Space Drive - 1970 No 02

Magazine Overview

Title: SPACE DRIVE
Issue: No. 2
Date: January 23, 1970
Publisher: SPACE-DRIVE magazine
Country: United Kingdom
Language: English

This issue of SPACE DRIVE magazine, the "Original Independent Magazine of Experimental Space Craft Development," presents a collection of articles and reports centered around UFO sightings, scientific inquiry, and the broader field of ufology.

Woman Claims She Saw UFO at Night

The lead story details a claim by Mrs. Olive Meggs of Alexandra Road, Walthamstow, who reported seeing an unidentified flying object on New Year's Day, 1970, at 12:45 am. She described it as a "golden ball of fire" in the sky, about the size of a tennis ball, with white vapor rising from it. After a few moments, the object allegedly became smaller and vanished, leaving a "tiny white mark in the sky." Mrs. Meggs, who stated she does not normally believe in flying objects, also noted that the clouds seemed "scorched afterwards." She believes others must have seen the object as well.

'Ball of Fire' Mystery Grows

This section expands on the New Year's Day sightings, reporting that more people in Walthamstow have come forward with similar testimonies. The article reiterates Mrs. Olive Meggs' sighting and then introduces additional accounts:

• Mr. and Mrs. Brian Merry of Forest Road, Walthamstow, reported seeing two UFOs on New Year's Day within minutes of each other. Mrs. Merry described the first object as reddish-colored and the size of a ball, which turned orange before disappearing. Five minutes later, they observed another similar object.
• Miss C. Bard of Priory Court, Walthamstow, saw a "bright light in the sky" at 12 pm, which looked like a "ball of fire with white vapor rising from it." The object was seen going across the sky until it disappeared. She and her mother also noticed the object Mrs. Meggs saw at 12:45 pm.
• Mr. Leslie Fower, also of Priory Court, reported seeing a "ball of light" at 12:30 pm that disappeared, leaving an impression in the clouds. He described it as the size of a dinner plate, initially stationary, then dropping slightly before ascending again.
• Mrs. A. Saville of Warner Road, Walthamstow, stated she saw "it" (presumably a UFO) from her back door while seeing the New Year in.
• The Meteorological Unidentified Flying Objects Department stated it had no record of any sightings in the Walthamstow area on New Year's Day.

Further accounts of the "ball of fire" mystery include:

• Mr. D. A. Pottle of Arkley Crescent, Walthamstow, and his mother saw an "orangy-red, glowing ball with a vapor trail" in the sky. It appeared to fall in an arc and dimmed until it faded away, described as similar to a Guy Fawkes rocket but brighter and ball-shaped.
• Miss Rose Heard of Manor Road, Walthamstow, saw what she thought was a flare at 12:45 pm, which "went out as though it switched itself off."
• Debra Mills, 11 years old, reported that her mother also saw the UFO, describing it as a "perfectly round golden ball moving slowly in the north" before it disappeared.

Editorial

E.H. Harris, the editor, expresses thanks for the "thunderous interest" in the first issue. He notes the appearance of another magazine with similar subjects in the U.S.A., clarifying that it has no connection to SPACE-DRIVE and was advertised in "FLYING SAUCER REVIEW." He thanks donors for their support, enabling the magazine to remain free of charge. The editorial states that SPACE-DRIVE was originally designed to cover ideas and news on "space-thrust engines," but as other journals cover this adequately, the focus will shift to "Astronomy and science" while retaining an "entertainments section for lighter reading."

Our Work?

This section details the magazine's own experimental work. It describes testing a "Flashing unit" advertised on page 2, suitable for emergency or warning lights. The section also discusses "Our E.S.S.D. Work" (Experimental Space-thrust Science Development?), noting a decline in practical work but mentioning a rocket built for issue no. 1, constructed from aluminium using an "old Chinese formula" mixed by David Prockter. The article mentions a "convergent divergent aperture" nozzle and hints at "ANTI-GRAVITY RESEARCH." It details an experiment with a 5,000-volt generator that resulted in the apparatus smashing to pieces. Difficulties in obtaining 7" glass discs are noted. An attempt to test condensers involved passing a 6-volt charge, then stepping it up to 240 volts A.C., both with "negative results." The team believes the condensers work but they might be constructing them wrongly, suggesting a 1 KV charge might be needed but is not yet obtainable.

D.A.P.R.O STORY

Written by B. Richard Barton, director of the Dagenham Aerial Phenomena Research Organisation (DAPRO), this article recounts his interest in UFOs, sparked by an encounter in Epping Forest. The organization began in April 1968 as the Dagenham Organisation for Research into the Supernatural Phenomena (DORSUP), initially focusing on ghosts before UFOs caught their attention. DORSUP later became DAPRO, and its membership grew. In 1969, they held weekend skywatches and weekly meetings, now held on the first Thursday of the month. DAPRO issues several journals per year. The article introduces the DAPRO committee, comprising qualified experts including B. Richard Barton (chemistry, biology) and Thomas McDermott (electronics). Other committee members are Stephon Wall, Paul Robinson, David Williams (undergraduates), Malcolm Jay (taxi driver, photographer), and Ron Clark (studying Biology). DAPRO is active in skywatching and discussions and has a chemistry laboratory for experiments. Interested individuals are invited to write to DAPRO at lla Hamden Crescent, Dagenham, Essex.

SPACE-DRIVE'S TOP 10 in MAGAZINES

A list of the top 10 magazines in the field is presented:

1. FLYING SAUCER REVIEW
2. SAUCER NEWS
3. SPACELINK
4. CANADIAN UFO REPORT
5. COS-MOS
6. SAUCERS SPACE & SCIENCE
7. SPACEFLIGHT (B.I.S)
8. INTERPLANETARY NEWS
9. BUFORA JOURNAL
10. FLYING SAUCER BULLETIN

Tribute to Doctor Lindtner

This tribute by Edward Harris discusses the death of Dr. Lindtner, questioning if his work furthering the UFO cause was "worth it." The author expresses sadness that Dr. Lindtner "wasted his life on a subject that has no answers, only questions." He notes that Dr. Lindtner died on his birthday and requests donations to Mrs. Lindtner from interested groups.

Obituary by Lionel Beer of SPACELINK: Dr. Miran Lindtner

This detailed obituary covers the life of Dr. Miran Lindtner, born in Yugoslavia in 1920. He was a keen sportsman, a fighter pilot in the Yugoslav Air Force during WWII, and graduated as a doctor of veterinary science. At the time of his death, he was a senior scientist at the New South Wales Government's Veterinary Research Institute. Dr. Lindtner was President and Chairman of UFOIC, Sydney, for sixteen years and lectured extensively at Sydney University. He appeared on radio and television multiple times and was instrumental in establishing UFOIC's scientific credibility. The obituary mentions his interactions with prominent ufologists and researchers like Edgar Jarrold, Paul Smith, Dr. James MacDonald, the Lorenzens, Gene Duplantier, James Moseley, John and Mary Robinson, and Colman Vonkeviczky. It highlights that while several countries offered land for a UFO research institute, none offered financing. Dr. Lindtner's death occurred on August 29, 1969, the day before his 49th birthday, when he was tragically crushed by a train in Frankfurt. His remains were cremated, and ashes returned to Australia. He is survived by his widow and three children. The author, Lionel Beer, praises Dr. Lindtner as a "dynamic personality" and a "sad loss to ufology."

Page Seven(a) Newsflashes

This section contains brief news items:

• Monument to Gagarin: A monument to the first cosmonaut, Yuri Gagarin, is to be erected in the Soviet cosmonauts' Stellar Town, featuring his personal belongings and gifts.
• UFO Reports from March 1970:
• PONDERS END: Roger Tripp reported observing an orange-white light on the western skyline on Sunday, March 22, at 8 pm. The light moved downwards and to the right before disappearing. He noted significant UFO activity in the area.
• News from Russia: A new edition of the encyclopedia "COSMONAUTICS" has been prepared by the Sovetskaya Encyclopaedia and Mir publishing houses in Moscow.
• COSMOS 331 Launched: The satellite was put into orbit with a period of revolution of 89.9 minutes, apogee of 347 km, and perigee of 213 km, with an orbital inclination of 65 degrees.

Notes from the Editor

The editor apologizes for not including all reader articles due to lack of space, promising they will appear in the next issue. He mentions plans for the next issue to be "part lithoed in colour" and requests sharp, clear black and white photos. He also addresses a previous UFO report in "the express and Independent's LETTER page," stating it was a fake report created by an individual known to him to elicit responses.

Letters to the Editor

This section features correspondence from readers:

• Lionel Beer responds to comments about "SK" in SPACE-DRIVE, defending his critique of publications with poor quality duplication, stating that such content is "unreadable."
• Johnny N. Edwards from the USA expresses interest in building a workable space drive, possibly anti-gravity or magnetic force field type. He mentions a "Mr. XXX" who published a "Space-Drive" magazine and has a habit of "BORROWING" material. Edwards is anxious to obtain a copy of SPACE-DRIVE and exchange information with English space drive inventors.
• Lars-Uno Bernhardsson from Sweden requests a copy of the magazine.
• Karl L. Veit from Germany thanks the editor for the magazine, calling it "very good specially for young people." He asks if they are ready with their own flying saucer and offers to exchange their publication, "UFO Nach-chten."
• Patrick Moore FRAS thanks the editor for his letter, mentioning he is busy editing "Astronomy Today" and refers to a "Psychologist" as an "odd fish."

U.F.O ANATOMY CONT.

This article, contributed by Mr. Gilbert of Bletchley, continues a discussion from a previous issue on anti-gravity and UFO propulsion. Gilbert supports the idea of "anti-matter" as a motive power for UFOs for several reasons:

1. He believes atomic structure is bound by "etheric energy," a refined type of electrical energy. The polarity of this energy dictates orbit direction and vibration speed, with electrical forces like magnetic fields being by-products. This etheric force is responsible for holding existence together and maintaining gravitational forces.
2. This etheric force is comparable to static electrical energy, depending on a balance of positive and negative. He posits that Earth's negative balance implies a positive counterpart elsewhere in the universe.
3. It is possible to reverse the flow of etheric energy, causing atoms to rotate anti-clockwise. However, "positive" machines may not tolerate a "negative" environment and could blow up. This could explain UFOs' unfortunate experiences if they encounter a positive world without means to reverse polarity.
4. Anti-matter could solve the gravity problem. He wonders if imposed forces could overcome the "big bang" due to differences in vibrating rates, potentially explaining UFO color changes, as color is vibration.
5. He discusses "atom displacement," suggesting that objects of dissimilar density can occupy the same space without inconvenience. A machine of a particular density could move through the atmosphere without being hindered by gravitational fields, its weight being irrelevant because of the atoms comprising it.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are UFO sightings, particularly the "ball of fire" phenomenon reported in Walthamstow, and scientific inquiry into phenomena like anti-gravity and space propulsion. The magazine appears to adopt a stance of open investigation, presenting witness accounts, experimental work, and theoretical discussions. There is a clear effort to bridge the gap between sensational reports and scientific understanding, as evidenced by the focus on scientific specialists and the obituary of Dr. Miran Lindtner, who sought to legitimize ufology. The editorial also indicates a shift towards broader scientific topics beyond just space-thrust engines, while maintaining an interest in lighter reading and reader engagement through letters and contributions.

Title: Space-Drive
Issue: original
Date: March 1971

This issue of Space-Drive magazine explores a range of topics related to space, UFOs, and technological advancements, with a particular focus on how these can benefit humanity.

UFO Propulsion Theories

The magazine presents two distinct theories on UFO propulsion. The first, attributed to Mr. Gilbert, suggests that UFOs are powered by the displacement of atomic weight, where concentrated atoms generate a powerful etheric force. The second theory, proposed by David Prockter, posits that UFOs are powered by atomic release or 'atomic discharge' within the craft. Electrical charges are injected into an atomic pile, triggering a gradual build-up of power that enables the craft to propel itself into space, potentially utilizing magnetic lines as well.

John Searl's Flying Saucer Project

John Searl is featured for his ambitious project to build a 14ft flying saucer, named Swallow FM 593, from his council house. This craft is intended as an unmanned Moon probe, with a launch planned for May 5th. Searl, a master-minder of Britain's space efforts, also envisions a manned saucer mission to the Moon within eighteen months. His project, Lante Enterprises Ltd., has reportedly cost around £1,000,000, with Searl personally contributing £5 per week. The project relies on electricity for power, utilizing generators and a 'Searl Effect generator' capable of producing immense potentials.

Frank Hyde and NISTRA: Space Age for the Disabled

A prominent article highlights the efforts of Frank Hyde, a postman and space enthusiast, who founded NISTRA (National Interplanetary Space Travel Research Association). Hyde's initiative aims to bring space age technology and scientific progress to aid disabled individuals. Inspired by a boy who wished to be an astronaut, Hyde vowed to make space 'come to him.' NISTRA is working with the American Embassy and the Apollo space program to reproduce official Apollo space badges for fundraising. The organization plans to use these funds to help spastics, thalidomide children, and others with physical handicaps, demonstrating a compassionate application of space exploration's influence.

Space Exploration in the 1970s

The magazine outlines the emerging landscape of US space exploration for the 1970s, noting a shift from the singular focus on the moon landing in the 1960s to a more diversified approach. NASA's plans emphasize a balanced program, including continued lunar missions with increasing sophistication, deep space experiments using automated spacecraft to observe planets and the sun, and the development of advanced weather observation and navigation services. A key development is the design of a re-useable space-shuttle capable of carrying multiple passengers. Furthermore, NASA is preparing for a nine-year 'grand tour' of distant planets, with the first tour scheduled to begin in 1977, utilizing the gravitational influence of planets to propel spacecraft.

The Apollo 13 Mission

The issue covers the dramatic events of the Apollo 13 mission, launched on April 11, 1970. The mission faced a critical crisis on April 13th due to an explosion. Astronauts Jim Lovell, Fred Haise, and John Swigert, who replaced a crew member due to German measles, encountered significant challenges. The damage to the Command Module, particularly the heat shield, was severe but luckily held. The experience, though a 'qualified failure' in terms of mission objectives, provided valuable lessons for future space travel safety and materials testing. International support for the mission's safe return was evident, with messages of concern and offers of assistance from countries like Russia and Britain.

Men in Black

A brief section titled 'Men in Black' poses questions to individuals interested in UFOs, questioning their purpose and affiliations, and whether they are involved in suppressing UFO witness testimony.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine consistently promotes a forward-looking perspective on space exploration and technology, exploring both theoretical and practical applications. There is a strong emphasis on innovation and the potential for space advancements to benefit society, particularly through initiatives like NISTRA. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry into UFO phenomena, while also grounding discussions in scientific endeavors and the realities of space programs. The magazine encourages reader participation and the sharing of information, as seen in the call for Space-Drive reporters and the publication of reader theories.

Title: Space-Drive Magazine
Issue: ENTERTAINMENT
Date: March 19, 1970

This issue of Space-Drive Magazine features a film review and news from the space sector.

Film Review: MAROONED

The magazine reviews the science-fiction film "Marooned," which is showing in London. The film is described as looking years ahead into the foreseeable future and possible disaster, though it is not presented as a scenario that would necessarily happen. The cast includes Gregory Peck, who plays a key NASA personnel.

The plot begins similarly to an Apollo launch, with the space vehicle, named IRONMAN ONE, carrying three astronauts. Instead of docking with the moon, they proceed to an orbiting space station where they are scheduled to spend several months in orbit. After five months, the astronauts begin to display tiredness and become careless, with instruments left in space and personal habits deteriorating.

It is decided to bring them home, terminating the mission. As per NASA protocol, all onboard equipment is checked, and a "million to one" chance of failure is considered probable. However, this improbable event occurs in the film when the retro-rockets for re-entry fail to fire. The astronauts are left in orbit with dwindling oxygen and insufficient fuel to return to the space station. It is discovered that there is no back-up rescue plan program.

The film is characterized as "very human," placing more emphasis on the men than the equipment, and includes touching television links to their wives at Cape Kennedy. One scene depicts a wife trying to reach her husband through his T.V. image with her fingers.

The only hope for rescue lies with a small, untested vehicle, known a few years prior as DYNA-SOAR and in the film as XRV. The XRV is depicted as red, a color chosen by the Air Force. Coincidentally, the review notes that an X24 vehicle (presumably the same) was seen under test on ITV on the day of the review.

"Marooned" is said to be exciting, with tension mounting as both Russian and USA forces attempt to rescue the astronauts. The film's long run in London suggests it is a very good film, described as a "2001 in miniature" and not to be missed by space fans.

RUSSIA IN SPACE

Date: March 19, 1970

The Soviet Union launched an earth satellite, Cosmos 327, on March 18, 1970. The satellite had a period revolution of 95.6 minutes, an apogee of 855 kilometers, a perigee of 279 kilometers, and an orbital inclination of 71 degrees. All onboard equipment was functioning normally.

A book on the history of man's exploration of outer space, starting from the theoretical works of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky up to the landing of men on the moon, has been published in Moscow. The book, titled "Cosmonautics," is written in Spanish and will be followed by editions in English and French. It is edited by eminent Soviet specialists.

The encyclopedia also provides insight into the legal problems of space exploration, including treaties and international organizations. It details the design of spacecraft, engines, and blast-off installations, as well as information on the dynamics of surfaces and the atmosphere.

This information was supplied by NOVOSTI, Moscow, USSR.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The magazine appears to cover both fictional portrayals of space exploration (through film reviews) and factual reporting on real-world space achievements, particularly those of the Soviet Union during the Space Race era. The editorial stance seems to be one of interest and engagement with space-related topics, both speculative and scientific, as evidenced by the detailed review of "Marooned" and the reporting on Soviet space activities.