Note: This is an encore post from 2005 and originally appeared on the 1947project.

Hard at work as a mechanical engineer during the day, the former naval aviation researcher still finds time to do a little writing. At the moment he’s on his first novel, which is a book for children. It’s an amazing story about three young friends who have a rocket-building club.

Invited to address local librarians at a 1948 luncheon, the author says: “If we have a military base on the moon there will be no war. This would change the strategic situation so completely as to immediately postpone the cause of war.”

His first novel is published by Scribner’s under the name “Rocket Ship Galileo.” The author lives at 333 S. Clark Drive, Los Angeles, Calif.

His name is Robert A. Heinlein.