Word: orbited
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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...itself upward alone, attaining the speed of 18,468 m.p.h. When it reaches the desired altitude (1,075 miles), it will have spiraled halfway around the earth and will have been slowed by gravitation to 14,770 m.p.h. This is not quite fast enough to keep it in its orbit. If left to itself, it would follow an elliptical course down to the atmosphere...
...crew must make a "power maneuver." They observe the stars to fix their position; then, by spinning three little flywheels, they point their rockets in the right direction and turn on the power for 15 seconds. If all goes well, the ship will move into a circular orbit, speeding around the earth at 15,840 m.p.h. Unless brought down deliberately, it will circle there forever...
...shake hands all round, but they still have excitement ahead. They unload the 36 tons of cargo (sections of the satellite station) and park it in space. There's no danger of its falling: it has the same speed as the rocket, and will stay in the orbit indefinitely...
...dissipated; it spirals down, slows to subsonic speed and lands at its base, says Von Braun, at an easy 65 m.p.h. The crewmen step out for a Coke at the space pilots' club while their ship cools off and is made ready for another shuttle to the orbit...
According to Von Braun's calculations, it will take about a dozen such shuttles to ferry the knocked-down parts of the space station into its orbit, where men clad in space suits will assemble it. Their task will be lightened somewhat by the absence of gravity, but they will have to be pushed to & from their work stations by small rockets bearing against their navels...