The ground was only yards away. Even now, he could not tell whether his manoeuvre would succeed or fail. He switched the thrust vectors over to vertical, giving maximum lift to reduce the force of impact.
The crash seemed to last forever. It was not violent, merely prolonged, and irresistible. It seemed that the whole universe was falling about them.
The sound of crunching metal came nearer, as if some great beast were eating its way through the dying ship.
Then the floor and ceiling closed upon him like a vice.
2. “Because it’s There”
“Why do you want to go to Jupiter?”
“As Springer said when he lifted for Pluto—‘because it’s there’.”
“Thanks. Now we’ve got that out of the way—tell me the real reason.
Howard Falcon smiled, though only those who knew him well could have interpreted the slight, leathery grimace. Webster was one of them; for more than twenty years they had been involved in each other’s projects. They had shared triumphs and disasters including the greatest disaster of all.
“Well, Springer’s cliche is still valid. We’ve landed on all the terrestrial planets, but none of the gas giants. They are the only real challenge left in the solar system.”
An expensive one. Have you worked out the cost?”
“As well as I can, here are the estimates. Remember though, this isn’t a one-shot mission, but a transportation system. Once it’s proved out, it can be used over and over again. And it will open up not merely Jupiter, but all the giants.”
Webster looked at the figures, and whistled.
“Why not start with an easier planet. Uranus, for example? Half the gravity, and less than half the escape velocity. Quieter weather too, if that’s the right word for it.”