Title: A Spaceship Navy aka Flight Into the Future - Article
Written: January-May 1947    Pages: 310
 
Description:
File contains note on cover “Don’t turn this file over to UCSC while Laning is alive”. 12 pages of notecards, notes, calculations for article. Letter from Colliers to Capt. Laning anticipating article. 3 pages of notes. Numerous pages of correspondence and telegrams between RAH and Laning discussing the article, very rough draft of manuscript with many edits and comments handwritten on in the midst of the correspondence. Pages of correspondence with RAH, Laning, and Colliers regarding military censorship/clearance of article. Letter from RAH on page 152 discusses Leslyn and the divorce, and their settlement and financial situation, he ends talking about moving away from a “target area” in the inevitable war with the Russians. 7 pages of notes on revisions. Starting on page 163 the final draft of the 20 page article, with several hand-edits throughout. A draft for editorial and security purposes. Starting page 201 the 1st draft. Several more drafts, some heavily edited. On page 256 is an article by RAH and Laning titled “Flight Into the Future”, which is not the same as the “Spaceship Navy” article. Two more drafts of “Spaceship Navy” article, then the published version in Colliers for August 30, 1947.
 
Publication:
Published in Colliers, August 30, 1947, and never reprinted.
 
Notes: by Captain Caleb B. Laning, United States Navy, and Lt. Robert A. Heinlein, United States Navy, Retiredworking titles A Spaceship Navy, A Space Ship Corps.