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The British Interplanetary Society had a remarkable
record for forecasting future space developments. With the likes
of Arthur C. Clarke as members, I'm not surprised. In 1946, the
BIS put forward this idea for the first manned sub-orbital flight
using a converted V2 rocket. It was a neat way to get into space
in a hurry. Take a military rocket, fit a manned capsule in the
nose cone, add a parachute so that the capsule could return to Earth
safely, and hope the whole contraption doesn't blow up on the launch
pad. Sound familiar? It should, because that is exactly
what the Americans did in 1961 using a Redstone rocket; a direct
descendant of the V2. |
