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Updated: May 10, 2025
Dominico had a tube of rocket fuel under each arm. The Italian was small, and the tubes were bulky. Each was about ten feet long and two feet in diameter. With any gravity or air resistance at all, the Italian couldn't have carried even one. Santos took the radiation detection instruments and the case with the astrogation equipment from Koa.
Out of each 15 who started training, an average of five fell by the wayside. For Planeteer officers, the requirements were even tougher. Only one out of each 500 applicants finally received a commission. Six years of training made them proficient in the techniques of exploration, fighting, rocketeering, and both navigation and astrogation.
Since there were neither gravity nor atmosphere in space, the missiles flashed out in a straight line, continuing on into infinity if they missed their targets. Proximity fuses made this a remote possibility. If the rocket got anywhere near the target, the shell would explode. Rip found his astrogation instruments set carefully to one side.
"Yes, sir," said Tom, turning back eagerly to the control board. For nearly two hours the four rocket ships of Squadron A moved through space in a perfect arc, shaping up for the 0800 deadline. Strong made use of the time to check a new astrogation prism perfected by Dr. Dale for use at hyperspace speeds.
Five minutes later he slammed back the sliding door and entered the quarters of 42-D with a lusty shout. "Meet Space Cadet Corbett an Earthworm who's just passed his control-deck manual operations exam!" Astro looked up from a book of tables on astrogation and gave Tom a wan smile.
He forced himself to follow Hawkes' computations as number after number was called off. He began to see the logical pattern of the game. It was a little like astrogation, in which he had had the required preliminary instruction.
"Well, from now on it's going to be special!" roared Connel. "Yes, sir," acknowledged Roger quickly. "All right, at ease," ordered Connel. As the three boys relaxed, Connel stepped over to the astrogation board and snapped a switch. Immediately a solar chart filled the huge chart screen. It was a black-and-white view of the planet Venus.
Santos had taken charge of Rip’s astrogation instruments. A spaceman was waiting with Rip’s bubble. At a nod, the spaceman slipped it on his head. Rip reached up and gave it a quarter turn. The locking mechanism clamped into place. He turned his belt ventilator control on full and the space suit puffed out. When it was fully inflated he watched the pressure gauge. It was steady.
"That's right. Know anything about asteroids, Foster?" Rip considered. He knew what he had been taught in astronomy and astrogation. Between Mars and Jupiter lay a broad belt in which the asteroids swung. They ranged from Ceres, a tiny world only 480 miles in diameter, down to chunks of rock the size of a house.
"Well I mean what specifically?" asked Tom softly. "For instance, I've got to find the ratio for compression on the main firing tubes, using a given amount of fuel, heading for a given destination, and taking a given time for the passage." "But that's control-deck operations as well as astrogation and power!" exclaimed Tom. "Yeah I know," answered Astro, "but I've still got to be able to do it.
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