A. C. Clark
2001 Space Odyssey
Planet Earth, Pleistocene, savannas of equatorial Africa.
A small tribe of Pithecanthropes is on the verge of extinction. Nature has not endowed them with either powerful fangs, or sharp claws, or quick legs, but glimpses of consciousness flicker in their eyes. Probably, it was these qualities that attracted the attention of some highly developed extraterrestrial civilization to them, which carefully cultivates the seeds of Reason wherever they can be found. Pithecanthropes become experimental subjects in a grandiose space experiment.
One night in river valley a block of completely transparent substance appears. At dusk, when the tribe returns to the caves, an unusual stone suddenly emits a strange vibrating sound that attracts Pithecanthropes like a magnet. In the thickening darkness, the crystal comes to life, begins to glow, and bizarre drawings appear in its depths. The enchanted pithecanthropes do not know that at these moments the apparatus is examining their brain, evaluating abilities, predicting possible directions evolution. The crystal calls to itself first one, then the other, and they, against their will, make new movements: naughty fingers tie the first knot on Earth, the leader picks up a stone and tries to hit the target. Lessons continue every night. In a year, the life of the tribe changes beyond recognition - now pithecanthropes are able to use a set of simple tools, hunt large animals. Eternal hunger and fear of predators recede into the past, there is time for the work of thought and imagination. The mysterious monolith disappears as suddenly as it appeared. His mission is completed - an animal endowed with reason has appeared on Earth.
21st century American explorers find on the Moon, already inhabited by mankind, the first irrefutable evidence of the existence of an extraterrestrial civilization.
As the chairman of the National Astronautical Council, urgently summoned to the moon, learns, magnetic reconnaissance detected a powerful distortion magnetic field in the area of ​​the Tycho crater, and excavations in the center of the anomaly found a parallelepiped of ideal proportions from a heavy-duty black substance unknown on Earth at a depth of six meters. The most striking thing about this find is its age: geological analysis suggests that the monolith was buried here about three million years ago.
When the moon dawns and the black monolith for the first time after three million years of captivity catches Sunbeam, a piercing electronic scream sounds in the headsets of people standing around. This signal is detected by space monitors and probes, and the central Calculating machine, having processed the information, makes a conclusion: a directed energy impulse, clearly artificial origin, rushed from the surface of the moon in the direction of Saturn.
All this is known only to a handful of people, because the consequences of the shock that humanity will inevitably have to endure are unpredictable.
interplanetary space. Spaceship Discovery. The first months of the flight pass in serene calm. Two awake crew members - Frank Poole and David Bowman - keep watch daily, perform everyday duties. The other three are immersed in an artificial hypothermic sleep, from which they will only wake up when the Discovery enters the orbit of Saturn. Only these three know the true purpose of the expedition - possible contact with extraterrestrial civilization, while Poole and Bowman regard the flight as an ordinary research flight. Those who prepared the expedition decided that it was necessary for the Security and Interests of the nation.
In essence, the ship is not controlled by people, but by the sixth member of the crew, Eal - the brain and nervous system"Discovery", a heuristically programmed algorithmic computer. Eal created through a process similar to development human brain, can rightfully be called a truly thinking machine, and he speaks with people in a real figurative human language. All of HAL's capabilities are aimed at fulfilling the given expedition program, but the contradiction between the goal and the need to hide it from fellow humans is gradually destroying the integrity of his "psyche". The machine begins to make mistakes, and finally a crisis sets in: hearing the negotiations of the astronauts with the Earth about the need to turn off the EAL and transfer control to the Center, he accepts only Possible Solution: Get rid of people and complete the expedition on your own. He simulates an antenna failure, and when Frank Poole goes into outer space to replace the block, HAL kills it: the jet pod-boat on at full speed flies to the astronaut. And the next moment, the stunned Bowman sees on the screen that the boat is moving away from the ship, dragging the body along with it on a safety cable. dead friend. Frank Poole will be the first person to land on Saturn.
Bowman tries to wake one of the sleepers, but hears a sound that makes his heart go cold: it is the doors of the outer hatch that open and the air from the ship rushes into the abyss of space. He manages to escape in an emergency chamber, put on a space suit and turn off higher centers electronic brain. He remains alone millions of kilometers from Earth. But the ship's engines and navigation systems are in perfect working order, communication with the Earth has been restored, and the emergency supply of oxygen will last him for months. The expedition continues, and Bowman, who is now aware of its ultimate goal, reaches the giant dead Saturn. He is ordered to begin surveying the system from the eighth satellite of Saturn, Iapetus. The entire surface of Iapetus, devoid of atmosphere, is black, reminiscent of charcoal in structure - except for a white plateau of a strikingly regular oval shape with a black mark in the center, which turns out to be exactly the same black monolith as on The moon, only gigantic.
An experiment that began three million years ago has come to an end. The monolith on Iapetus - the Guardian of the Stargate - was installed by the same creatures, not at all human-like, who sent a mysterious crystal to Earth and buried a black block on the Moon. Their efforts were not in vain: the Earth really gave birth to the Mind, capable of reaching other planets, and this was confirmed by the signal of the lunar monolith, which sent the message to Iapetus.
David Bowman decides to board Iapetus in a pod, and its approach awakens the powers within the Stargate. Top face black monolith suddenly goes deeper, the capsule begins to fall into a bottomless mine. It opened the Stargate.
Time stops - the clock stops counting seconds - but perception and consciousness continue to work. Bowman sees the black walls of the "mine", and in the gap a myriad of stars, "scattering" from the center. He is aware that something inaccessible to his understanding is happening with time and space, but he does not feel fear, feeling that he is under the protection of an infinitely powerful Mind. He eventually ends up hundreds of light-years from Earth. The capsule aims for a giant red star, into the realm of flame, but when the journey ends, it seems to Bowman that he has lost his mind - he is in an ordinary earthly hotel. Only after a while does he realize that all this is a decoration made by the owners for a guest on a television movie two years ago. Bowman gets into bed and falls asleep - in last time in life. It merges with the cosmic mind, losing physical body, acquires the ability to move in time and space by the effort of thought and saves home planet from the impending nuclear disaster.

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Planet Earth, Pleistocene, savannas of equatorial Africa.

A small tribe of Pithecanthropes is on the verge of extinction. Nature has not endowed them with either powerful fangs, or sharp claws, or quick legs, but glimpses of consciousness flicker in their eyes. Probably, it was these qualities that attracted the attention of some highly developed extraterrestrial civilization to them, which carefully cultivates the seeds of Reason wherever they can be found. Pithecanthropes become experimental subjects in a grandiose space experiment.

One night, a block of completely transparent substance appears in the river valley. At dusk, when the tribe returns to the caves, an unusual stone suddenly emits a strange vibrating sound that attracts Pithecanthropes like a magnet. In the thickening darkness, the crystal comes to life, begins to glow, and bizarre drawings appear in its depths. The enchanted pithecanthropes do not know that at these moments the apparatus is examining their brain, evaluating abilities, predicting possible directions of evolution. The crystal calls to itself first one, then the other, and they, against their will, make new movements: naughty fingers tie the first knot on Earth, the leader picks up a stone and tries to hit the target. Lessons continue every night. For a year, the life of the tribe changes beyond recognition - now pithecanthropes are able to use a set of simple tools, hunt large animals. Eternal hunger and fear of predators recede into the past, there is time for the work of thought and imagination. The mysterious monolith disappears as suddenly as it appeared. His mission is completed - an animal endowed with reason has appeared on Earth.

21st century American researchers find on the Moon, already inhabited by mankind, the first irrefutable evidence of the existence of an extraterrestrial civilization.

As the chairman of the National Astronautical Council urgently summoned to the moon finds out, magnetic reconnaissance detected a powerful distortion of the magnetic field in the area of ​​​​the Tycho crater, and excavations in the center of the anomaly discovered a parallelepiped of ideal proportions at a six-meter depth from an unknown heavy-duty black substance on Earth. The most striking thing about this find is its age: geological analysis suggests that the monolith was buried here about three million years ago.

When the lunar dawn comes and the black monolith catches a sunbeam for the first time after three million years of captivity, a piercing electronic scream sounds in the headsets of the people standing around. This signal is detected by space monitors and probes, and the central computer, having processed the information, concludes: a directed energy impulse, obviously of artificial origin, rushed from the surface of the Moon in the direction of Saturn.

All this is known only to a handful of people, because the consequences of the shock that humanity will inevitably have to endure are unpredictable.

Interplanetary space. Spaceship Discovery. The first months of the flight pass in serene calm. Two awake crew members - Frank Poole and David Bowman - keep watch daily, perform everyday duties. The other three are immersed in an artificial hypothermic sleep, from which they will only wake up when the Discovery enters the orbit of Saturn. Only these three know the true goal of the expedition - a possible contact with an extraterrestrial civilization, while Poole and Bowman consider the flight to be an ordinary research flight. Those who prepared the expedition decided that it was necessary for the Security and Interests of the nation.

In essence, the ship is controlled not by people, but by the sixth crew member, Eal - the brain and nervous system of Discovery, a heuristically programmed algorithmic computer. Eal, created through a process similar to the development of the human brain, can rightly be called a truly thinking machine, and he speaks to people in a real figurative human language. All of HAL's capabilities are aimed at fulfilling the given expedition program, but the contradiction between the goal and the need to hide it from fellow humans is gradually destroying the integrity of his "psyche". The machine begins to make mistakes, and finally a crisis sets in: hearing the negotiations of the astronauts with the Earth about the need to turn off the EAL and transfer control to the Center, he makes the only possible decision: get rid of the people and complete the expedition on his own. He simulates an antenna failure, and when Frank Pool goes into space to replace the unit, HAL kills him: the jet capsule-boat flies at full speed towards the astronaut. And in the next moment, the stunned Bowman sees on the screen that the boat is moving away from the ship, dragging the body of his dead friend along the safety line. Frank Poole will be the first man to land on Saturn.

Bowman tries to wake one of the sleepers, but hears a sound that makes his heart go cold: it is the doors of the outer hatch that open and the air from the ship rushes into the abyss of space. He manages to escape in an emergency chamber, put on a space suit and turn off the higher centers of the electronic brain. He remains alone millions of kilometers from Earth. But the ship's engines and navigation systems are in perfect working order, communication with the Earth has been restored, and the emergency supply of oxygen will last for months. The expedition continues and Bowman, now aware of its ultimate goal, reaches the giant dead Saturn. He is ordered to begin surveying the system from the eighth satellite of Saturn, Iapetus, the entire surface of Iapetus, devoid of atmosphere, black, resembles charcoal in structure - except for a white plateau of a strikingly regular oval shape with a black mark in the center, which turns out to be exactly the same black monolith as on the Moon, only gigantic in size.

An experiment that began three million years ago has come to an end. The monolith on Iapetus - the Guardian of the Stargate - was installed by the same creatures, not at all human-like, who sent a mysterious crystal to Earth and buried a black block on the Moon. Their efforts were not in vain: the Earth really gave birth to the Mind, capable of reaching other planets, and this was confirmed by the signal of the lunar monolith, which sent the message to Iapetus.

David Bowman decides to board Iapetus in a pod, and its approach awakens the powers within the Stargate. The upper face of the black monolith suddenly goes deeper, the capsule begins to fall into the bottomless mine. It opened the Stargate.

Time stops - the clock stops counting seconds - but perception and consciousness continue to work. Bowman sees the black walls of the "mine", and in the gap a myriad of stars, "scattering" from the center. He is aware that something inaccessible to his understanding is happening with time and space, but he does not feel fear, feeling that he is under the protection of an infinitely powerful Mind. He eventually ends up hundreds of light-years from Earth. The capsule aims for a giant red star, into the realm of flame, but when the journey ends, it seems to Bowman that he has lost his mind - he is in an ordinary earthly hotel. Only after a while he realizes that all this is a decoration made by the owners for a guest on a television movie two years ago. Bowman gets into bed and falls asleep - for the last time in his life. He merges with the cosmic mind, losing his physical body, acquires the ability to move in time and space by the effort of thought and saves his native planet from an impending nuclear catastrophe.

Good afternoon, my dear reader. Your venerable servant, like millions of boys born in the Soviet Union, dreamed of becoming an astronaut. I did not become one, due to health and, strange as it may sound, growth. But distant and unknown space still haunts me to this day.

In this article, I want to tell you about such interesting and truly space things as launch vehicles and the payload that they delivered to space.

Dense space exploration began in the middle of the third five-year plan, after the end of World War II. Active developments were carried out in many countries, but the main leaders were naturally the USSR and the USA. Superiority in the successful launch and launch of a launch vehicle from PS-1 (the simplest satellite) to earth orbit belonged to the USSR. Before the first successful launch, there were already six generations of missiles and only the seventh generation (R-7) was able to develop the first cosmic speed at 8km/s to overcome gravity and enter Earth orbit. Space rockets originated from long-range ballistic missiles, by boosting the engine. First, I'll explain something to you. A rocket and a spaceship are two different things.

The rocket itself is just a means of delivering a spacecraft into space. These are the first 30 meters in the picture. And the spaceship is already attached to the rocket at the very top. However, there may not be a spaceship there, anything can be located there, from a satellite to a nuclear warhead. Which served as a great incentive and fear for the powers. The first successful launch and launch of a satellite into orbit meant a lot for the country. But above all else, the military advantage.

The launch vehicles themselves, until the first successful launch, have only an alphanumeric designation. And only after fixing the successful output of the payload to a given height, they get a name.

The 8K71 (R-7) intercontinental ballistic missile, as well as the well-known ball with four antennas, which she launched into space, also became an erudite’s piggy bank: “Sputnik” also became. It happened on October 4, 1957.

Here is the very first artificial satellite PS-1 undergoing a final check of all systems.

PS-1 in space. (the picture is not the original shooting)

Five months later, another launch vehicle (8A91) Sputnik 3 was launched. Such a short period in development is due to the fact that the first launch vehicles could lift a payload of several kilograms into space, and launch from PS-1 on board , was only the first goal against the United States. When the Americans accepted the fact that the USSR had overtaken them in the race for first place in spacewalks, they began to finish their rockets with a vengeance. The USSR needed to get ahead of the United States again and create a rocket that could launch a payload of a ton into space. And somehow it already real threat. Who knows how to stuff such a rocket and send it to Washington? And Sputnik-3 was just the first rocket, with a payload of 1300 kg.

Launch vehicle "Sputnik". On the left are three satellites that he put into orbit around the earth.

In the US, there was nuclear hysteria without it. In kindergartens, schools, factories and plants, endless exercises began in case nuclear strike. This was the first time that the Americans had nothing to oppose the USSR. Intercontinental ballistic missiles can reach the USSR in 11 minutes. A nuclear charge can fly from space much faster. Of course, all this is too complicated to really think so. But fear has big eyes.

By the way, here's something else to add to the piggy bank of an erudite: How long do you think a rocket flies into space? One hour, two? Maybe half an hour?
To reach an altitude of 118 km, the rocket takes approximately 500 seconds, which is less than 10 minutes. An altitude of 118 km (100 km) is the so-called Karman line, where aeronautics becomes completely impossible. It is generally accepted that a flight is considered space if the Karman line has been overcome.

The rocket is really American, but this picture very well reflects the atmosphere of the earth and the transition points.

The third rocket was the Luna. The USSR, seeing the futile attempts of the Americans, with their capitalist system, where the rocket is not built by the state, but by private companies that are interested more in profit than in space race began to think about flying to the moon. And already on December 2, 1959, the launch vehicle (8K71), by equipping the third stage (block "E"), successfully set off towards our cause of the ebb and flow. They could have done earlier, but due to the developing self-oscillations, the launch vehicles were destroyed in flight at 102-104 seconds. And only after the installation of hydraulic damper blocks in the fuel systems, the rocket successfully reached ... a heliocentric orbit and became the first artificial satellite sun. And all because of the failure to take into account the propagation time of the AMS radio command (automatic interplanetary station).

The next launch vehicle was Vostok 8K72. He then flew in September 1959 to the moon and successfully threw the Luna-2 AMS there, and a couple of pentagons with symbols of the USSR.

Launch vehicle "Vostok" standing on a pedestal at VDNKh in Moscow.

Two metal pentagons with the symbols of the USSR, sent along with AMS-2 to the moon.

(After this luck, the Americans began to build a pavilion where they decided to shoot a film about landing on the moon. Joke.) On October 4, the same year, a similar rocket was launched from the AMS Luna-3, which for the first time in the history of mankind, was able to photograph reverse side Moon. Making ordinary Americans cry, huddled in a corner. Since, unfortunately, the moon on the other side is absolutely the same and there are no lunar parks and lunar cities on it.

Another side of the moon. 1959

Korolev, on the other hand, was planning to launch a man into space at full speed, and therefore, in complete secrecy, a life support system for a man in space was being developed. Spacecraft of the Sputnik series, launched on May 15, 1960. It was the first prototype of the Vostok satellite, which was used for the first space flight person.

A copy of the spacecraft "Sputnik"

The Sputnik 2 spacecraft was not intended to return to earth. But still it was decided to send into orbit creature. It was a beautiful mongrel named Laika. She was found in one of the dog shelters. They were selected according to the principle - white, small, not thoroughbred, as it should not be picky about food. 10 dogs were selected, of which only three were selected and tested. But one was waiting for offspring, and the other had congenital curvature of the paws and was left as technological. Scientists have developed a feeding system, twice a day, a system of sewage and made a small operation to implant sensors. One was placed at the ribs, and the other at the carotid artery, to monitor breathing and pulse. Laika was launched into space on November 3, 1957. Having made incorrect calculations in thermoregulation, the temperature in the ship rose to 40 ° C and within 5 hours the dog died of overheating, although the flight was calculated for 7 days (the oxygen supply of the ship). Laika was doomed from the start. Many of the workers who participated in the experiment were morally depressed very much. long time. Western press reacted very negatively to this flight and TASS transmitted information about the dog's well-being for another seven days, although the dog was already dead.

Laika. She was the first living creature to travel into space, but without a chance to return.

The Sputnik-4 spacecraft was created to study the operation of the life support system and various situations, associated with the flight of man into space: a doll with a height of 164 cm and a weight of 72 kg was sent on it. After four days of flight, the satellite deviated from the planned course and at the beginning of deceleration, instead of entering the atmosphere, it was thrown into a higher orbit, after which it was no longer able to return to the atmosphere in the planned mode. The wreckage of the satellite was found in the middle of the main street in the town of Manitewak in the US state of Wisconsin, which seemed to hint.

The remains of "Sputnik-4" in the middle of the main street in the town of Manitewak in the US state of Wisconsin.

Sputnik-4

1. Photographic equipment; 2. Descent vehicle; 3. Cylinders of the orientation system; 4. Instrument compartment;
5. Antennas for telemetry systems; 6. Brake propulsion system; 7. Sun orientation sensor;
8. Vertical builder; 9. Program radio link antenna; 10. Antenna of the radio intelligence system

After this incident, every two months, there were launches on Vostok launch vehicles of any representatives of the earth's fauna. In July, the dogs Chaika and Chanterelle were launched, but unfortunately, at the 19th second of the flight, the side block of the first stage of the launch vehicle collapsed, as a result of which it fell and exploded. The dogs Chaika and Chanterelle died.

The first dogs to fly into space on a return spacecraft (descent vehicle).
Unfortunately, they were not destined to return.

And in August of the 60th, our two prides, Squirrel and Strelochka, made a successful flight! But write down the following information in your piggy bank: Together with Belka and Strelka, there were 40 mice and 2 rats on board. They spent 1 day and 9 hours in space. Shortly after landing, Strelka had six healthy puppies. One of them was personally asked by Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev. He sent it as a gift to Carolyn Kennedy, daughter of US President John F. Kennedy.

Belka and Strelka, the first dogs to return from space.

There were not only dogs on board Sputnik 5, but also such cute rats.

In December of the same year, Sputnik-6 was launched. The crew of the ship were dogs Mushka and Pchelka, two guinea pigs, two white laboratory rats, 14 black mice of the C57 line, seven mice of hybrids from SBA and C57 mice and five outbred mice. A series of biological experiments, including research on the possibility of flights of geophysical and space rockets living creatures, observation of the behavior of highly organized animals in the conditions of such flights, as well as the study of complex phenomena in near-Earth space.
Scientists have studied the effects on animals of most factors of a physical and cosmic nature: altered gravity, vibration and overloads, sound and noise stimuli of varying intensity, exposure cosmic radiation, hypokinesia and hypodynamia. The flight lasted a little over a day. On orbit 17, due to a failure of the braking engine control system, the descent began in an off-design area. It was decided to destroy the device by detonating the charge, in order to exclude an unplanned fall into foreign territory. All living beings on board perished. Despite the fact that the apparatus was destroyed, the objectives of the mission were achieved, the collected scientific data were transmitted to Earth using telemetry and television.

Dogs Mushka and Pcholka before space flight.

After this incident, there were two more successful and one not very successful launches of Vostok missiles. The Americans were indignant and every day became gloomier and gloomier and in every possible way intercepted the encrypted signals and tried to decipher them, but suffered fails.

Spy photo obtained by US intelligence who deciphered the radio broadcast code from Sputnik-6

On April 12, 1961, the USSR delivered its final blow and sent Yura into space on the same launch vehicle, in the Vostok-1 spacecraft, which completed one revolution around the Earth and landed at 10 hours 55 minutes. To understand what the Vostok-1 spacecraft is, I will give its overall characteristics:

The mass of the apparatus is 4.725 tons;
Diameter of the hermetic case - 2.2 m;
Length (without antennas) - 4.4 m;
Maximum diameter - 2.43 m

(As I wrote above, I am not an astronaut, I just had the opportunity to sit in a similar apparatus on earth.) This is very inconvenient aircraft I will tell you. With my height of 190 cm, it was extremely uncomfortable to sit in a bucket chair, and even in a spacesuit. According to this, Gagarin was selected for height, weight and health. (170/70/excellent) But even Gagarin probably felt uncomfortable in such a tiny capsule.

The descent module "Vostok" and next to it is an ejection seat.

I want to note that the first human flight was fully automatic, but Yura could switch the ship to manual control at any time. To do this, it was necessary to enter a special security code to turn off the automation, which was in a sealed envelope, which was in an egg, an egg in a duck, a duck .... in short, before the flight, Korolev whispered this code to Yurka, after all, you never know? And everything was done for the sake of the fact that no one knew how the human nervous system would behave in space and whether he would go crazy. Therefore, the code for manual control was placed in an envelope that only a sane person could open.

Our universal pride!

I want to tell you some interesting details about the first human flight.

Gagarin was that still "Cedar".

Rocket launches always occur at irregular times.

At 9-57 Gagarin waved his hand personally to the President of America, flying over it.

Bus carrying astronauts to the rocket, blue.

The same bus.

Gagarin could cancel the flight at any moment and be replaced by Titov, who in turn could be replaced by Nelyubov.

Pencils in space are best tied. By the way, due to weightlessness, ordinary fountain pens do not write in space.

When descending spacecraft, due to problems in the propulsion system, the ship began to rotate for 10 minutes with an amplitude full turn in 1 second. Gagarin, did not frighten the Queen and vaguely reported on an emergency situation, which speaks of his nerves of steel. All descent vehicles of the Vostok type land on a ballistic trajectory, which leads to overloads of up to 10 ji. In addition, the ship gets very hot and crackles wildly in the lower atmosphere, which can put a lot of pressure on the psyche. When the ship reaches a mark of 7 km above the ground, the astronaut ejects, who descends separately from the descent vehicle on his own parachutes. What is ejection on the ship Vostok? When the descent vehicle releases the parachute and the speed gradually drops from 900 km/h to 72 km/h, a pyrotechnic charge is triggered under the cosmonaut's seat and the seat, together with the cosmonaut, whistles into the air. free fall. Then the cosmonaut must have time to detach from the seat and independently parachute down to earth. And this is with wild overloads, constant fear and distrust of automation. After the ejection, Gagarin's oxygen supply valve did not work and he began to suffocate. After a while, the valve opened and Yura took a deep breath. When the parachute opened, it began to be demolished straight into the Volga. Let me remind you that the water in April is a bit cold and he was again on the verge of death, and his ability to maneuver with the help of lines saved him. I think it is beyond words that he managed to endure a little during this hour. It was worth it. Yuri Alekseevich Gagarin, the most famous (contemporary) person on earth who ever lived.

During the descent, the capsule begins to burn in the lower atmosphere.

Parachute opens at 900 km/h

The capsule lands at a speed of 7m/s

This is how the descent vehicle burns.

Prelaunch check of all systems.

Korolev, without hiding his excitement, communicates with Gagarin during the flight.

Most famous person on the planet!

On the cover of Time magazine.

On the cover of Life magazine.

But he himself was very modest.

With this, I will finish the first part about the space exploration of the USSR. If you are interested in continuing, I will be happy to write. Later I will talk about other countries, including the United States, which have also done a lot in this area of ​​activity.

Once a month, old man Naum Evstigneevich gets drunk, after which he lies on the stove for three days, falls ill and “swears like God.” And now he is moaning and complaining to his lodger, eighth-grader Yurka.

Yurka is learning lessons, and to the old man's complaints he replies: "You shouldn't have gotten drunk." From conversations, Naum Evstigneevich becomes a little easier, but Yurka needs to learn lessons. He offers the old man a hangover, but he feels sorry for the money.

In the village, the old man is known as "an excellent miser." His house is a full bowl: a household, a cellar full of supplies, a good pension, and the children help. On children - sons and daughter - Naum Evstigneevich is offended because they left for the city.

He often goes down to the cellar, sits on the step and sits thoughtfully for a long time. “Damn torn. Why not live here now, ”he thinks and crawls out into the white light.

Yuri is in a difficult position. In his native village, the guy does not have a ten-year-old, and he moved to the village in order to finish ten classes and enter medical institute. Yurka does not have a father, and his mother is struggling with all her might to fulfill the dream of her eldest son and raise three younger boys.

The old man knows about Yurka's poverty, but takes five rubles a month from him and eats separately. Sometimes, at the end of the month, Yurka has nothing to eat, and the old man gives him a couple of kilograms of millet as a loan.

In the mornings, Yurka gets ready for school and talks with the old man. Togo is interested in why Yurka is so drawn to the medical field, because a driver at a state farm receives more than a doctor. Naum Evstigneevich does not approve of the youth's craving for learning and believes that it used to be better.

They confused you with this teaching - so you are dangling around white light‹…› We used to live without any learning - nothing, God bless: we didn’t sit without bread.

Then the old man and Yurka begin to argue which is better - an "iroplane" or a cart. The old man is left alone all day, and he needs to talk a lot. Yurka is annoyed by the grumbling of the old man, but he is proud that he defends the New - doctrine, books, airplanes.

Oddly enough, the old man does not believe in God. He believes that a person should work, but not for the collective farm, but for himself. He himself has not worked on the collective farm for a long time. Once Yurka in his hearts called the old man a fist. Naum Evstigneevich was silent for a long time, and then he ordered not to blather: they would come and cut off the extra acres from the garden.

The old man again groans on the stove and calls Yurka to talk - he asks what he is studying now. Yurka teaches astronomy. He tells the old man about space and astronauts, but it is not clear to him - why fly into that space. Yurka lights up, starts talking about the Moon and Venus, about planets where intelligent beings can live, with whom people will establish an exchange of knowledge. alien technology develop earth technology, medicine. People will live up to 120 years old and fly to each other's homes in private helicopters.

The old man does not agree - it is boring to live up to 120 years, and aliens can climb into a fight. It would be better if there was a hangover cure. Yurka is infuriated by the old man's denseness, and he returns to the textbooks.

Naum Evstigneevich does not let up, says that in books there is “one lie”, and doctors are unable to cure a person. Angry Yurka says that the doctors defeated the plague and tuberculosis, but the old man objects: the grandmother is not a doctor, but whispers - and everything goes away.

Then Yurka tells about Academician Pavlov.

Do you know that when Academician Pavlov was dying, he called the students together and began to dictate to them how he was dying.

Pavlov told everything last minute because it was necessary for science.

This story makes an impression on Naum Evstigneevich. Some time later, he asks Yurka to show him Pavlov's portrait. Yurka reproachfully tells the old man that the academician was vigorous until old age, because he did not get drunk and did not deafen his nervous system. Naum Evstigneevich, too, could overcome his reflex and, having received a pension, not turn off to the store.

The old man, groaning, gets down from the stove, goes out into the hallway, returns with a solid piece of fat and gives it to Yurka.

Here, eat, ‹…› otherwise you’ll be burned ahead of time with your academicians... until you study them all.

Yurka is eating bacon and listening to the old man's lecture on how to properly feed pigs.

Then Naum Evstigneevich asks if Academician Pavlov had any relatives: “If there were no relatives, you wouldn’t dictate much. One is bad." Yurka decides not to mention the students, agrees - of course, it's bad for one.

Arthur Charles Clark

"Space Odyssey 2001"

Planet Earth, Pleistocene, savannas of equatorial Africa.

A small tribe of Pithecanthropes is on the verge of extinction. Nature has not endowed them with either powerful fangs, or sharp claws, or quick legs, but glimpses of consciousness flicker in their eyes. Probably, it was these qualities that attracted the attention of some highly developed extraterrestrial civilization to them, which carefully cultivates the seeds of Reason wherever they can be found. Pithecanthropes become experimental subjects in a grandiose space experiment.

One night, a block of completely transparent substance appears in the river valley. At dusk, when the tribe returns to the caves, an unusual stone suddenly emits a strange vibrating sound that attracts Pithecanthropes like a magnet. In the thickening darkness, the crystal comes to life, begins to glow, and bizarre drawings appear in its depths. The enchanted pithecanthropes do not know that at these moments the apparatus is examining their brain, evaluating abilities, predicting possible directions of evolution. The crystal calls to itself first one, then the other, and they, against their will, make new movements: naughty fingers tie the first knot on Earth, the leader picks up a stone and tries to hit the target. Lessons continue every night. In a year, the life of the tribe changes beyond recognition - now pithecanthropes are able to use a set of simple tools, hunt large animals. Eternal hunger and fear of predators recede into the past, there is time for the work of thought and imagination. The mysterious monolith disappears as suddenly as it appeared. His mission is completed - an animal endowed with reason has appeared on Earth.

21st century American researchers find on the Moon, already inhabited by mankind, the first irrefutable evidence of the existence of an extraterrestrial civilization.

As the chairman of the National Astronautical Council urgently summoned to the moon finds out, magnetic reconnaissance detected a powerful distortion of the magnetic field in the area of ​​​​the Tycho crater, and excavations in the center of the anomaly discovered a parallelepiped of ideal proportions at a six-meter depth from an unknown heavy-duty black substance on Earth. The most striking thing about this find is its age: geological analysis suggests that the monolith was buried here about three million years ago.

When the lunar dawn comes and the black monolith catches a sunbeam for the first time after three million years of captivity, a piercing electronic scream sounds in the headsets of the people standing around. This signal is detected by space monitors and probes, and the central computer, having processed the information, concludes: a directed energy impulse, obviously of artificial origin, rushed from the surface of the Moon in the direction of Saturn.

All this is known only to a handful of people, because the consequences of the shock that humanity will inevitably have to endure are unpredictable.

Interplanetary space. Spaceship Discovery. The first months of the flight pass in serene calm. Two awake crew members - Frank Poole and David Bowman - keep watch daily, perform everyday duties. The other three are immersed in an artificial hypothermic sleep, from which they will only wake up when the Discovery enters the orbit of Saturn. Only these three know the true purpose of the expedition - a possible contact with an extraterrestrial civilization, while Poole and Bowman consider the flight to be an ordinary research flight. Those who prepared the expedition decided that it was necessary for the Security and Interests of the nation.

In essence, the ship is not controlled by people, but by the sixth crew member, Eal - the brain and nervous system of Discovery, a heuristically programmed algorithmic computer. Eal, created through a process similar to the development of the human brain, can rightly be called a truly thinking machine, and he speaks to people in a real figurative human language. All of HAL's capabilities are aimed at fulfilling the given expedition program, but the contradiction between the goal and the need to hide it from fellow humans is gradually destroying the integrity of his "psyche". The machine begins to make mistakes, and finally a crisis sets in: hearing the negotiations of the astronauts with the Earth about the need to turn off the EAL and transfer control to the Center, he makes the only possible decision: get rid of the people and complete the expedition on his own. He simulates an antenna failure, and when Frank Pool goes into space to replace the unit, HAL kills him: the jet capsule-boat flies at full speed towards the astronaut. And in the next moment, the stunned Bowman sees on the screen that the boat is moving away from the ship, dragging the body of his dead friend along the safety line. Frank Poole will be the first man to land on Saturn.

Bowman tries to wake one of the sleepers, but hears a sound that makes his heart go cold: it is the doors of the outer hatch that open and the air from the ship rushes into the abyss of space. He manages to escape in an emergency chamber, put on a space suit and turn off the higher centers of the electronic brain. He remains alone millions of kilometers from Earth. But the ship's engines and navigation systems are in perfect working order, communication with the Earth has been restored, and the emergency supply of oxygen will last for months. The expedition continues and Bowman, now aware of its ultimate goal, reaches the giant dead Saturn. He is ordered to begin surveying the system from the eighth satellite of Saturn, Iapetus. The entire surface of Iapetus, devoid of an atmosphere, is black, reminiscent of charcoal in structure - except for a white plateau of a strikingly regular oval shape with a black mark in the center, which turns out to be exactly the same black monolith as on The moon, only gigantic.

An experiment that began three million years ago has come to an end. The monolith on Iapetus - the Guardian of the Stargate - was installed by the same creatures, not at all human-like, who sent a mysterious crystal to Earth and buried a black block on the Moon. Their efforts were not in vain: the Earth really gave birth to the Mind, capable of reaching other planets, and this was confirmed by the signal of the lunar monolith, which sent the message to Iapetus.

David Bowman decides to board Iapetus in a pod, and its approach awakens the powers within the Stargate. The upper face of the black monolith suddenly goes deeper, the capsule begins to fall into the bottomless mine. It opened the Stargate.

Time stops - the clock stops counting seconds - but perception and consciousness continue to work. Bowman sees the black walls of the "mine", and in the gap a myriad of stars, "scattering" from the center. He is aware that something inaccessible to his understanding is happening with time and space, but he does not feel fear, feeling that he is under the protection of an infinitely powerful Mind. He eventually ends up hundreds of light-years from Earth. The capsule aims for a giant red star, into the realm of flame, but when the journey ends, Bowman thinks he has lost his mind - he is in an ordinary earthly hotel. Only after a while does he realize that all this is a decoration made by the owners for a guest on a television movie two years ago. Bowman gets into bed and falls asleep for the last time in his life. He merges with the cosmic mind, losing his physical body, acquires the ability to move in time and space by the effort of thought and saves his native planet from an impending nuclear catastrophe.

Highly developed civilization searches in the expanses of space for the planet where the mind is born. Explores them and helps to develop and survive. Checking the Earth, on a warm continent found small tribe. Pithecanthropes are trying to survive among the heat of Africa and predators. Pithecanthropes become experimental subjects in an experiment on a cosmic scale.

Not far from the Pithecanthropus camp, an absolutely transparent block appears and emits strange sound, in turn attracts pithecanthropes. The machine examines their brains and starts feeding survival information. This block teaches how to tie the first knots, throw stones at the victim to hunt. Having taught people everything possible, the transparent lump disappeared.

XXI Century. The moon has already been settled, but they continue to explore. And they find a man-made object from an unknown substance under the surface. This find confirmed that people are not alone in space. At Moonrise, the black mass of the find catches the sunbeam and immediately transmits a signal. The cosmic monitors have realized that the signal has been sent to Saturn and are sending an expedition there.

The spaceship is controlled artificial intelligence named HAL. This is thinking machine, which has human mind and speaking in a human language full of emotions. Hal has the true goal of the expedition to Saturn, but he is forced to hide it from the human crew. This destroys the integrity of the mechanical psyche of the machine. Artificial intelligence began to make mistakes and the crew, in a conversation with the Earth, decided to turn off HAL. Artificial intelligence decided to get rid of people. Simulating a breakdown, he forces crew member Frank Poole to go into outer space and directs the lifeboat at the astronaut. Frank dies and the boat takes his body into outer space.

Next, Hal opens the hatches, releasing oxygen. The second member of the crew, Bowman, tries to wake the sleepers in the capsules, but does not have time and escapes in the emergency chamber. He turns off Hal. He has enough emergency supplies of oxygen for a long time. Restores communication with the Earth and reports on what happened. Bowman is told about true purposes flight and ordered to inspect Iapetus, a satellite of Saturn. On Yaper, Bowman finds a snow-white oval plateau with a black stone, like on the moon, only huge size. Bowman descends to Iapetus in a capsule and as he approaches, the black plate goes deep and the capsule is pulled into a bottomless mine Stargate. These gates were installed by the same creatures that 3 million years ago helped Pithecanthropes survive and organize a full-fledged society.

David Bowman keeps falling into the gate. The capsule is aiming for a huge red star. His mind merges with the cosmos and loses his physical body. Now Bowman can move through time and space. Only by the effort of his thought, he prevents the death of the Earth from a nuclear catastrophe, which was once supposed to happen.