THE POSSIBILITIES OF SPACEFLIGHT

TSIOLKOVSKIJ, K(ONSTANTIN E(DUARDOVICH). - TSIOLKOVSKI, TSIOLKOVSKIY, TSIOLKOWSKY, CIOLKOWSKY, ZIOLKOWSKY, TZIOLKOWSKY.

Zvjezdoplavatjeljam (Russian). (To the Astronauts).

Kaluga, 1930.

Small 8vo. (15 x 10,5 cm). Original printed wrappers. Completely fine and fresh. 31, (1) pp. 


Rare and interesting first edition. Privately printed.

During the 1920's, Tsiolkovsky elaborated his theories of multistage-rockets and began working out his theory of the flight of jet airplanes, devoting a number of papers to this. This works deals with the possibilities of spaceflight. He encourages the astronauts and poeple working on this project: "At first, the early attempts to fly, to utilize steam and electricity, and many other inventions also seemed foolheardy and vain to (common mortals) and even to the inventory. But profiting from the lessons of history, we should be courageous and shrug off our failures, determine the causes and then eliminate them." (p. 13).

Tsiolkovsky's theories on rocket propulsion are some of the most vital and progressive of his discoveries. For his methods of studying the dynamics of rocket flight and his approach to interplanetary travels he has, after much struggle, won world recognition and is now widely known. "Tsiolkovskiy pushed back the frontiers of human knowledge, and his idea of using the rocket for the exploration of space is only now, in our own time (i.e. 1954), beginning to be fully appreciated. He was the father of the theory of long-range liquid-fuelled rockets and the founder of a vigorously scientific theory of inter-planetary travel." (Collected Works, NASA, 1954. II: p. 3). He was thus the founder of modern rocket dynamics. His works on rocket dynamics and the theory of interplanetary flight "were the first in world scientific literature. They preserve their scientific and practical significance to this day." (Collected Works, 1954, II: p. 7). He was the first in the history of science to calculate the efficiency of the rocket and to point out the advantages of rocket motors at high velocities.

"Today, his original research, in the course of which he not only predicted the development of jet aircraft and low-range rockets but theoretically confirmed their feasibility, is necessarily of great interest to the entire aerospace community. He was the founder of the science astronautics (cosmonautics), which is concerned with the problems of interplanetary travel, and he derived the classical formulas of rocket flight." (Collected Works, NASA, 1951. I: p. IX).

The father of modern rocketry, Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovski (1857-1935), is probably most widely known for his works on rocket propulsion, however his contributions to several fields of science have been immense and of exceedingly seminal character. Deafened at the age of nine and as a consequence thereof unable to go to school, he was forced to learn everything on his own hand. His father, a forester, was fond of scientific experiments, and though not wealthy, he had books on science and natural history. Tsiolkovski began by reading all books he could find on these subjects and as a consequence was able to construct quite complicated devices for measuring distances and many other things. Having seen how gifted his son was, his father sent him to Moscow, where Tsiolkovski spend all three years in libraries, receiving no teaching but his own, but still succeeding in taking a degree in physics from the university. T. can thus be seen as a purely self-taught man. After Moscow he settled in the small city of Borovskoye, where he taught physics at a school, spending all his spare time conducting experiments and writing about them.
He devoted his intellect mainly to three scientific problems of the greatest importance at the time: The aeroplane, the (long-range) rocket and the all metal dirigible. Self-taught as he was and unable to come in touch with new publications in his fields of interest, he began with nothing and made all necessary calculations himself. Calculations and experiments were always at the base of his scientific works, and no conclusions were derived from intuition and guesswork.
He was the first in the world to solve numerous problems concerning his three main interests, but unable to be recognized by the tsar-regime and considered, at best, a dreamer and a utopian, the struggle for his inventions was long and hard.
Aged 24 he was the first in the world to formulate the possibility of applying the principle of reactive motion for flight in a vacuum, thus presenting a simple plan for a spaceship. He established the possibility of space travel by means of rockets, and is thus called the father of rocketry. He is also called the father of the all-metal dirigible. He is the first to propose and state that liquid fuel is necessary for spaceflight. He was the first in the world to make calculations for the air-jet and turbo-prop-planes, and it is in his works we find the most complete elaboration of the theory of rocket propulsion for many years to come. "In his works on rocket dynamics Tsiolkovsky, the first in the history of science, calculated the efficiency of the rocket and pointed out the advantages of rocket motors at high velocities." (Kosmodemyansky, Moscow, 1956, p. 69). T. saw it as necessary step for mankind to explore and inhabit outer space and nothing could prevent him from working on the possibilities of this; in short, among many other things, we owe to him the fundamental principles of rocket dynamics.
After the Revolution T. became a member of the Academy, was allotted a personal pension in 1921, and became able to devote himself entirely to his scientific work. Now his contemporaries finally saw him as the founder of a new domain of human knowledge, a new science, he was, and he was awarded the Red Banner of Labour Order for outstanding services to his country.


Order-nr.: 59807


DKK 7.500,00