The IGY or International Geophysical Year was one of the philosophical beginnings of our space program. When the United States committed to being part of the program, it also signaled that using rockets to launch satellites was a real possibility. All the military rocket efforts now had a civilian use they could promote since one of the rockets might be used to lauch the proposed research satellite.
This pamphlet was one of many issued in 1957 (pre-Sputnik) that educated people about the research effort.
This image by itself makes the whole publication a priceless treasure :)
Yep, where's my jet-pack?!?
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of the IGY, though, just the other day I happened to pick up a copy of a toy from that very year, the Alpha-1 Ballistic Missle, which I hadn't thought about for decades. Don't think I'll be flying this one, alas.
-- Michael S.