OCR Text |
Show t J i SJl' 7? If ' sL , '''( rr vtv ., ' npp JJ i)!.lB.'". Art by Jim Teason or early 20s. They will have to be brought up in conditions simulating the moon so they may be able someday to become a part of the satellite. There seems to be a popular assumption that, because of the size factor, a midget may be the first person to get to the moon. This is most unlikelyXIn the first place, when a manned space ship is able to reach the moon, it will be carrying so much equipment instruments and supplies that the differencein space needed for a midget or a person will be inconsequential. But more important, you couldn't just pick anyone at random to go to the moon. The person chosen will have to be levelheaded, courageous, dedicated. He'd also have to be a superbly trained technician. In fact, it is difficult to avoid the conclusion that the pioneer people to explore the moon should be scientist-soldier- s, skilled, disciplined, and brave. You hear talk that perhaps, be-- " cause of size and temperamental factors, a woman may be the first person to go to the moon. There is probably a note of facetiousness to this but it might not be a bad idea. I donL mfanawoman going up there alonel I wouldn't advocate anyone's going up there alone it might be too terrifying. But I think there's a good possibility that a married couple a science team might actually be among the first persons sent to the moon. If. the space ship could full-gro- , wn be made big enough, perhaps several such couples could go. There are several things that make reaching the moon important One is that it undoubtedly would make an excellent observation post. Another is that there is a good chance valuable minerals will be found there uranium, for example. And the moon will make an excellent stopover place for further cosmic exploration. people also will have to know when to bring these counter-rocke- ts into play, how to handle any moon orbiting, and finally, how to land. Then there's the matter of getting the space ship back to earth. Theoretically, that should be easier than getting to the moon. It is calculated it will take only a velocity to get a space ship off the moon compared to thrust to the off vehicle same the earth. get There's relatively little gravity to contend with in taking off from the moon and, on approaching the earth, gravity would pull the ship down. These space pioneers would still have to have some understanding of rocketry and space travel even if everything went smoothly. And you always have to consider that it might not Suppose the space ship is damaged in its moor landing, or by meteorites as it travels through space. How are these people going to get their space ship into proper shape again unless they're good technicians? But courage is likely to be just as indispensable, since there are some dangers I haven't mentioned yet." For one thing, the moon is probably bombarded by meteorite particles. The earth is, too, but our atmosphere acts as a shield and mitigates the effect Although some 3,000 tons of this stuff falls on thevearth daily, few of us are ever aware . - But on the moon it would be differ- seven-miles-per-sec- most important, we really don't B ut know what going ud there mav lead to. It could give us an entirely new concept of the solar system, .revising much of our scientific thinking. From the vantage point of the moon, many things about cosmic matter that is blurred now could become significant andxrevealing. It could place at our p!isposaHnuch new knowledge. So it'slndispensable, no matter how the people who go you view to the moon must be able to handle scientific instruments and know-hoto interpret the phenomena about them. Furthermore, they'll have to know how to handle theirspace ship. Almost certainly, the actual landing of the rocket oh the moon will have to be done by the people on the shipx rather than by remote control from earth. Among other things, these people probably will have to know how to fire These fire in the direction the space ship's headm ing to produce a to slow it down. And these space-shi- p ihat w retro-rocke- ts. counter-momentu- - ond of-it- ent. The pelting of the meteorites would be direct and troublesome. At times it could be something like a hurricane-whippe- d sandstorm. But perhaps the biggest danger on the moon is star dust, an acute life-a-- death problem. .. Star dust dust from outer space filters down on earth, too, but is absorbed in the natural process of weather change and erosion. On the moon all it can do is accumulate, layer upon layer. In other words, it is possible that the moon is a vast dust bowl. This dust, at least in some areas, may be hundreds of feet deep. Thus, man will have to bring down his space ship with a great deal of care, just as he'll have to move about cautiously. The best landing spot probably would be a big smooth volcanic surface near a small crater. If, it is true that the moon is radioactive, then there's a likelihood that of radioactive gaseous decay-'-argkrypton, and xenon-m-ay envelope it. These inert gases are conducive to electromagnetic impulses and may be responsible for some form of life that can exist without earth air. Something that also has to be borne in mind is this: the earth is almost certainly not the only inhabited planet in our galaxy. Some other planets may have succeeded in establishing their form of life on the moon. Or there - may be life on other cosmic bodies that would resent our intrusion on the moon and .move to force (Continued) nd by-produ- cts on, , Family Weekly, April 19,1959 |