Marooned off Vesta
Three men marooned in orbit around the asteroid Vesta.
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"Marooned off Vesta" is a science fiction short story by American writer Isaac Asimov. It was the third story he wrote and the first to be published, appearing in the March 1939 issue of Amazing Stories. Asimov was 18 years old when he wrote it in July 1938.
Plot summary
After the spaceship Silver Queen is destroyed in the asteroid belt, three survivors drift in orbit around Vesta. They have three sealed rooms, a single spacesuit, air for three days, food for a week, and a year’s water supply.
Initially hopeless, one man gets an idea: melting a hole in the water tank. The escaping steam pushes them toward Vesta, where a small colony exists. The story realistically captures the physics and sensations of space travel, a theme Asimov would revisit.
Did You Know?
- In 1958, Asimov wrote a sequel titled "Anniversary", set twenty years after the original.
- Both "Marooned off Vesta" and "Anniversary" appeared in the March 1959 issue of Amazing Stories.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who published Marooned off Vesta?
Marooned off Vesta was published by Ziff-Davis.
Which book follows Marooned off Vesta?
Marooned off Vesta is followed by Ring Around the Sun.
More in Fiction About Interstellar and Intergalactic Travel
Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Marooned off Vesta (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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