Science Fiction
Dictionary
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Latest By
Category:
Armor
Artificial
Intelligence
Biology
Clothing
Communication
Computers
Culture
Data Storage
Displays
Engineering
Entertainment
Food
Input Devices
Lifestyle
Living Space
Manufacturing
Material
Media
Medical
Miscellaneous
Robotics
Security
Space Tech
Spacecraft
Surveillance
Transportation
Travel
Vehicle
Virtual
Person
Warfare
Weapon
Work
"Science fiction is what scientists would do if they could - if they had enough grant money, enough time, and enough brains to do the wonderful things they would like to do."
- Greg Bear
 |
| Pilot Beam | ||
| A signalling device that space craft in orbit descending to Earth could home in on and land. |
Very early description of this useful idea.
| “Anything else before we clear?”
asked Lazarus. “Oh, yes — Zack,
we’d better arrange a place for me
to ground, or. I may shorten a lot of
lives with my blast.”
“That’s true. I’ve planned on it. Make your approach from the south. I’ll have your berth marked in the usual fashion.” “Better give him a pilot beam to come in on, too,” Ford warned. “Why?” asked Lazarus. “I don’t need one. I could set her down on the top of the Washington Monu- ment.” “Not tomorrow night you couldn’t. Don’t be surprised at the weather.” |
| Technovelgy from Methuselah's Children,
by Murray Leinster. Published by Astounding Science-Fiction in 1941 Additional resources -
|
Here's the landing sequence:
He wheedled her in, cut his last
jet as she scraped, and slapped a se-
ries of levers; the great cargo ports
rumbled open, and the rain beat in.
Compare to the space-beacon from Exploration Team, the 1956 story by Murray Leinster.
The thought was cut short by an
urgent signal from his board; he had
picked up Barstow’s pilot beam.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 0 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Methuselah's Children
More Ideas
and Technology by Murray Leinster
Tech news articles related to Methuselah's Children
Tech news articles related to works by Murray Leinster
| Will Space Stations Have Large Interior Spaces Again? |
| Reflect Orbital Offers 'Sunlight on Demand' And Light Pollution |
| Chrysalis Generation Ship to Alpha Centauri |
| The First Space Warship For Space Force |
Want to Contribute an
Item?
It's easy:
Get the name of the item, a
quote, the book's name and the author's name, and Add
it here.
| <Previous | Next> |
|
|
|
Technovelgy (that's tech-novel-gee!) is devoted to the creative science inventions and ideas of sf authors. Look for the Invention Category that interests you, the Glossary, the Science Fiction Invention Timeline, or see what's New.
|
Science Fiction
Timeline
1600-1899
1900-1939
1940's 1950's
1960's 1970's
1980's 1990's
2000's 2010's
'The leg was to function, in a way, as a servo-mechanism operated by Larry’s brain...'
'The observation vehicle was of that peculiar variety used in conveying a large number of people across rough terrain.'
'The real border was defended by... a swarm of quasi-independent aerostats.'
'I ... set my automatic astronomical instruments to searching for a habitable planet.'
'...haven't you a section of the factory where only robot labor is employed?'
