European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 01, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 6 the stars and stripes . Tuesday february 1, 1994 bldg May kill rocket program by the new York times Washington despite its initial Success a revolutionary rocket that takes off and lands vertically is about to be killed by the Pentagon. The Delta Clipper program which would greatly re Duce costs of space travel is on schedule and within its budget and a Small scale prototype has successfully completed three test flights. But the program which operates at the White Sands missile Range to new Mexico could die because the Pentagon refuses to spend Money appropriated by Congress to continue the Effort. Mcdonnell Douglas aerospace the California based contractor that built the experimental prototype known As do a said the rocket would be riot Hallea and the team of engineers and technicians who operated it disbanded when the current contract expired. It was scheduled to run out monday. The 21-ton, 42-foot-tall, one third scale do a Proto Type made three successful test flights last year and proponents say it could Lead to a vehicle that could Send pay loads into orbit at perhaps a tenth of current costs. Like rockets of science fiction the single stage Delta Clipper these kinds of programs could revolutionize How the _ f ". T-7. I o. _ _la.,.wrtimfkmnr% trn Rin Iirma us a imitates off vertically like most other rockets but lands Tail first using the same engines. The do a was developed with $58 million from the ballistic missile defense organization the Agency that took Over the former anti missile program known As Star  the do a was later reassigned to the advanced research projects Agency in the Pentagon where it was put on a list of previously approved programs on which Money would not be spent to meet new budget cuts. The Pentagon has refused to comment on the rocket program or its intensions for the Effort. But proponents said the program had no Strong advocate in the military Agency. Congressional supporters of the rocket and space advocacy groups continue last minute efforts at getting Pentagon officials to change their minds. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher r-calif., and other congressional backers of the program have urged the Pentagon to spend the $40 million Congress appropriated for single stage rocket technology programs including $5 million to Complete the remaining seven flights of the do a project. \ United states does business in space an aide to. Rohra Bacher  advocacy groups also have mounted Public relations campaigns to save the rocket program. The groups include the National space society High Frontier a group that supports space based military systems and the space Frontier foundation a grass roots group of enthusiasts. Help also might be coming from an unexpected source the National aeronautics and space administration. In the past Nasa has been lukewarm in support of single stage to orbit rocket proposals but recently Nas expressed interest. Government officials said some Nasa officials had recently begun discussions  Pentagon about taking Over a part of the rocket program in particular supporting the completion of the prototype s flight program. Data from these flights could be valuable to future rocket pro Grams they said. Spokesmen for Nasa declined to com ment on any possible Agency interest in the program. In the stars and stripes 10 years ago feb. 1, 1984 a protest jog thwarted for three Days by a police blockade swelled into a Street March attracting hundreds of thou Sands of filipinos chanting against Philippines president Ferdinand e. Marcos. 20 years ago feb. 1, 1974 president Nixon urged an end to the year of watery Gate vowing Hartm never resign then presented to the democratic Congress proposals that he said could bring the nation a year of unprecedented Progress 30 years ago 1, 1964 French president Charles de Gaulle challenging . Foreign policy demanded neutrality for All of Southeast Asia claiming that goal could not be achieved without agreement on China. 40 years ago feb. 11954 . Authorities expect to break ground Between May 1 and june 1 on Sites for four air bases and seven Navy facilities in Spain officials in Washington said. 50 years ago feb. 1, 1944 . Fighter pilots destroyed 220 nazi planes in Jan uary compared with a loss of 63 air Craft virtually doubling their Best previous record for any month an official accounting disclosed. World War ii 50 years ago today feb. 1 1944 soviet troops Cross the Luga River on the Northern front capturing Kingsepp and moving within a mile of the estonian Border. In Katy american soldiers gain a Little ground in fierce fighting around Monte Maiola North of Cassino. . Troops land on Kwajalein As part of the marshalls invasion and overrun one third of the Atou by Nightfall. Source 2194 Days of War we. Smith publisher inc. 77 world almanac of world War h. By on books corp. 1081 Kevorkian pushes suicide amendment by the new York times Livonia Mich. Or. Jack Kevorkian on sunday kicked off his ballot drive for a state amendment to legalize doctor assisted suicide telling an audience in a Large suburban Church that they were fac ing an Issue of rights. What this is All about is the right not to have to suffer the 65-year-old retired pathologist told 700 people in St. Paul s presbyterian Church in the Western de troit suburb of Livonia. \ this is really a right that already exist and we already have but which we have to put in writing because of human irrationality. Every reasonable adult is going to Nave to realize that if he votes no on this he is throwing his right  Kevorkian Waco appeared to have gained Back much of the weight he lost during a december hunger strike in jail spoke to an audience that included friends and relatives of most of the 20 people whom he has helped commit Sui cide since 1990. He announced last month when he was released from jail that he would no longer assist in suicides and would instead de vote himself to winning passage of a state constitutional amendment that would guarantee the right of suffering patients to request a doctor s Aid in committing suicide. Two states have held referendum on Laws permitting physician assisted suicide Washington in 1991 and California in 1992. In both cases the proposed legis lation was Defeated by 54 percent of the vote. The proposed Michigan amendment reads the right of competent adults who Are incapacitated by incurable medi Cal conditions to voluntarily request and receive medical assistance with respect to whether or not their lives continue shall or. Jack Kevorkian left talks with Church members after delivering a speech at Livo Nia Mich., in support of a proposed state amendment to legalize assisted suicide. Not be restrained of  Kevorkian s supporters need to collect 256,700 signatures by july 1 to place the referendum on the november ballot. Both John Pridonoff executive director of the Hemlock society and Ron Adkins the Oregon president of Hemlock attended the event. _ Adkins was the husband of Janet Adkins 54, an alzheimer s patient who was the first person to commit suicide with Kevorkian s Aid. Kevorkian was introduced by his attorney Geoffrey Fieger. This is not about suicide. This is about the right to decide for yourselves whether to seek a soft Landing when you have decided you have endured As much suffering As you can Fieger  softly intoned the names of All those whom his client had helped die and then cautioned supporters that some religious groups would spare no expense to defeat the amendment. Probes say of her boys accuse Jackson san Francisco up two Pri vate investigators who worked for the 14 year old los Angeles boy who accused Michael Jackson of sexual molestation say they interviewed a significant num Ber of boys who claimed they too had been sexually abused by the pop icon. In an interview in sunday s san fran Cisco examiner detectives Jack Palladino and Sandra Sutherland said the alleged victims ranging in age from 7 to 12, told them surprisingly similar stories about being sexually abused by Jackson and then being showered with Money and gifts from the superstar. Attorneys for Jackson and his los an Geles accuser announced last week that they had reached a settlement. Although terms of the agreement were not Dis closed sources have said Jackson agreed to pay the los Angeles boy Between $10 million and $24 million to Exchange for dropping the Case. The san Francisco investigators said they were convinced of the boy s credibility after meeting with him in los an Geles. They also said they reviewed a re port by los Angeles child welfare officials in which the boy had supplied specific erotic details about Jackson. I have never read a More convincing account of molestation said Sutherland. " the report had details that a child would t know of unless he lived in a porno  she and Palladino said witnesses told them that Jackson met other boys on the streets of los Angeles or on tour. Sexual encounters were repeated Over a year s time in some cases or were what Palladi no called one night  the investigators who interviewed More than 100 people Over a four month period said witnesses alleged that Jackson s secluded neverland Valley ranch near Santa Barbara sewed a dual purpose to entertain disadvantaged children and to lure boys for his sexual gratification. S