Free Prelude to Space by Arthur C. Clarke

down through the stratosphere, losing speed minute
     by minute. At little more than a thousand miles an hour, the air-scoops of the ramjets
     were opened and the atomic furnaces began to glow with deadly life. Streams of burning
     air were being blasted from the nozzles and in its wake the ship was leaving the familiar
     reddish-brown tinge of nitric oxides. It was riding the atmosphere again, safely under
     power, and could turn once more for home
.
    The final test was over. Almost three hundred miles above, exchanging night and day
     every forty minutes, the first fuel tank was spinning in its eternal orbit. In a few
     days its companions would be launched in the same path, by the same means. They would
     be lashed together, awaiting the moment when they would pour their contents into the
     empty tanks of “Alpha” and speed the spaceship on the journey to the Moon
….

One
    As Matthews put it, the “Department of Negative Publicity” had gone into forward gear
     at last—and once started, it changed rapidly into top. The successful launching of
     the first fuel container, and the safe return of “Beta” showed that everything that
     could be checked was functioning perfectly. The now fully trained crew would be leaving
     for Australia in a few days, and the need for secrecy was past.
    A hilarious morning was spent at Southbank as the press reports of the first visit
     to the “Nursery” came in. The science editors of the great dailies had, as usual,
     produced reasonably accurate accounts: but some of the smaller papers, who had sent
     along sports reporters, dramatic critics, or anyone else who happened to be handy,
     had printed some truly marvelous stories. Matthews spent most of the day in a state
     of mingled mirth and mortification, launching a telephonic barrage in the general
     direction of Fleet Street. Dirk warned him that it would be wise to save most of his
     indignation for the arrival of the transatlantic press reports.
    Hassell, Leduc, Clinton, Richards and Taine promptly became the targets of almost
     unparalleled curiosity. Their life-stories (thoughtfully mimeographed well in advance
     by Public Relations) were promptly serialized in newspapers all over the word. Offers
     of matrimony poured in by every post, descending impartially upon the married and
     the unmarried men alike. Begging letters also arrived in hordes: as Richards remarked
     wryly: “Everyone except life-insurance agents wants to sell us
something
.”
    The affairs of Interplanetary were now moving toward their climax with the smoothness
     of a military operation. In a week, the crew and all the higher staff would be leaving
     for Australia. With them would go everyone else who could possibly think of a suitable
     excuse. During the next few days many preoccupied expressions were to be seen around
     the building. Junior clerks had a habit of suddenly discovering sick aunts in Sydney
     or impecunious cousins in Canberra who required their presence immediately.
    The idea of the farewell party had, it seemed, originated in the Director-General’s
     mind and had been enthusiastically taken up by McAndrews, who was annoyed at not having
     thought of it himself. All the headquarters staff was to be invited, as well as large
     numbers of people from industry, the press, the universities, and the innumerable
     organizations with which Interplanetary had dealings. After much whittling of lists
     and a good deal of heartburning, just over seven hundred invitations had been sent
     out. Even the Chief Accountant, still boggling at the thought of a two-thousand-pound
     “hospitality” item, had been brought to heel by threats of exclusion.
    There were a few who thought that these celebrations were premature and it would be
     better to wait until the “Prometheus” returned. To these critics it was pointed out
     that many of the workers on the project would not be returning to London after the
     launch, but would be going back to their