USAF weighs court-martial against missile officer

At a closed hearing before a judge advocate, the Air Force opened its case against 2nd Lt. Christopher Cooke, deputy commander of a Titan II missile crew at McConnell Air Force Base, Kan. The hearing will determine if there is enough evidence to court- martial Lieutenant Cooke on charges of making three unauthorized contacts with Soviet embassy officials.

If convicted, the lieutenant could be sentenced to two years in prison for each contact. The Justice Department is conducting a separate investigation to determine whether he can be charged with violating the espionage laws, a more seri ous offense.