Knowledge without frontiers Knowledge Without Frontiers | Page 44

To space and back
This copy of Potočnik’s book with a critical introduction is a symbol of the in-
tegration of his foundational ideas following his death: Russian cosmonauts
took it to the International Space Station, currently the only human settlement
not on planet Earth, and it was published by the Cultural Centre of European
Space Technologies (KSEVT), which continues to develop Potočnik’s ideas.
Cultural Centre of European Space Technologies. Photo: Nebojša Tejić, STA.
It directly influenced the work of the second
generation of space pioneers and helped estab-
lish a new science – astronautics. This work, the
SPACE TRAVEL
Writing under the pen name Noordung, he
published his only book in 1928, The Problem of
Space Flight – The Rocket Motor, which is still
considered one of the fundamental works of
the first generation of space flight pioneers.
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first part of which deftly and concisely summa-
rised the relevant hitherto work of his predeces-
sors, presented several revolutionary methods
for dealing with flight in zero gravity and in a
vacuum. His most valuable contribution was
the design of a space station, which is regarded
as the first comprehensive example of architec-
ture in space.