On the eve of a moon mission Col. McCauley promises Lt. Gordon's son he will return his father safely back to earth. Four men blast off for the moon. On the lunar surface the crew are collecting supply pods dropped from orbit when Gordon becomes suddenly faint. They return to the ship and contact Earth. The doctor says the symptoms sound like coronary thrombosis - a heart attack. Gordon won't survive the stress of even a 2G launch. A water shield, an untested concept to buffer the G-force, might save him, if they had one up there. McCauley says they'll make one.
Returning to the surface McCauley and a crewman weld two empty drums end to end, attach valves and hose connectors, and bring the makeshift contraption on board. The stricken crewman, suited up, is lowered in, the lid is sealed, and the tank filled with water. They blast off. When they return to Earth McCauley receives the thanks of Gordon's family.
A good example of the hard SF slant of the series, with a story built on an interesting technical concept. Not terribly exciting here, but interesting.
Returning to the surface McCauley and a crewman weld two empty drums end to end, attach valves and hose connectors, and bring the makeshift contraption on board. The stricken crewman, suited up, is lowered in, the lid is sealed, and the tank filled with water. They blast off. When they return to Earth McCauley receives the thanks of Gordon's family.
A good example of the hard SF slant of the series, with a story built on an interesting technical concept. Not terribly exciting here, but interesting.
