What's Possible

The 1950's, the dawn of the Space age... filled with optimism about the Future......Dreaming of the possibilities of the Possible.

The average person today, with the advantage of 20/20 hindsight, mocks and ridicules the dreams of that time, before space flight was really a reality. But if it weren't for a dream of "what may be possible?" we could not stand from later achievements. And I get this unsettled awarenss that we are slipping. It just might bode us well if we had held on to some of that optimistic spirit today.

I've recently read reviews of some books written by our leading pioneers in space travel. One reviewer took great delight in pointing out how ignorant these scientists were thanks to his hindsight of how history played out (with Project Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, and now the soon to be retired Space Shuttle). Does the reviewer not know that the very same people who wrote those books were those who actually lead those programs a decade later?

And today ... Can you even imagine the past generation would have quietly sat back and handed the reigns of leadership over to other countries like China? Not only in space, but in industry, economics and our standing in the world? We've become a nation of excuse-makers and whiners, and I wonder that as this nation is foundering and slipping, step by step, if we will ever recover that which is willingly being given up, which our forebears fought so hard and died for.

Today were facing the last American lead trips to space. After 50 years the space program is still in its infancy. Our leadership publicly and noisely claims to support advancement ... when it's convenient... while their record shows a consistent rule of cutting of funds, cutting programs, breaking of past promises and passing the buck of real leadership.

We need a return to the dream of the possibilties of the Possible, instead of being dragged down inept, bloated, leeching leadership, by being force-fed that the American Dream is not possible.

Way Out Costume Party

Judging from this photo, the Man from Planet X is feeling like a wallflower. He just can't seem to find a willing dance partner.

Destination Moon (1950)

Images from the production of "Destination Moon," 1950, from the photographers of LIFE magazine. With sets conceived by Chesley Bonestell, co-scripted by Robert Heinlein, it drew upon all resources available at the time to depict such a journey as accurately as possible.

Krafft Ehricke's Space Craft

Ships for Exit and Return & Vehicles for Outer Space
from LIFE magazine
January 6, 1958

Tales of Tomorrow: Morrow on Mars

Tales of Tomorrow is an American anthology science fiction series that was performed and broadcast live on ABC from 1951 to 1953. At the same time as the television broadcast, it was also tried as a short-lived radio series by ABC running from January 1–April 9th 1953.



Tales of Tomorrow: "Morrow on Mars"
Show number 14
Story by ???
Radio broadcast: 1953-04-02

Apologies for the poor audio quality, not much has survived from this science fiction series.

Launch: Morrow on Mars

Thanks to wwwarchive.org for sharing these old time radio broadcasts.

Secrets of Space Flight

Spaceship on cover is a realistic model of the future, made by the rocket expert G. Harry Stine and photographed on White Sands desert

"Secrets of Space Flight"
Fawcett How-To Book, Number 298
by Lloyd Mallan
published by Fawcett Publications, 1956
144 pages

Contents

1. Ships That Probe the Unknown
2. Space Medicine Forges Ahead
3. Men, Mammals and Gravity
4. Escape Capsules and Rocket Sleds
5. Developement of the Space Suit
6. Spaceship in the Basement
7. Launch Into the Statosphere
8. Searching Through Space
9. School for Future Space Pilots
10. Checkout in a Rocket Ship
11. Research Rocket Takeoff
12. Engines of Tomorrow
13. Giant Step Into Space
14. From the Mouse to the Moon to Mars
15. Men who Make Spaceflight Possible
16. Flying Saucers Brought Up To Date

Profusely illustrated with photos and diagrams (b/w), topics cover rocket developement, test pilots, space medicine and current developments relating to space flight. Some movie stills from "This Island Earth."

Original price $.75

The Rocket Man

The Rocket Man
Starring: Charles Coburn, Spring Byington, Anne Francis, John Agar
Film release: 1954

A little boy comes into possession of a ray gun that compels anyone caught in its beam to tell the truth. He uses it to prevent his orphanage from being shut down by creditors and to help a cute couple fall in love.