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"We were essentially being shell-shocked by rapid change. That was one of the things you needed science-fiction writers for back in the Sixties, because we could cope with the future."
- Peter Watts
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| Space Tugs | ||
| Early use of familiar ocean vehicle in space. |
How to move more cargo space-ward? Space tugs. This is not the earliest use of this term. See space tug from Murder on the Asteroid (1933) by Eando Binder.
| Martiacast VXV calling Vanguard. Can now observe the Starider. You've permission to enter the sphere of Mars to make contact with vessel. Are ordering out space tugs. |
| Technovelgy from Describe a Circle,
by Eric Frank Russell. Published by Astounding Science Fiction in 1942 Additional resources -
|
Murray Leinster, in his 1953 story Space Tug, made great use of this idea:
He grinned at them. The Chief raised his eyebrows. Haney turned his head to stare. Joe said exuberantly: "They've been talking about arming ships with guided missiles to fight with. Too heavy, of course. But—if we could handle guided missiles, why couldn't we handle drones?"[Pg 97]
The three of them gaped at him. Sally said, startled, "But—but, Joe, I didn't——"
"We've got plenty of hulls!" said Joe. Somehow he still looked astonished at what he'd made of Sally's perfectly obvious comment. "Mike's arranged for that! Make—say—six of 'em into drones—space barges. Remote-controlled ships. Control them from one manned ship—the tug! We'll ride that! Take 'em up to the Platform exactly like a tug tows barges. The tow-line will be radio beams. We'll have a space-tow up, and not bother to bring the barges back! There won't be any landing rockets! They'll carry double cargo! That's the answer! A space tug hauling a tow to the Platform!"
See also the tug Marcus Garvey from Neuromancer by William Gibson.
Sally's just gotten the real answer! The answer is for ships to go up to the Platform and not come back!"
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| Used Dragon Cargo Spacecraft Will Fly Again |
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'...the rocket’s landing-arms automatically unfolded.'
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'...the combined Wind-Suncatcher, like a spray of tulips mounted fanwise.'
'I went to the control room where the three other men were manipulating their mechanical men.'
'The low-slung monorail car, straddling its single track, bored through the shadows on a slowly rising course.'
'It was a smooth ovoid floating a few inches from the floor...'
'... he thrust in his charging arm to replenish his store of energy.'
'...the terrible Jovian gravity that made each movement an effort.'
