Authentic Science Fiction Monthly, No. 65 — page 51: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

A > ae ms, ie 7 e 1 ; ty 48 wy = t 325 i Pi. a the man is good at physics, the a neat Academy might think it worth __ while to treat him to better his per- sonality. If he is not good at physics— well, he would have to leave, anyway! As with most careers, bookwork is not all. Every course will have its practical side—cadets will actually handle the complex air-locks, radio and television apparatus and rocket en- gines. In the early stages these will be mock-ups in the lecture rooms, but later on the cadets will train in actual spaceships. Various types will be kept on the flat roof and cadets will practise using the controls, navigation gear and engines. Near the Space Academy will be a launching apron—a great disc of strong metal—and from this, under supervision, advanced cadets will take off in spaceships, pilot them out into the void under instructions from the control tower and bring them back safely. All cadets will eagerly await the day when they are allowed to take a ship up without the instructor present. An important part of the cadet’s training will be slanted at emergency conditions. To this end he will be instructed in the care and use of the spacesuit. When he makes actual trips into space, he will put his knowledge into use by climbing outside the ship on repair drill, feeling all alone out there among the stars with only his safety line connecting him to the ship. At first it may be a little frighten- ing, but the true spaceman will soon be carried away by the excitement of the moment. There will, of course, be a certain amount of discipline required to keep the Space Academy running smoothly. But beyond this the cadets will be allowed considerable freedom. A vessel in space is so isolated that every man must be able to act on his own initiative, without needing someone to tell him what to do. The Academy will train cadets to obey orders—and to act sensibly when orders are lacking. We can imagine a space cadet, rising early in the morning because 50 there is a lot to be done, leaving his private room and going along to the bathroom for his morning wash. There he joins in a conversation with his chums about the best way to land a ship on Jupiter. After his wash, he goes down to the dining room for breakfast, smart in his uniform, with the spaceship flash gleaming on his arm. Here he con- tinues the conversation, learning some- thing from his friends and teaching them something in return. During the morning he works at mathematics, physics and chemistry. A little before lunch the whole class goes off to the football field or the tennis courts and works up a fine appetite. After a shower there is lunch—and another discussion. In the afternoon, our cadet attends classes in botany, zoology and space law. Then in the early evening he joins some friends at the swimming pool or in the games room. Another shower and he goes to dinner, only this time he talks about football or table tennis or the breast stroke! Dinner over, he may take a stroll in the grounds or watch the planetarium for a while, memorising the relations between the planets. As soon as it is dark he goes up to the observatory under the roof and spends an hour or two looking through the telescopes and taking photographs of the stars. Finally, he goes back to his room and reads up a little rocket engineering in preparation for a lesson next day. When that is finished he climbs into bed, tired but happy and looking forward to the day when he graduates. Besides, tomorrow he is actually going up into space! Unfortunately, no such Space Academy yet exists. But already the American Air Force has a rocket station at Bort Bliss, Texas, with a Department of Space Medicine. And the British Ministry is working on rocket craft at Westcott, Surrey. Be sure that this Space Academy is no idle dream—it may well come to pass in our lifetime. comnicloooks.conn