Appleton, Victor – Tom Swift Jr 03 – And His Rocket Ship

“May we go all the way to the top?” Sandy asked excitedly.

“Don’t see why not,” Tom responded. “Bud, you go up with the girls. There’s not room for all of us.”

The three climbed up the ramp to the elevator shaft and were soon whisked to the nose.

“You’re one hundred and thirty feet up,” Bud announced. “Halfway to Mars before we even leave the ground.”

But his audience did not smile. Instead, Sandy said, “I know Tom has taken every precaution-covering the inside and outside of this rocket with Tomasite to withstand the enormous heat from atmospheric friction. But how do you know your bodies can stand the shock of the fearful speed?”

“Our hydraulic, shock-absorbing suits will protect us. Don’t worry, Sandy.”

“That’s all right for you to say,” Phyl spoke up. “But I’ve read that if a rocket should leak, in the vacuum of space, a person’s blood starts to boil and he-he explodes! Oh, Bud, do you and Tom have to go on this terribly dangerous venture?”

Bud smiled. “It’s nice to know you’ll be worried about us. But keep your chins up, girls. We’ll be okay.”

When Sandy said that she would like to see what the rocket motors looked like, Bud lowered the ele-THE FIRST TEST 39

vator car down to the launching platform underneath the ship. Both girls gulped at the maze of fuel pumps, pipes, tanks, numberless propulsion motors and platforms.

“This rocket is in four stages and each stage is complete in itself,” Bud explained. “The bottom section, or first stage, directly above us drops off first, then the next and the next. Finally, Tom and I will be in our own flying stage. Now let’s go back up to the pilot canopy in the nose. I want to show you Tom’s latest safety device.”