FIRST STEPS TOWARD SPACE - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

More documents

Recommendations

Info

A^ -/••••••.\ D+ VE ••••, *i A :> • yf • _uu A.VE B+VE p+VB »•••. *0 MM. $ »'»*«! D-vc (U^JLLULT" juSftS! ACCELEKOMT*. S I * SINGLE IMPULSE. .\ GYRO r SINGLE IMPULSE * N * 1s1 S r iP" e AUTO SINGLE IMPULtf .\ AUTO G/«P ZONE ^ELECTOR. 3« *."• I" A~~ T IS OPERATOR. OPERATOR OPERATOR, IF •^~v • GYRO 3E /3 T C+ vc Vt> W M./ B-VB 355? JUL JUJT p-VE g> MISJU /> rf 1 < rf •» ' v • > »\ i > «-*' « / \ » i 1 > « V V V, V JLuUt JUJJ V. V, Vi U V V E+ VE -UttJ C- VE E-vs • • z MMA MMJ3 V, V i ' V -*L—
NUMBER 10 215 pair kit and medicine chest would be carried—the latter containing a little alcohol which might be raided to celebrate the lunar landing. The imperative need to minimize dead weight is humorously reflected in the spartan culinary outfitting. There was to be only one electrically-heated pan for boiling and frying, one cup, one spoon and one plate for each of the crew—and only one knife and fork, passed hand to hand, between all three. Power for cooking, lighting and heating was to be obtained from the main battery. All waste products would be disposed of through one of the airlocks. Since the ship was to be self-reliant as regards navigation, various necessities were mentioned, such as geometrical instruments, mathematical tables, almanacs, etc. With weight-saving always in mind, indelible balsa-wood pencils would be supplied and light rice-paper used for printed and written matter. A rangefinder, small telescope, sextants, and a chronometer were to be carried to obtain star-fixes while in transit and also for use on the Moon. Four spacesuits were to be taken—that is, one spare in reserve. The helmets were to be roomy, oxygen in liquid form probably used, and arrangements would be made for heating. Dark goggles and sunburn lotion would guard against the Sun's actinic rays. It was suggested that rubber membranes might be provided which could be inflated balloonwise over the head and arms, inside the atmosphere of which the astronauts might eat and drink while on a long exploratory trek. (This idea might be extended, with several obvious advantages, to use of a gas-proof membrane, attached to a thermally-insulating base, to contain the whole spacesuited individual.) A light canvas tent and light camp beds were to be carried by the party to improve thermal insulation during rest periods while abroad on the Moon. Contact with the ship would be maintained either by signal rockets or light flashes. It was also remarked that reports and commentaries might be transmitted to Earth as signals or speech via a light beam. Today, xenon flashers and lasers are proposed possibilities for this purpose. The program of exploration was visualized as including checking the Moon's gravitation with a spring-balance and gravity pendulum, geological surveying, photographing and mineralogical sampling. The field and laboratory equipment proposed for this work was given. The main article on the British Interplanetary Society spaceship concluded with a note that a "launching device" for the vessel would be discussed in a subsequent issue of the Journal. But war intervened and the article was not written. A few details were however given in the July 1939 Journal. 1 " These, slightly augmented by remarks elsewhere and the present writer's recollections, are as follows: The ship was imagined as being launched almost vertically from a flooded rotating caisson submerged in water. Said Smith, this floatation would have "distributed the load over a greater area." High pressure steam was to be injected into the caisson to start the vessel upwards, and almost immediately afterwards 126 of the first Step rockets would be ignited by impulse from a running dynamo situated in the conduit at the bottom of the Step. This was intended to avoid excessive instantaneous load on the ship's power-pack. Launching was to take place from a high-altitude lake situated as near the Equator as possible. Reasons for this choice were: maximum advantage from Earth's rotation, minimum air-resistance loss, minimization of launch weight, a range-head more easily sequestered and patrolled than one on land, and less damage to surroundings in event of explosion. Most favoured location was the Andean Lake Titicaca, 3800 m high, partly in Bolivia and partly in Peru, centered on about 16° south latitude, and with access by railroad from the Pacific Coast. 19 Upon outbreak of war, further concerted work became impossible, and the Society's activities were suspended. However, some leading members maintained contact, and work was still done, the fruits of which are found in post-war publications. I think I am justified in saying that the foregoing much abridged account of the work of the pre-war British Interplanetary Society's Technical and Experimental Committees reveals original and sound technical thinking on many of the problems involved. Indeed, at the time of publication, the British Interplanetary Society spaceship was in overall conception and detail by far the most realistic and competent embodiment existing. At this later and technically more potent date, we may perhaps sum its virtues and failings by saying: "If not true, it was well invented."
Page 1:
I L SfS HK5M SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF
Page 4 and 5:
A Bibliographic Note The series Smi
Page 6 and 7:
SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT Throug
Page 8 and 9:
VI SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT 19.
Page 11 and 12:
1 Some Jet Propulsion Formulas of O
Page 13:
NUMBER 10 — — —— . . . -
Page 16 and 17:
SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT FIGURE
Page 18 and 19:
During these years, in which the fu
Page 20 and 21:
10 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT the
Page 22 and 23:
12 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT FIG
Page 24 and 25:
Page 26 and 27:
Page 28 and 29:
18 3. French Patent 318,667, 13 Feb
Page 30 and 31:
20 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT tie
Page 33 and 34:
Appendix Considerations Concerning
Page 35 and 36:
NUMBER 10 In the present case, ther
Page 37 and 38:
NUMBER 10 27 III Let us consider wh
Page 39 and 40:
NUMBER 10 29 = 2100 sec, the rate w
Page 41:
NUMBER 10 31 bring us far away from
Page 44 and 45:
34 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT pro
Page 46 and 47:
36 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT C \
Page 48 and 49:
Page 50 and 51:
40 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT 0 1
Page 52 and 53:
42 Figure 15. The dispersion of the
Page 54 and 55:
44 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT sys
Page 56 and 57:
46 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT com
Page 58 and 59:
48 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT T,
Page 60 and 61:
50 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT pla
Page 62 and 63:
Page 64 and 65:
Page 67 and 68:
Robert H. Goddard and the Smithsoni
Page 69 and 70:
NUMBER 10 to help Mr. Goddard in de
Page 71 and 72:
NUMBER 10 61 flash powder which mig
Page 73 and 74:
NUMBER 10 63 FIGURE 5.—Modificati
Page 75 and 76:
NUMBER 10 65
Page 77 and 78:
NUMBER 10 tion for a U.S. patent on
Page 79:
NUMBER 10 69 70. Goddard to Abbot,
Page 82 and 83:
72 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT lif
Page 85 and 86:
Recollections of Early Biomedical M
Page 87 and 88:
NUMBER 10 r FIGURE 2.—First biome
Page 89 and 90:
FIGURE 4.—Presentation by Dr. Con
Page 91 and 92:
Astrodynamics is defined in terms o
Page 93 and 94:
NUMBER 10 83 But it should be recog
Page 95 and 96:
NUMBER 10 85 were experimenting in
Page 97 and 98:
Vladimir Mandl: Founding Writer on
Page 99 and 100:
NUMBER 10 89 PATENTNl OftAD REPUBLI
Page 101 and 102:
10 Developments in Rocket Engineeri
Page 103 and 104:
NUMBER 10 93 FIGURE 2.—The first
Page 105 and 106:
NUMBER 10 FIGURE 4.—The ORM-9 eng
Page 107 and 108:
NUMBER 10 97 FIGURE 9.—ORM-50 eng
Page 109 and 110:
NUMBER 10 99 Section along AA Firin
Page 111 and 112:
NUMBER 10 101 FIGURE 13.—The expe
Page 113 and 114:
11 A Historical Review of Developme
Page 115 and 116:
NUMBER 10 105 FIGURE 5.—Lithergol
Page 117 and 118:
NUMBER 10 that the possibility of a
Page 119 and 120:
NUMBER 10 109 the contrary; we then
Page 121 and 122:
NUMBER 10 111 rocket combustion cha
Page 123 and 124:
12 On the GALCIT Rocket Research Pr
Page 125 and 126:
NUMBER 10 115 The undertaking we ha
Page 127 and 128:
NUMBER 10 117 advise on the support
Page 129 and 130:
NUMBER 10 methyl-alcohol rocket mot
Page 131 and 132:
NUMBER 10 121 5. "Rocket Performanc
Page 133 and 134:
NUMBER 10 123 FIGURE 5.—Overall v
Page 135 and 136:
NUMBER 10 on the possibility of usi
Page 137:
NUMBER 10 33. Letters (note 14). 34
Page 140 and 141:
130 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT ce
Page 142 and 143:
132 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT of
Page 144 and 145:
134 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT A
Page 146 and 147:
136 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT Re
Page 148 and 149:
138 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT FI
Page 150 and 151:
140 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT ca
Page 152 and 153:
142 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT so
Page 154 and 155:
144 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT 2
Page 156 and 157:
146 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT St
Page 158 and 159:
148 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT A-
Page 160 and 161:
150 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT CH
Page 162 and 163:
152 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT LI
Page 164 and 165:
Page 167 and 168:
15 Ludvik OcenaSek: Czech Rocket Ex
Page 169 and 170:
NUMBER 10 159 FIGURE 2.—Ludvik Oc
Page 171 and 172:
NUMBER 10 161 FIGURE 5.—Ludvik Oc
Page 173 and 174: NUMBER 10 163 FICURE 6.—a, Launch
Page 175: NUMBER 10 165 quarry near Prague. E
Page 178 and 179: 168 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT re
Page 180 and 181: 170 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT I
Page 182 and 183: 172 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT Th
Page 184 and 185: 174 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT Ve
Page 187 and 188: 17 First Rocket and Aircraft Flight
Page 189 and 190: NUMBER 10 179 The rocket project wa
Page 191 and 192: NUMBER 10 181 FIGURE 2.—Second st
Page 193 and 194: NUMBER 10 FIGURE 3.—DM-2 ramjet e
Page 195 and 196: 18 On Some Work Done in Rocket Tech
Page 197 and 198: NUMBER 10 187 FICURE 3.—Launching
Page 199 and 200: NUMBER 10 189 on the smoked tape. A
Page 201 and 202: NUMBER 10 191 FIGURE 9.—Indicatin
Page 203 and 204: NUMBER 10 193 FIGURE 13.—Control
Page 205 and 206: NUMBER 10 195 2000 rpm by rotating
Page 207 and 208: NUMBER 10 197 Lubricant ^ 9a' " FIG
Page 209 and 210: NUMBER 10 199 of radio signals to t
Page 211: NUMBER 10 201 1. Register of experi
Page 214 and 215: 204 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT te
Page 216 and 217: 206 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT be
Page 218 and 219: 208 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT 6.
Page 220 and 221: 210 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT FI
Page 222 and 223: 212 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT 3-
Page 226 and 227: 216 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT NO
Page 228 and 229: 218 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT Vi
Page 230 and 231: 220 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT 19
Page 232 and 233: 222 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT Co
Page 234 and 235: 224 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT Al
Page 236 and 237: 226 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT de
Page 238 and 239: 228 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT Th
Page 240 and 241: 230 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT wi
Page 242 and 243: 232 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT th
Page 244 and 245: 234 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT wa
Page 246 and 247: 236 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT In
Page 248 and 249: 238 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT ab
Page 250 and 251: 240 diesel fuel and lox began on th
Page 252 and 253: 242 14 May 1940: Reviewed layout fo
Page 256 and 257: 246 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT 26
Page 258 and 259: 248 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT th
Page 260: 250 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT tl
Page 263 and 264: NUMBER 10 253 FIGURE 6.—a, Model
Page 265 and 266: NUMBER 10 255 FIGURE 9.—Winged ro
Page 267: NUMBER 10 257 6. Small gyroscopic a
Page 272 and 273: 262 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT N?
Page 274 and 275:
264 B C FIGURE 7.—Drawing from Sw
Page 276 and 277:
266 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT in
Page 279 and 280:
24 Some New Data on Early Work of t
Page 281 and 282:
NUMBER 10 271 jy.. FIGURE 3. /# £
Page 283 and 284:
NUMBER 10 273 conclusions, which we
Page 285 and 286:
NUMBER 10 275 thrust engines. A for
Page 287 and 288:
25 Early Developments in Rocket and
Page 289 and 290:
NUMBER 10 279 Time reference 5 sec
Page 291 and 292:
NUMBER 10 281 During measurement of
Page 293 and 294:
NUMBER 10 283 First Personal Involv
Page 295:
NUMBER 10 285 on the Wasserkuppe, o
Page 298 and 299:
288 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT Ch
Page 300 and 301:
Page 302 and 303:
Page 305 and 306:
27 Annapolis Rocket Motor Developme
Page 307 and 308:
NUMBER 10 297 I remember being so f
Page 309 and 310:
NUMBER S P. (P»i) P, (psi) Po (psi
Page 311:
NUMBER 10 301 Figure 6 shows these
Page 314 and 315:
304 Frank-Kamenetskiy, D.A., 193 Fr
Page 316 and 317:
306 SMITHSONIAN ANNALS OF FLIGHT Ro
Page 319:
TUT10N NOIifUIISNt NVINOSHlitNS S3f
show all

FIRST STEPS TOWARD SPACE - Smithsonian Institution Libraries

Create successful ePaper yourself

Delete template?

Save as template?