graphs and first specimens of
geology from the Moon," Joe told her. "I'm a mailman. It'll probably be
sixty hours back to the Platform--free fall most of the way--and then
we'll refuel and I'll come down to Earth to deliver the reports and
such."

Pause. One second and a little for his voice to go. Another second and
something over for her voice to return.

"And then?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out," said Joe. "What day is today?"

"Tuesday," said Sally after the inevitable pause. "It's ten o'clock
Tuesday morning at the Shed."

Joe made calculations in his mind. Then he said:

"I ought to land on Earth some time next Monday."

Pause.

"Yes?" said Sally.

"I wondered," said Joe. "How about a date that night?" Another pause.
Then Sally's voice. She sounded glad.

"It's a date, Joe. And--do you know, I must be the first girl in the
world to make a date with the Man in the Moon?"

COMBAT MISSION!

_Joe Kenmore's mission was as dangerous as it sounded simple:_

"DELIVER SUPPLIES AND ATOMIC WEAPONS TO THE SPACE PLATFORM.
THEN PREPARE FOR MAN'S FIRST EXPEDITION TO THE MOON."

Joe had helped launch the first Space Platform--that initial rung in
man's ladder to the stars. But the enemies who had ruthlessly tried
to destroy the space station before it left Earth were still at
work. They were plotting to stop Joe's mission!

Cover painting by Robert Schulz

+--------------------------------------------------------------+
| Transcriber's Note |
| |
| The chemical symbol for carbon dioxide has been shown as |
| CO_2 to depict a subscript 2. |
| |
| In the following words, the hyphen has been removed to |
| conform to majority use in text. |
| brain-storm |
| loud-speaker |
| |
| The following words with and without a hyphen were left as |
| such because of equal prevalence of both forms: |
| half-way halfway |
| pay-load payload |
| rocket-lift rocketlift