21.3.09

On a Pillar of Radioactive Gas

Take-off! On a pillar of flaming, radioactive exaust gases, the nuclear space ship thunders off the earth and starts its journey through space to the moon. At the left is the gantry crane employed for servicing the great space ship and at far right can be seen the control center from where the take-off operations are directed.

illustration by Fred L. Wolff
"Worlds in Space"

by Martin Caidin
published 1954

15.3.09

Conquest of Space - 1955

See How it will Happen in Your Lifetime! the bold teaser states . . . Conquest of Space, the 1955 movie produced by George Pal. The plot depicts a voyage to Mars, pulling from all science and technology of the day to be as realistic as possible.


As stated on Wikipedia, "Conquest of Space was based on The Conquest of Space, a non-fiction 1949 book illustrated by Chesley Bonestell and written by Willy Ley. Bonestell is noted for his photorealistic paintings of views from outer space, and worked on the space background art for the movie. The film also incorporated material from Wernher von Braun's 1952 book The Mars Project. The two books are straight popular science, with no story line.

The entire movie revolves around the struggle to endure the long trip, and the struggle to survive on Mars until a return to Earth was possible, with the underlying theme questioning whether mankind has the right to explore the heavens, or is he setting out as an invader to worlds not his own.





Directed by: Byron Haskin
Produced by: George Pal
Starring: Walter Brooke, Eric Fleming, Mickey Shaughnessy
Distributed by: Paramount Pictures
Release date: April 20, 1955 (U.S. release)

Phoning Outer Space

"Operater, give me Space, dahling...."
"Hello? ahh Dahling! How is everything on Pluuuuto?"

Whoops!

14.3.09

Space Travel is Serious Business


"british scientists are seriously engaged in a five-point program to develop a rocket that will carry men to the moon."
from The Mystery of Other Worlds Revealed, 1952


11.3.09

Tunnel into the Moon

Within the fast-growing lunar base, a power drill pounds its way into the mountainside. Steel girders and beams from dismantled space ships are set up within the cave installations as fast as the work progresses.

From the book "Worlds in Space"
by Martin Caidin
illustration by Fred L. Wolff
(1954)
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