FIFTH PART OF*A NEW SERIAL

“a flying

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HE construction of an arti-

ficial satellite of the earth, machine revolving round our planet like the -™oon, is the fifst stage in con- Quering the space of the uni- verse,

An artificial satellie — a Space station — will be built and tested on the earth. Then it will be dismantled and sent to an orbit chosen beforehand, lo be reassembled.

When the first three- or four- Stage rocket settles in its orbit it will be joined by a second, a third, a fourth, etc. The rockets will join to form one whole.

Specially adapted cabins and fuel tanks will be used as living Quarters, laboratories, work- Shops, etc. All these compart- Ments will be air-conditioned and, to prevent air from escap- ng, airtight.

In due time the space-station will receive all the equipment 1 needs. The gas turbines, Sauges, thermometers and Sther instruments, and the Surplus fuel and oxidiser in the rockets forming the satel- ite can also be used.

Artificial gravity can be Created on the space-station to

This giant rocket, about 7

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quis is the fifth of a series of extracts, appearing exclusively in the, Pacific Tribune travel, Tsiolkovsky from a remarkable new Soviet book, Inter plane Published in Moscow. An English edition of the book is to be published in Britain soon.

make people feel comfortable.

The proximity of the satel- lite to the earth would cer- tainly make communications easier. However, if the satel- lite were to move through the dense layers of the earth’s at- mosphere the air would im- pede its motion and reduce its speed. Eventually it wou!d fall to earth.

It has, therefore, to be sta- tioned beyond the dense lay-

ers of the earth’s atmosphere.

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Modern meteorology has not yet gathered sufficient data to establish the natural laws governoring atmospheric pro- cesses, because (till the Soviet satellite was launched—Editor ) the upper layers of the atmos- phere can be observed for only brief periods.

Following the present satel- lite will come manned flying observatories.

To facilitate observation of the earth’s surface they should be launched along the paths passing over the earth’s poles.

In 24 hours the flying ob- servatory could make 16 rev- olutions around the earth and

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: long’ and with a range of 400-500 miles, Was unveiled by the Russians during the Red Square parade on November 7, “elebratione ‘he 40th anniversary of the October Revolution. Many other

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tary Travel, by A. Sternfeld, recently

photograph its entire surface in daylight.

Flying meteorological sta- tions will take exact meas- urements of the temperature, pressure and density of the air, etc., in the upper strata of the atmosphere.

The study of solar radiations will enable us to determine periodically the consumption of solar energy by our planet, and make Correct. forecasts of the weather and conditions for radio-communication.

There will always be plenty of solar energy on the artificial satellite.

Tsiolkovsky thought it could be utilized to grow vegetables in hothouses outside the earth, and in this way the inhabi- tants of the celestial island could. provide themselves with their own vegetable food.

Nuclear research labora- tories set up there would have an, abundance of cosmic rays for their studies.

An. artificial satellite - will also be an excellent place for television and other ultra- short-wave broadcasts.

To facilitate interplanetary whether prolonged weightless-

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types of rockets were shown in the racing through space,

proposed that it be divided into stages, and that an artificial satellite of the earth be used as a plat- form for changing rockets.

It will be much easier to em- erge into space flying from

such a platform than from the ,

earth.

There are a number of pro- jects for space-travel with a stop-over at an interplanetary station.

According to one of them, on arrival- from the earth the rocket will be provided at the interplanetary station with all the equipment, fuel and food it needs to continue its journey.

According to other projects, the space-travellers will have to change rockets at the inter- planetary station. The rocket in which they will resume their voyage will be assembled. from parts brought from the earth, including equipment form ar- riving rockets.

The space-station will be useful in many other respects. Astronauts will be able to make experimental flights from it to investigate condi- tions under which future space-trips will be carried out.

Extensive research will be conducted to determine

uest of space

ness is harmless for man, how artificial gravity affects him, ere:

On a space-island it will be possible to carry out research for devising means of protec- tion against the meteorite menace.

Would-be space - travellers will use the interplanetary sta- tion as £ base for mastering the complicated technique of steering the rocket in empty space.

Scientists will be able to ob- tain most of the data they need to work out the most rational designs for a space-ship and glider.

In some quarters it is con- sidered that the could take the place of an in‘er- planetary station.

moon

But this is an incorrect view, for the moon is very far re- moved from our planet.

Moreover, since its mass and, consequently, gravita- tional pull, are comparatively great, it would take a great deal of fuel for the space-ship to land on its surface and then take off.

@ A sixth extract on travel to the Moon will appear next week,

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parade. Photo at right is of Sputnik 1 : and was caught by a 16 mm movie cameraman as the Satellite passed over St. Paul, Minnesota.

November 22, 1957 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE 98