Where did Heinlein say “Once you get to Earth orbit, you're halfway to anywhere in the Solar System”?
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I know what it means. I've seen delta-V charts. But I don't know if Robert Heinlein wrote this down, or simply said it off-the-cuff to somebody.
Variations include:
"Reach low orbit, and your halfway ..." (See Space Access Society logo http://space-access.org)
"Make orbit, and you're halfway ..."
If we want to attribute this to him, a citable source would be handy.
low-earth-orbit history space-art
edited 4 hours ago
uhoh
39.2k18144498
asked 4 hours ago
Rick 0xfffRick 0xfff
54349
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add a comment |
$begingroup$
I know what it means. I've seen delta-V charts. But I don't know if Robert Heinlein wrote this down, or simply said it off-the-cuff to somebody.
Variations include:
"Reach low orbit, and your halfway ..." (See Space Access Society logo http://space-access.org)
"Make orbit, and you're halfway ..."
If we want to attribute this to him, a citable source would be handy.
low-earth-orbit history space-art
edited 4 hours ago
uhoh
39.2k18144498
asked 4 hours ago
Rick 0xfffRick 0xfff
54349
$endgroup$
$begingroup$
This might possibly be on-topic here (not sure), but there is also Science Fiction SE and you are probably going to get faster, better, and more answers there than here. Consider asking there instead?
$endgroup$
– uhoh
4 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
I know what it means. I've seen delta-V charts. But I don't know if Robert Heinlein wrote this down, or simply said it off-the-cuff to somebody.
Variations include:
"Reach low orbit, and your halfway ..." (See Space Access Society logo http://space-access.org)
"Make orbit, and you're halfway ..."
If we want to attribute this to him, a citable source would be handy.
low-earth-orbit history space-art
edited 4 hours ago
uhoh
39.2k18144498
asked 4 hours ago
Rick 0xfffRick 0xfff
54349
$endgroup$
I know what it means. I've seen delta-V charts. But I don't know if Robert Heinlein wrote this down, or simply said it off-the-cuff to somebody.
Variations include:
"Reach low orbit, and your halfway ..." (See Space Access Society logo http://space-access.org)
"Make orbit, and you're halfway ..."
If we want to attribute this to him, a citable source would be handy.
low-earth-orbit history space-art
low-earth-orbit history space-art
edited 4 hours ago
uhoh
39.2k18144498
asked 4 hours ago
Rick 0xfffRick 0xfff
54349
edited 4 hours ago
uhoh
39.2k18144498
asked 4 hours ago
Rick 0xfffRick 0xfff
54349
edited 4 hours ago
uhoh
39.2k18144498
edited 4 hours ago
uhoh
39.2k18144498
edited 4 hours ago
uhoh
39.2k18144498
39.2k18144498
asked 4 hours ago
Rick 0xfffRick 0xfff
54349
asked 4 hours ago
Rick 0xfffRick 0xfff
54349
asked 4 hours ago
Rick 0xfffRick 0xfff
54349
54349
$begingroup$
This might possibly be on-topic here (not sure), but there is also Science Fiction SE and you are probably going to get faster, better, and more answers there than here. Consider asking there instead?
$endgroup$
– uhoh
4 hours ago
add a comment |
$begingroup$
This might possibly be on-topic here (not sure), but there is also Science Fiction SE and you are probably going to get faster, better, and more answers there than here. Consider asking there instead?
$endgroup$
– uhoh
4 hours ago
$begingroup$
This might possibly be on-topic here (not sure), but there is also Science Fiction SE and you are probably going to get faster, better, and more answers there than here. Consider asking there instead?
$endgroup$
– uhoh
4 hours ago
$begingroup$
This might possibly be on-topic here (not sure), but there is also Science Fiction SE and you are probably going to get faster, better, and more answers there than here. Consider asking there instead?
$endgroup$
– uhoh
4 hours ago
add a comment |
1 Answer
1
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oldest
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As I understand it was quoted by Jerry Pournelle in his column "Halfway to anywhere" first published in the Galaxy Magazine from April 1974 Issue. Than this article was collected with others into his book "A step farther out". Here's a quote,
One of my rivals in the science-writing field usually begins his columns with a personal anecdote. Although I avoid slavish imitation, success is always worth copying. Anyway, the idea behind this column came from Robert Heinlein, and he ought to get credit for it.
Mr. Heinlein and I were discussing the perils of template stories: interconnected stories that together present a future history. As readers may have suspected, many future histories begin with stories that weren't necessarily intended to fit together when they were written. Robert Heinlein's box came with "The Man Who Sold the Moon." He wanted the first flight to the Moon to use a direct Earth-to-Moon craft, not one assembled in orbit; but the story had to follow "Blowups Happen" in the future history.
Unfortunately, in "Blowups Happen" a capability for orbiting large payloads had been developed. "Aha," I said. "I see your problem. If you can get a ship into orbit, you're halfway to the Moon."
"No," Bob said. "If you can get your ship into orbit, you're halfway to anywhere."
He was very nearly right.
answered 3 hours ago
OONOON
1,184410
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add a comment |
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1 Answer
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$begingroup$
As I understand it was quoted by Jerry Pournelle in his column "Halfway to anywhere" first published in the Galaxy Magazine from April 1974 Issue. Than this article was collected with others into his book "A step farther out". Here's a quote,
One of my rivals in the science-writing field usually begins his columns with a personal anecdote. Although I avoid slavish imitation, success is always worth copying. Anyway, the idea behind this column came from Robert Heinlein, and he ought to get credit for it.
Mr. Heinlein and I were discussing the perils of template stories: interconnected stories that together present a future history. As readers may have suspected, many future histories begin with stories that weren't necessarily intended to fit together when they were written. Robert Heinlein's box came with "The Man Who Sold the Moon." He wanted the first flight to the Moon to use a direct Earth-to-Moon craft, not one assembled in orbit; but the story had to follow "Blowups Happen" in the future history.
Unfortunately, in "Blowups Happen" a capability for orbiting large payloads had been developed. "Aha," I said. "I see your problem. If you can get a ship into orbit, you're halfway to the Moon."
"No," Bob said. "If you can get your ship into orbit, you're halfway to anywhere."
He was very nearly right.
answered 3 hours ago
OONOON
1,184410
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
As I understand it was quoted by Jerry Pournelle in his column "Halfway to anywhere" first published in the Galaxy Magazine from April 1974 Issue. Than this article was collected with others into his book "A step farther out". Here's a quote,
One of my rivals in the science-writing field usually begins his columns with a personal anecdote. Although I avoid slavish imitation, success is always worth copying. Anyway, the idea behind this column came from Robert Heinlein, and he ought to get credit for it.
Mr. Heinlein and I were discussing the perils of template stories: interconnected stories that together present a future history. As readers may have suspected, many future histories begin with stories that weren't necessarily intended to fit together when they were written. Robert Heinlein's box came with "The Man Who Sold the Moon." He wanted the first flight to the Moon to use a direct Earth-to-Moon craft, not one assembled in orbit; but the story had to follow "Blowups Happen" in the future history.
Unfortunately, in "Blowups Happen" a capability for orbiting large payloads had been developed. "Aha," I said. "I see your problem. If you can get a ship into orbit, you're halfway to the Moon."
"No," Bob said. "If you can get your ship into orbit, you're halfway to anywhere."
He was very nearly right.
answered 3 hours ago
OONOON
1,184410
$endgroup$
add a comment |
$begingroup$
As I understand it was quoted by Jerry Pournelle in his column "Halfway to anywhere" first published in the Galaxy Magazine from April 1974 Issue. Than this article was collected with others into his book "A step farther out". Here's a quote,
One of my rivals in the science-writing field usually begins his columns with a personal anecdote. Although I avoid slavish imitation, success is always worth copying. Anyway, the idea behind this column came from Robert Heinlein, and he ought to get credit for it.
Mr. Heinlein and I were discussing the perils of template stories: interconnected stories that together present a future history. As readers may have suspected, many future histories begin with stories that weren't necessarily intended to fit together when they were written. Robert Heinlein's box came with "The Man Who Sold the Moon." He wanted the first flight to the Moon to use a direct Earth-to-Moon craft, not one assembled in orbit; but the story had to follow "Blowups Happen" in the future history.
Unfortunately, in "Blowups Happen" a capability for orbiting large payloads had been developed. "Aha," I said. "I see your problem. If you can get a ship into orbit, you're halfway to the Moon."
"No," Bob said. "If you can get your ship into orbit, you're halfway to anywhere."
He was very nearly right.
answered 3 hours ago
OONOON
1,184410
$endgroup$
As I understand it was quoted by Jerry Pournelle in his column "Halfway to anywhere" first published in the Galaxy Magazine from April 1974 Issue. Than this article was collected with others into his book "A step farther out". Here's a quote,
One of my rivals in the science-writing field usually begins his columns with a personal anecdote. Although I avoid slavish imitation, success is always worth copying. Anyway, the idea behind this column came from Robert Heinlein, and he ought to get credit for it.
Mr. Heinlein and I were discussing the perils of template stories: interconnected stories that together present a future history. As readers may have suspected, many future histories begin with stories that weren't necessarily intended to fit together when they were written. Robert Heinlein's box came with "The Man Who Sold the Moon." He wanted the first flight to the Moon to use a direct Earth-to-Moon craft, not one assembled in orbit; but the story had to follow "Blowups Happen" in the future history.
Unfortunately, in "Blowups Happen" a capability for orbiting large payloads had been developed. "Aha," I said. "I see your problem. If you can get a ship into orbit, you're halfway to the Moon."
"No," Bob said. "If you can get your ship into orbit, you're halfway to anywhere."
He was very nearly right.
answered 3 hours ago
OONOON
1,184410
answered 3 hours ago
OONOON
1,184410
answered 3 hours ago
OONOON
1,184410
answered 3 hours ago
OONOON
1,184410
1,184410
add a comment |
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$begingroup$
This might possibly be on-topic here (not sure), but there is also Science Fiction SE and you are probably going to get faster, better, and more answers there than here. Consider asking there instead?
$endgroup$
– uhoh
4 hours ago