First Explorers on the Moon

This article was originally published in the December 1969 issue of the magazine.

Mankind entered a new era at Tranquillity Base—an era in which travel will be reckoned not in thousands of miles but in millions and billions. Space is an endless frontier for our children, and for all future generations.

I believe that men will drive onward in the years ahead to Mars, to the moons of Jupiter, and to other new worlds in our vast solar system. Some of these destinations are attainable in this century, some even within the next two decades. If we give full rein to our growing space capabilities, we can rapidly establish a bridgehead in the heavens in the next dozen years.

In the mid-1970's, for example, we could begin to assemble in earth orbit a permanent manned station. Gradually enlarged, it would become the work site of perhaps a hundred scientists.