The topic of Satellite Solar Power leads to other items
I saw this article on the IEEE site:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/space-based-solar-power-2668422542
There are always complaints that when the sea is calm, the sun doesn't shine or the wind doesn't blow there is no natural power - that was at least part of the rationale for orbiting satellites that could turn solar energy into microwaves around the clock and beam it to earth. I remember that Dr. Ishii at Marquette was studying satellite solar power way back in the 20th century. But the IEEE article points out that Isaac Asimov had incorporated the idea into one of his robot stories from 1941:
source: https://archive.org/details/Astounding_v27n02_1941-04_dtsg0318
Very cool, although satellite solar power is just a background item for this story of a robot prototype gone bad. And it also reminded me of that magical year of Astounding SF for 1941. In this issue there were stories from L. Sprague De Camp, Isaac Asimov, Theodore Sturgeon and A.E. Van Vogt, quite a lineup.
But the next month's issue was teased with this note from the famous SF editor, John W. Campbell:
the next monthly issue: https://archive.org/stream/Astounding_v27n03_1941-05
https://spectrum.ieee.org/space-based-solar-power-2668422542
There are always complaints that when the sea is calm, the sun doesn't shine or the wind doesn't blow there is no natural power - that was at least part of the rationale for orbiting satellites that could turn solar energy into microwaves around the clock and beam it to earth. I remember that Dr. Ishii at Marquette was studying satellite solar power way back in the 20th century. But the IEEE article points out that Isaac Asimov had incorporated the idea into one of his robot stories from 1941:
source: https://archive.org/details/Astounding_v27n02_1941-04_dtsg0318
Very cool, although satellite solar power is just a background item for this story of a robot prototype gone bad. And it also reminded me of that magical year of Astounding SF for 1941. In this issue there were stories from L. Sprague De Camp, Isaac Asimov, Theodore Sturgeon and A.E. Van Vogt, quite a lineup.
But the next month's issue was teased with this note from the famous SF editor, John W. Campbell:
 |
| An atomic weapon forecast prior to the US entry into the war |
the next monthly issue: https://archive.org/stream/Astounding_v27n03_1941-05
Anson MacDonald was a pen name of Robert Heinlein (per the wiki):
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solution_Unsatisfactory
One reason for these pen names was so an author could have more than one story in an issue - Heinlein also had another famous story called: Universe in the May issue, which was turned into an old time radio episode twice (I like the first one with Mason Adams the best):
Dimension X: https://archive.org/download/OTRR_Dimension_X_Singles/Dimension_X_1950-11-26__31_Universe.mp3
X-1: https://archive.org/download/OTRR_X_Minus_One_Singles/XMinusOne55-05-15004Universe.mp3
The May issue also had another Isaac Asimov story and the continuation of the L. Sprague De Camp story from the April issue, whew ! Note that a little while later Asimov, De Camp and Heinlein would be at the Philadelphia Navy Yard working in the war effort:
source: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/asimov-de-camp-and-heinlein-naval-aviation-experim/
Campbell also first published the chart of Heinlein's history of the future in the May 1941 Astounding on pages 124 and 125:
1941 was quite the year for Science Fiction as well as for the world !
Best Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY
http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solution_Unsatisfactory
One reason for these pen names was so an author could have more than one story in an issue - Heinlein also had another famous story called: Universe in the May issue, which was turned into an old time radio episode twice (I like the first one with Mason Adams the best):
Dimension X: https://archive.org/download/OTRR_Dimension_X_Singles/Dimension_X_1950-11-26__31_Universe.mp3
X-1: https://archive.org/download/OTRR_X_Minus_One_Singles/XMinusOne55-05-15004Universe.mp3
The May issue also had another Isaac Asimov story and the continuation of the L. Sprague De Camp story from the April issue, whew ! Note that a little while later Asimov, De Camp and Heinlein would be at the Philadelphia Navy Yard working in the war effort:
 |
| Heinlein, De Camp, Asimov |
source: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/news-and-features/articles/asimov-de-camp-and-heinlein-naval-aviation-experim/
Campbell also first published the chart of Heinlein's history of the future in the May 1941 Astounding on pages 124 and 125:
 |
| Heinlein had only been having stories published since 1939 |
1941 was quite the year for Science Fiction as well as for the world !
Best Regards,
Chuck, WB9KZY
http://wb9kzy.com/ham.htm
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