Blast Off at Woomera

Blast Off at Woomera

First edition
Author	Hugh Walters
Cover artist	Leslie Wood
Language	English
Series	Chris Godfrey of U.N.E.X.A
Genre	Science fiction novel
Publisher	Faber
Publication date	1957
Publication place	United Kingdom
Media type	Print (Hardback)
Pages	187
OCLC	30163717
Dewey Decimal	823.91
Followed by	The Domes of Pico

Blast Off at Woomera is a children's science fiction novel, the first in the Chris Godfrey of U.N.E.X.A. series by British author Hugh Walters. It was published in the UK by Faber in 1957, in the USA by Criterion Books in 1958 (under the title Blast Off at 0300), and in the Netherlands in 1960 by Prisma Juniores (under the title Ruimtevaarder nummer één -- Astronaut Number One).

The books are now quite collectable, changing hands for sums around £50-£100 or more on book trading sites.

Plot summary

Strange objects have been sighted on the Moon near Mons Pico. Suspecting a communist plot, the British Government hurriedly plans a mission to photograph the domes from above closer range. The rocket is not large enough to send a man - enter Chris Godfrey, a 17-year-old science whiz with an interest in rocketry and crucially less than 5 feet tall!

The launch site is Woomera Rocket Research Station in South Australia, but there may be a Soviet traitor amongst the ground crew...

The book pre-dates the first actual usage of satellite imagery by two years, and human spaceflight by four years.

Reception

Floyd C. Gale of Galaxy Science Fiction rated the book five stars out of five for children, stating that it "includes plenty of action and international intrigue. Plausible and detailed, it is a juvenile Prelude to Space".

External links

• Blast Off at Woomera page
• LiberalEngland nostalgic reminiscences on Jonathan Calder's blog
• Archive.org on-line lending library (as Blast Off at 03:00)