Even the most ardent futurist would agree that space has lost something of its lustre. In this fallow period of space exploration, with the space shuttle's impending retirement, failing satellites and slashed NASA budgets, the association between innovation and outer space has been slightly lacking.
Another Science Fiction looks over the early years of the space race, when government billions propped up a rampantly expanding defence industry, eager to sugar-coat its wares with the sheen of a science fiction tomorrow that was eternally just around the corner.
As a result, Megan Prelinger's book is a fascinating history of how the military-industrial complex pitched its wares against a starry backdrop of moondust and interplanetary exploration, creating new vistas that existed largely in the copywriters' imaginations.
Richly illustrated throughout, it provides a thorough cultural backdrop for the freshly revived retro aesthetic of 1950s space travel. Right now, the future of space is looking ever more commercial.
As private space travel gradually grows in profile and popularity, we can probably expect a return to the gung-ho days of glamour by association, as big brands hop aboard the next generation of rocketships and space planes to ensure their products and services are placed right at the final frontier.
’Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957–1962’ by Megan Prelinger. Texas Instruments ad, Fortune, December 1957
’Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957–1962’ by Megan Prelinger. Hoffman Electronics Corporation ad, Aviation Week, April 13, 1959
’Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957–1962’ by Megan Prelinger. In 1959 the U.S. Army was planning a lunar base, developed by Wernher von Braun, to be called Project Horizon. On Horizon, the army would grow food for astronauts in hydroponic tanks. Here scientist Bill Taufman of army contractor Republic Aviation experiments with growing food in lunar soils. Aviation Week, November 16, 1959.
’Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957–1962’ by Megan Prelinger. Lockheed draws a line between the Montgolfier era and twentieth-century space medicine. Missiles and Rockets, June 13, 1960.
’Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957–1962’ by Megan Prelinger. Behind white lunar mountains an unnaturally vivid sky that looks almost like the northern lights is a visual metaphor of the power of the engineer’s imagination. Artist: Les Koski, Aviation Week, March 7, 1960.
’Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957–1962’ by Megan Prelinger. The pinch plasma engine was conceived by the Republic engineer Alfred Kunen, pictured at right. In the scene, Kunen and engineer Milton Minneman peer into the pinch chamber of the experimental apparatus built to test the proposed engine system at Republic in 1959. Aviation Week, September 14, 1959.
Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957–1962’ by Megan Prelinger. A toy space helmet, ray gun, and classic finned rocket set on an ordinary household coatrack reflect the material culture of space-themed playthings that abounded in American homes in the early space age. Aviation Week, August 10, 1959.
’Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957–1962’ by Megan Prelinger. Using a statement from General Thomas S. Power, who assisted General Curtis LeMay and directed the first large-scale fire bomb raid on Tokyo in 1945, Convair advertised its astronautics work as being not in the service of earthly warfare but apparently as exploration for exploration’s sake. Aviation Week, January 13, 1958.
’Another Science Fiction: Advertising the Space Race 1957–1962’ by Megan Prelinger. JPL’s lunar probe project advertised with this whimsical photograph was to bring back data needed to be able to support future human lunar landings and ultimately to establish a lunar base. Missiles and Rockets, October 23, 1961.
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