President Eisenhower's announcement that the U.S. will build unmanned satellites to circle the earth (see NATIONAL AFFAIRS) was thrilling news for all space-flight enthusiasts—from space-minded kids to sobersided scientists. Besides appealing to the imagination, the satellite will have genuine scientific utility.
The far-cruising spaceships of science fiction are beyond present-day capabilities. Theoretically they are possible, but many layers of problems must be cleared away before they can set their courses for the moon or Mars. The most difficult problems are human: how to keep the crews alive in space and how to get them back to earth in reasonably good condition. Both...
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