Destination Moon Page #2

They use jets.

So do gas stoves, but they

don't fly to the moon.

Obviously, you know nothing

about rockets.

Now, let's pretend that umbrella

of yours is a shotgun.

Shoot it!

Who pushed me?

- The gun, Woody.

The charged not only fired out of the

muzzle,

it kicked back with equal force

against the barrel.

It wouldn't happen again in a

hundred times!

Shoot it at the ground a few times

quickly and see what happens.

That same principle applies

to rockets.

It is the same shotgun kick of the

explosives...

that throws the rocket forward.

That kick is independent of the air

around the rocket.

It also works in a vacuum or in

outer space which is a vacuum.

The moon is easier to reach

than you realize.

Oh sure, it's a cinch!

Only 240,000 miles!

Paved highway all the way and

a gas station at every intersection!

Fuel is no problem, Woody. The engines

do not have to blast all the time.

Just long enough to get away from the

gravitational pull of the Earth.

Following which you fall wherever

you are headed for.

Get in and I'll demonstrate!

Let me out of here!

Help! Help!

At the start, the jets blast powerfully

enough...

to counteract the gravitational

pull of the Earth.

Once out of the Earth's atmosphere,

the rocket just keeps on going...

encountering no resistance to

slow it up.

The rocket does not appear

to be traveling...

but the high speed or escape velocity

as we call it...

is about 7 miles a second.

It keeps falling in outer space in the

direction in which it was started.

Now as it nears the moon,

that planet's gravitational field

begins to pull it toward it.

Can't hear you, Woody! No air

remember. Turn on your aerial!

Hey, no brakes on this thing!

I'm going to crash!

How do I land?

Very simple. Just reverse the takeoff.

But what about the wings?

Can't use them. The moon has no air.

Now he tells me!

Turn the ship around. Use the shotgun

kick of the exhaust to break the speed...

and set her gently on her tail.

Se we made it!

But how do we get home from this

piece of cheese?

Shooting a rocket from the moon

to the Earth...

is a great deal easier than shooting

from the Earth to the moon...

because it's downhill

almost all the way.

The V2 rocket could do it today.

On the return trip, we use the wings

to glide in.

And for economy's sake, we finish

the landing like this.

Sensational!

I'm sold!

I'll back it to the hilt!

Here's my 2 bucks!

Well, when do we start building?

Well gentlemen, when do we start

building?

You've examined our model;

you've seen our little picture.

I hope we've succeeded in dispelling

your original skepticism.

Mr. Barnes can you imagine me going

before a meeting of my stockholders...

and reporting that I'd put millions

into a trip to the moon?

Why some would lynch me!

I doubt it even in Texas,

when you tell them why.

It just happens we have no choice.

If we want to stay in business,

we have to build this ship!

Did you say "have" to build it, Jim?

That's what I said!

- If it's that important a project...

why doesn't the government undertake it?

The vast amount of brains, talent,

special skills, research facilities...

necessary for this project are not in

the government!

Nor can they be mobilized by the

gov't in peacetime without fatal delay.

Only American industry can do this job!

And American industry must get

to work now!

Just as we did in the last war!

Yes, but the government

footed the bill!

And they'll foot this bill too if we're

successful. You know that.

If we fail, we'll take a colossal

beating, so we can't fail!

Not only is this the greatest adventure

awaiting mankind...

but it's the greatest challenge ever

hurled at American industry!

And General Thayer

is going to tell you why!

The reason is quite simple...

we are not the only ones who know

that the moon can be reached.

We are not the only ones

planning to go there.

The race is on!

And we'd better win it because...

there is absolutely no way to stop

an attack from outer space!

The first country that can use the moon

for the launching of missiles...

will control the Earth!

That gentlemen, is the most important

military fact of this century!

Gentlemen!

I see no need for further discussion!

It's our job!

Well, all I got to say is we better

build it in Texas.

It's the only state big enough

to hold it!

If you can increase the initial velocity

only 600ths of a mile per second...

you can make the trip in

2 days instead of four.

We'll have to compute what that

means in reaction mass.

This is a case where pounds of ship

costs many pounds of reaction mass.

Try titanium!

That's exactly right as far as

appearance goes.

All that remains now is to test it.

It goes for it's atmosphere chamber

test this afternoon.

I've added one detail, Charles.

What is that for?

The chaffing suits we wear over our

pressure suits are in different colors.

Why?

- For identification.

We'll use these 4 colors for the 4 crew

members then nobody can get lost.

The moonscape is pretty drab.

These bright colors

will give us high visibility.

Your right if no one minds looking like

a carnival balloon!

Hey, Brownie!

What do you want?

Have you taken a look down from here?

No, I never liked high places. Why?

You're halfway to the moon already!

It's the other half that's tough!

- I wouldn't worry about that!

How come?

Who are you kidding? This thing

is as close to the moon as it'll get!

I never felt so silly in my life as I

have since you sent for me!

You show me all your nice plans for

instruments to navigate to the moon.

I help you build them.

We install them.

You teach me how they work

and I understand how they work.

But nobody tells me

how the ship works!

This thing is built like

the Washington Monument!

You could stick an atom bomb under it

and it wouldn't go!

What's the matter, Brownie?

It's nothing. Just a bellyache.

You been eating green apples?

I haven't been able to eat anything.

I tried to get you before you left

Washington. - Is anything wrong?

It's not the engine, is it?

Have you tested it?

Not yet and it doesn't look like

we're going to.

"I'm directed to inform you that your

petition to test an atomic engine...

is regretfully denied."

Denied?

"It is our opinion that a danger exists

should the engine fail structurally."

"There is a possibility of dispersal of

radioactive materials."

We've told them a dozen times the area

is cleared for 10 miles around.

"While it is admitted that no real

danger of atomic explosion exists...

a belief in such danger does exist

in the public mind."

"It is the policy of the Commission..."

- Policy, my foot!

Somebody's throwing a monkey wrench!

- Wait, there's more.

"The test is authorized at the Special

Weapons Testing Center in the S. Pacific.

South Pacific?

That's nice of them!

What's the matter with the North Pole

or Little America?

What's a few months delay?

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