Arthur C. Clarke: “I’m rather proud of the fact that I know several astronauts who became astronauts through reading my books.”
Credit: Astrobiology
Clarke believed that humans would one day build colonies on the Moon and Mars.
Credit: NASA
Inspired by rockets
Clarke caught the space bug in his teens. By the age of 20 he was a member of the technical committee of the British Interplanetary Society, becoming deeply engaged in the theoretical aspects of designing a rocket that would take explorers to the Moon and back. Planning came to an abrupt stop in September 1939 when its members signed up for war service.
In World War Two, Clarke served in Britain’s Royal Air Force as a radar instructor. His background in radar enabled him to be the first to propose using artificial satellites for global telecommunications, global television, and for meteorology.
When Clarke entered astronautics the fundamental knowledge of rocketry and space travel were already well known. The U.S. had a credible program of rocket development and the military advantages of travelling to the Moon or Mars had become matters of immediate importance. Optimistic scenarios for exploring space were stimulated by another technical advance, nuclear energy.
Towards the end of Interplanetary Flight, Clarke speculated on the impact of the new science of astronautics would have on the exploration of the Solar System. The Moon would be reached first, where scientists would explore it using tracked vehicles.
Clarke attached great importance to establishing a permanent lunar colony equipped with an astronomical observatory. He excluded any possibility that life would be found on the Moon.
In the case of Mars, which would become the target of opportunity after the Moon, Clarke believed that the red planet had seasonal vegetation. He argued for the astrobiological exploration of Mars, while admitting that the quest for intelligent life was entirely speculative. He dismissed any hope for life on Venus because the cloud-covered planet showed no evidence of oxygen or water.
Great Article but...
it's very difficult to read with the changing picture making the text move as well!
Layout of this page *is* annoying!
I wholeheartedly agree with the previous poster. I decided not to finish the article because the constant jumping of the text made it a very irritating task. Webeditors: PLEASE restrict the photos to a constant size so that the page won't re-wrap all the time!
Thanks for your comments -
Thanks for your comments - we hadn't noticed this effect. We've only just upgraded our content engine, so this maybe be just a teething problem. Will try and fix.
Editor