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Tale of the 'Evans, Fall 1944
Page 3
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page 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ((Reprinted, with permission, from THE SPACE PILOT; issue of April 4th, 2062.)) EMERGENCY LANDINGS ON ASTEROIDS, USING GRAVITY PLATES AND MAGNETIC GRAPPLES (EDITOR'S NOTE: Following the recent interplanetary broadcast from "The Pegasus", triumphantyl enroute Earthward from their two-year study of the Asteroid Belt, the editors of "The Space Pilot" obtained a radioptophone connection with Captain-Pilot Duwar Dengos; and, after much persuasion, obtainted from that modest gentleman the following illuminating article, which was transmitted to us directly from "The Pegasus" by radio-telewruter. We are sure all you Space Pups will welcome this additional information from a Master Pilot, who has, without a doubt, made more special and forced landings on asteroids than any other space pilot, living or dead.) ************ Lest any of my fellow Space Pups think I am getting snooty and high-nose because I was lucky enough to drag down the wonderful assignment of piloting "The Pegasus" on the remarkable scientific exploratory journey she has just made through the Asteroid Belt; and that I am using that trip and its experiences as an excuse for truing to tell them how to handle their boats, please allow me this explanation. I have consented to this writing only after having been convinced by many people whose judjement I respect, that our experiences may be of real help to some of you other chaps who, mayhap, have so far had straighter sailing, but who may some day run into situations similar to those which have already been encountered on our two-year trip. First, le me warn any of you who have never been near or in the Belt, that you must watch extra-carefully at all times lest you strike or be struck by rook bits large enough to wreck your ship. You all know this, of course, but I don't think it can be repeated too often, for there is constant and ever-present danger here that cannot be overlooked for one second, even after you have landed on the Asteroid that is your objective. And a tiny bit will do it too. During our journey, we landed on seventy-four asteroids and other rock-bits, of sizes from bu little larger than "The Pegasus" to one nearly the size of Eros. What we found on the is not my story, but that of the Master Scientists of the expedition. We began our landings on the larger asteroids, but as we developed the technique of making such landings, dropped in on smaller and smaller bodies. Perhaps I can best explain our system by giving you a slightly detailed account of one or more of our landings. Let us say we are approacing S-927, which is about 50 Earth-miles in diameter. When about a thousand miles out we slow almost to stopping, for observations and the making of necessary calculations for our landings. For smaller bodies, of course, we choose a much closer position for these observations. From this distance one assistant measures the size of the rock; another takes a spectroscopic analysis to determine the nature of the metallic content; and
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page 3 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ((Reprinted, with permission, from THE SPACE PILOT; issue of April 4th, 2062.)) EMERGENCY LANDINGS ON ASTEROIDS, USING GRAVITY PLATES AND MAGNETIC GRAPPLES (EDITOR'S NOTE: Following the recent interplanetary broadcast from "The Pegasus", triumphantyl enroute Earthward from their two-year study of the Asteroid Belt, the editors of "The Space Pilot" obtained a radioptophone connection with Captain-Pilot Duwar Dengos; and, after much persuasion, obtainted from that modest gentleman the following illuminating article, which was transmitted to us directly from "The Pegasus" by radio-telewruter. We are sure all you Space Pups will welcome this additional information from a Master Pilot, who has, without a doubt, made more special and forced landings on asteroids than any other space pilot, living or dead.) ************ Lest any of my fellow Space Pups think I am getting snooty and high-nose because I was lucky enough to drag down the wonderful assignment of piloting "The Pegasus" on the remarkable scientific exploratory journey she has just made through the Asteroid Belt; and that I am using that trip and its experiences as an excuse for truing to tell them how to handle their boats, please allow me this explanation. I have consented to this writing only after having been convinced by many people whose judjement I respect, that our experiences may be of real help to some of you other chaps who, mayhap, have so far had straighter sailing, but who may some day run into situations similar to those which have already been encountered on our two-year trip. First, le me warn any of you who have never been near or in the Belt, that you must watch extra-carefully at all times lest you strike or be struck by rook bits large enough to wreck your ship. You all know this, of course, but I don't think it can be repeated too often, for there is constant and ever-present danger here that cannot be overlooked for one second, even after you have landed on the Asteroid that is your objective. And a tiny bit will do it too. During our journey, we landed on seventy-four asteroids and other rock-bits, of sizes from bu little larger than "The Pegasus" to one nearly the size of Eros. What we found on the is not my story, but that of the Master Scientists of the expedition. We began our landings on the larger asteroids, but as we developed the technique of making such landings, dropped in on smaller and smaller bodies. Perhaps I can best explain our system by giving you a slightly detailed account of one or more of our landings. Let us say we are approacing S-927, which is about 50 Earth-miles in diameter. When about a thousand miles out we slow almost to stopping, for observations and the making of necessary calculations for our landings. For smaller bodies, of course, we choose a much closer position for these observations. From this distance one assistant measures the size of the rock; another takes a spectroscopic analysis to determine the nature of the metallic content; and
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