approximately one half million dollars. The contract was a result of competitive bidding, we are informed by Major Richard Schmidt, U. S. Army officer in charge of the Green River complex. The contract becomes effective February 1, and is for a three year period. ed and impacted near Duran-go, Colorado. All of the subsequent launchings have been at least partially successful, with two exceptions, Sen. Bennett reported. "On these two occasions, the range safety officer destroyed the missile early in theis flight to avoid a reccur-rance of the first incident." Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Research and Development, Alexander Flax told Sen. Bennett, "In general, the Athena program has been [proceeding slowly because of ja number of technical growing pains in the missile and range support system. Sen. Bennett said last year some 530 employees worked l|Trst launch triggered an_ ex-Ion the launch System at Green River; the total includes Air Force, Army, and contractor personnel. According to the original contract schedule at Green River, the Air Force would have completed the final launch in December, 1965, and would be in the process of deactivating the Green River i site now, Mr. Flax told Sen. Bennett. j However, because of un- j scheduled delays there are a. 1 total of 68 remaining mis- \ siles remaining which will ex-; tend the test program through most of 1966. Further use of the Green River site beyond the test program will depend on the A r Force review of data obtained from test programs under ' way and the future needs of new missile development programs," Sen. Bennett said. |