Space Adventures #15

When young Rocky Jones finds an abandoned space suit falling from orbit, he can't resist taking it for a joyride—but a discovery inside sets him on the path to becoming a Space Ranger. Years later, as war threatens Earth's final hours, Rocky's childhood encounter with that mysterious suit sparks a desperate, brilliant plan to turn the tide against an overwhelming enemy force. A tale of how one boy's dream of flying among the stars becomes the salvation of his world.

When Space Ranger Rocky Jones spots a mysterious vessel traveling at impossible speeds, he's tasked with intercepting it before a stolen super-fuel formula reaches the outlaw Queen Cleolanthe on planet Ophiuchus—a development that could hand her the power to conquer the Solar System. Rocky must outmaneuver both a treacherous assistant bent on conquest and a queen armed with hypnotic weaponry, all while the clock ticks toward catastrophe.

In this 1955 Space Facts feature by Michael Ressner, discover the Silvercup Rocket—a 38-foot spacecraft modeled after Rocky Jones's legendary Orbit-Jet from the weekly television series—now touring major American cities for the public to explore. Built at a cost of $70,000 and unveiled in late 1954, this authentic flying machine lets visitors experience the controls, radar screens, and armament of a real space vessel, complete with sound-barrier systems and authentic instrumentation. Over 100,000 visitors have already stepped aboard to pilot their own journey through the stars.

Explore the magnificent rings of Saturn—those stunning celestial bands visible even through modest telescopes, composed of millions of tiny moonlets stretched across 41,000 miles of space. This 1955 science feature examines how these rings likely formed from a shattered moon, their varying visibility as Saturn orbits the Sun, and the extreme conditions that define the ringed giant and its nine moons.

A fearless racer who's conquered every speed record on Earth sets her sights on the ultimate prize—becoming the first person to reach Mars. In "First Landing," Myra Trent pilots her custom-built rocket ship to the Red Planet, only to encounter something far more extraordinary than she bargained for. What appears to be a deadly attack unfolds into a revelation that will reshape humanity's understanding of its place in the cosmos.

Astronomers harness radio waves and massive telescopes to peer into the cosmos, picking up stellar radiation that even clouds can't block—a breakthrough that's already bounced signals off the Moon and could eventually reach Venus and beyond. This 1955 feature explores how radio astronomy is opening new windows on the universe and reshaping humanity's ability to observe the heavens.

Venus and Earth share a striking kinship—nearly twin planets in size and orbit—yet Venus remains shrouded in mystery beneath clouds so thick that its surface remains completely hidden from view. Scientists debate whether life might flourish in that hidden world, as spectroscopic analysis finds no oxygen or water vapor, yet the clouds themselves could conceal essential elements below that might support plants and animals. Until humanity reaches Venus, the truth about Earth's veiled sister remains one of the solar system's great unknowns.