Conquest: 2

by Wernher von Braun, Cornelius Ryan (Editor)

Expanded from a series of articles in Colliers Magazine called "Man Will Conquer Space Soon!"

Genres: Space, Science

Hardcover

First published October 1, 1953

About the author

Wernher Magnus Maximilian, Freiherr von Braun (March 23, 1912 – June 16, 1977) was a German rocket scientist, aerospace engineer, space architect, and one of the leading figures in the development of rocket technology in Nazi Germany during World War II and in the United States after that.

A former member of the Nazi party, commissioned Sturmbannführer of the paramilitary SS and decorated Nazi war hero, von Braun would later be regarded as the preeminent rocket engineer of the 20th century in his role with the United States civilian space agency NASA. In his 20s and early 30s, von Braun was the central figure in Germany's rocket development program, responsible for the design and realization of the deadly V-2 combat rocket during World War II. After the war, he and some of his rocket team were taken to the U.S. as part of the then-secret Operation Paperclip. Von Braun worked on the US Army intermediate range ballistic missile (IRBM) program before his group was assimilated by NASA, under which he served as director of the newly-formed Marshall Space Flight Center and as the chief architect of the Saturn V launch vehicle, the superbooster that propelled the Apollo spacecraft to the Moon. According to one NASA source, he is "without doubt, the greatest rocket scientist in history. His crowning achievement was to lead the development of the Saturn V booster rocket that helped land the first men on the Moon in July 1969." In 1975 he received the National Medal of Science.

Reviews

[Jeff Greason · Rating 5 out of 5]

In reading any of the old forecasts of future space technology, it is easy to focus on what they got wrong. I'm a technical person myself, and I find it much more amazing how much they got right. Oh, of course, many details were different (and the authors fully expected that, in several places pointing out relevant technologies which might replace their admittedly best guesses). But they had worked out, to an amazing degree considering the time they wrote this, what the *problems* were, and they had at least one way of solving them all.

Chesley Bonestell's amazing paintings of course make this a special treat even with the passing of so many years.

The one biggest difference from how things turned out is the scale of proposed exploration. It never entered their heads the degree to which automation and teleoperation would allow for eventual Lunar expeditions to be scaled down. But in the original vision, they were perhaps closer to what the future will hold than what Apollo wound up as. Because this expedition was envisioned from the first as an over-night stay, the need for facilities, the need for emplacing power systems and habitats, the need for capable surface roving vehicles was envisioned and is worth re-examining.

Finally, when the day comes, years or decades hence for expeditions to more distant destinations, these early visions will repay a re-examination. As the speed of light delays to Earth mount, the need for more autonomy and scientists with the expedition rather the poring over returned samples will also increase.

[Kent Archie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is what von Braun wanted to do.
First a space station with about 80 crew. There you would build 3 large craft to land on the moon. The crew of 50 people would build a base and explore the moon for 6 weeks. This should require 100s of Saturn 5 launches. interesting to compare this to what we got

[Lost Planet Airman · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a change in 15 years! Conquest of the Moon (non-fiction) details "the" plan for the first exploration of the Moon; in this version the plan is for a 6-week mission of 50 men in three ships. Fifteen year later, we did without the station and sent three men for a week. Still, an awe-inspiring concept.