Colonies to the Moon

Though heated arguments still rage among rocket engineers, in their discussions of the future, as to whether or not colonies will be established on the moon, and how these colonies will be transported through space to the earth's satellite, the only elaborately detailed plan yet presented publicly on a scientific basis for this purpose is that advance by Dr. Wernher von Braun. He proposes three tremendous space ships weighing more than 4,300 tons each, merely for a six week stay on the moon in space ships similar to that pictured here.

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

Mr. Smith Goes to Venus

Launch Chesley Bonestell's "Mr. Smith Goes to Venus"

Originally published by Coronet magazine, March, 1950

This page contains an article featuring some rarities by the celebrated space artist Chesley Bonestell. As stated by the author: "Bonestell did art for dozens of Hollywood movies, including Destination Moon, When Worlds Collide, and Conquest of Space. [The article] describes a family’s trip to Venus. Bonestell did the art work for the movie, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, hence the title of the piece."

Special thanks to Resources for Science Fiction Writers for sharing this article.

Bonestell, Up Close

Closeups of the work of Chesley Bonestell paintings, based upon the ideas of Wernher von Braun. From the photographers of LIFE magazine.

Travel Between the Planets

The nuclear-powered space ship shown here in a dumb-bell design as often proposed by Arthur C. Clarke, ex-Chairman of the British Interplanetary Society, is the ideal design for travel between planets. The nuclear reactor contained in the heavily shielded smaller sphere is sufficient to propel the space ship in orbit-to-orbit journeys to and from the various planets. Here, two space taxis from the space ship are seen moving to the surface of a great asteroid (or planetoid) orbiting about the sun between Mars and Jupiter.

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

First Trip to Our Moon

The first trip to our moon will be without landing, in a ship designed to travel in space only, taking off near the Space Station and returning to it. Here the round-the-moon ship is some 240,000 miles from earth, 50 miles above the lunar surface. The large crater is Aristillus (diameter 35 miles); the other crater is Autocylus; the distant mountains are the lunar Apennines.

painting by Chesley Bonestell
from Across the Space Frontier
edited by Cornelius Ryan
1952

Individual orientation in space, under zero gravity conditions, will demand superb physical conditioning and control. Completely weightless, the spaceman will lose all reference as to what constitutes an "up" and "down."

illustration by Fred L. Wolff
"Worlds in Space"
by Martin Caidin
published 1954

Rockets, Jets, Guided Missiles and Space Ships

Illustrations by Jack Coggins
from Rockets, Jets, Guided Missiles and Space Ships
by Jack Coggins and Fletcher Pratt
1951

Inside the von Braun Rocket

A three-stage rocket ship prior to take-off from its base on Johnston Island in the Pacific Ocean. The ship rests on a movable platform; it is boarded, loaded, and fueled from a stationary structure not shown in the picture. For today's comparatively small rockets the firing table is stationary and the Gantry crane movable; for large rockets this procedure will be reversed.

The von Braun three-stage rocket
from "Across the Space Frontier"
Edited by Cornelius Ryan
illustration by Rolf Klep
1952

Space Dog Pluto

Space dog Pluto
Iron-on transfer
Walt Disney Productions

Meteor Storm

Legal space-disputes might very well lead to war if man shows no better sense in the future than now. Laws must be made both to prevent and cover such wars.

"Meteor Storm" by Tom O'Reilly
from The Complete Book of Outer Space (1953)

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

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)

The Interstellar Zoo

Higher life form from the Tau Ceti star system, a race that has 28 sexes

illustration by Edd Cartier
From Travelers of Space
edited by Martin Greenberg
published by Gnome Press, 1951

Also seen in Life on Other Worlds, The Mysteries of Other Worlds Revealed

Space Flight: The Quick and Easy Way

A design proposal for a scaled-down, piloted three-stage space ship.

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

Travelers of Space

From Travelers of Space

edited by Martin Greenberg
illustrations by Edd Cartier
published by Gnome Press, 1951
400 pages

Contents:

1. Foreword, by Martin Greenberg
2. Introduction, by Willy Ley
3. "The Rocketeers Have Shaggy Ears", by Keith Bennett
4. "Christmas Tree", by Christopher S. Youd
5. "The Forgiveness of Tenchu Taen", by Frederic Arnold Kummer
6. "Episode on Dhee Minor", by Harry Walton
7. "The Shape of Things", by Ray Bradbury
8. "Columbus Was a Dope", by Lyle Monroe (pseudonym for Robert A. Heinlein)
9. "Attitude", by Hal Clement
10. "The Ionian Cycle", by William Tenn
11. "Trouble on Tantalus", by P. Schuyler Miller
12. "Placet Is a Crazy Place", by Fredric Brown
13. "Action on Azura", by Robertson Osborne
14. "The Rull", by A. E. van Vogt
15. "The Double Dyed Villains", by Poul Anderson
16. "Bureau of Slick Tricks", by H. B. Fyfe
17. "Life on Other Worlds", by Edd Cartier
18. "The Interstellar Zoo", by David A. Kyle
19. Science Fiction Dictionary

An anthology collection of science fiction short stories on the subject of intelligent life forms from interplanetary to intergalactic. The stories originally appeared in the pulp magazines Planet Stories, Astounding, Thrilling Wonder Stories and Startling Stories.The high-light of this book are Edd Cartier's colorfully illustrated "Life on Other Worlds" section with an accompanying descriptive story by David Kyle, "The Interstellar Zoo."

Arrival of the Supply Ship

Detail of the arrival of a supply ship, as propased by Dr. Wernher von Braun, to the earth-orbiting Space Station

The Third Stage of one of the rocket ships which originally established the station; next to the Third Stage, one of the small space taxis; in the forground another space taxi near the astronomical observatory . . . The men in space suits near the Third Stage and near the Observatory are floating freely.

painting by Chesley Bonestell
from Across the Space Frontier
edited by Cornelius Ryan
1952

The Collier's Space Flight Series

For the early part of the decade a series of stories featured in eight issues of Colliers, penned by the brightest rocket scientists of the day and brilliantly illustrated by Chesley Bonestell, sparked the imagination of the American public. For a summary of the Colliers series of articles concerning the possibilities of manned spaceflight, launch: The Ugly Spaceship.

Man Will Conquer Space Soon (March 22, 1952)

Man on the Moon/The Journey/Inside the Moon Ship (Oct 18, 1952)

(not featured on cover)
Man on the Moon/Inside the Lunar Base (Oct 25, 1952)

World's First Space Suit (Feb 28, 1953)

(not featured on cover)
Testing the Men in Space (March 7, 1953)

How Man Will Meet Emergency In Space Travel (March 14, 1953)

Baby Space Station (June 27, 1953)

Can We Get to Mars?/Is There Life on Mars? (April 30, 1954)

Edd Cartier - Artist of the Other Worldly

A favorite artist of the SF pulp/digest magazine era - Edd Cartier illustration from the pages of Astounding Science Fiction. Never one to fall short on imagination, the artist even created illustrations for an entire interseller zoo in the book "Travelers of Space."

Edd Cartier (born 1914) is an American pulp magazine illustrator. After studying at Pratt Institute in the 1930s he worked for Street and Smith, publishers of the Shadow, to which he contributed many interior illustrations, and the John W. Campbell, Jr.-edited magazines Astounding Science Fiction and Unknown.

Outside Links:

• Edd Cartier at the Internet Speculative Fiction Database
• An interview with Cartier
• Edd Cartier gallery

Worlds in Space

dust jacket for the London-published edition

"Worlds in Space"
by Martin Caidin
illustrated by Fred L. Wolff
published 1954
Sidgwick and Jackson, London
212 pages, 64 plates (16 photographs, 48 drawings)

Contents:

1. This is how we stand
2. Robots into space
3. The weakest link–man
4. The first space ships
5. The space satellite
6. Earth below
7. Expedition across space
8. On the moon to stay
9. Fortress in the sky?
10. Beyond the moon
    

"Five years have passed since February 24th, 1949, when a V-2 rocket soared upward at 5,100 miles per hour and set a new record at 252 miles above the earth's surface...[Worlds in Space] tells the history of rocket development thus far and reveals the steps by which man will eventually travel to other planets."

dust jacket of American edition


hard cover embellishment

"The three-stage space ship envisioned by Dr. Wernher von Braun, who has been carrying out an extensive publicity campaign in favour of space travel now. Von Braun's three-stage space ship is designed to carry a crew of about six men and 34 tons of cargo to an orbit 1,075 miles above the earth, where a space satellite will be assembled, to whirl about the earth at a velocity of 15,840 miles per hour."

illustration by Fred L. Wolff


"A combination of proposals from both sides of the Atlantic. The space satellite depicted in its final stages of construction is the design proposal of von Braun, the space ships indicated a variation of a delta-wing suggestion by R. A. Smith of the British Interplanetary Society."

illustration by Fred L. Wolff

Jet Assisted Moon Rocket

all paintings by Chesley Bonestell,
from The Mystery of Other Worlds Revealed, 1952