This newly reissued debut book in the Rutgers University Press Classics Imprint is the story of the search for a rocket propellant which could be trusted to take man into space. This search was a hazardous enterprise carried out by rival labs who worked against the known laws of nature, with no guarantee of success or safety

Contents

In Re John D. Clark - foreword by Issac Asimov

Preface

 1    How It Started

 2    Peenemunde and JPL

 3    The Hunting of the Hypergol . . .

 4    . . . and Its Mate

 5    Peroxide – Always a Bridesmaid

 6    Halogens and Politics and Deep Space

 7    Performance

 8    Lox and Flox and Cryogenics in General

 9    What Ivan Was Doing

10    “Exotics”

11    The Hopeful Monoprops

12    High Density and the Higher Foolishness

13    What Happens Next

Glossary

Index

 

JOHN DRURY CLARK (1907 - 1988) was an American rocket fuel developer, chemist, and science fiction writer. In addition to his work as a scientist, he was instrumental in the broad revival of interest in Robert E. Howard’s Conan stories and an influence on the writing of Isaac Asimov, L. Sprague de Camp, Fletcher Pratt, and other sci-fi authors.

ISAAC ASIMOV (1920 - 1992) was an American author and professor of biochemistry at Boston University, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. A prolific writer, he published more than 500 books, most notably the science fiction novels I, Robot and Foundation, and the popular science works, Guide to Science and Understanding Physics.