Sydney Jordan’s long-time collaborator , astronomer and author Duncan Lunan   has pointed out , in a paper given at an astronomical meeting in Scotland last month, yet another example of a prediction made in the JH strip which looks likely to come to fruition. Sydney famously predicted in the Hawke strip in 1959 that the first moon landing would take place in the summer of 1969 and was accurate to within fourteen days of the actual landing.  Now Duncan has spotted another example of Sydney’s prescience , but this time with regard to the first manned Mars mission.

Many proposals have been aired over the years for a manned mission to Mars, but daunting financial costs and lack of popular support, to say nothing of the immense technical difficulties to be overcome, have caused all to flounder

so far.

But now , with the success of the ORION spacecraft’s first flight last December, NASA has released new plans for a manned mission to Mars. The first “Earth reliant” phase , utilizing the International space station to test new technologies will last until 2024, the second “proving ground” stage will venture out beyond the Moon’s orbit and attempt an asteroid capture, and the third stage, the actual manned mission to the red planet is scheduled for the early 2030’s with a preliminary landing on Phobos in 2033 and touchdown on the planetary surface six years later.

Remarkably, in Sydney’s story THE ASSET STRIPPERS,   the “Hope” spacecraft is in orbit in the Mars system, and two crew members, discussing a good place to set up a base, suggest touching down on the Phobos base which was set up in the 2030’s!   The strip was published in 1984.

The ” Asset strippers” story will be published in JEFF HAWKE COSMOS vol.10 no.1   Skipper Prossit

8 November  2015