THINKING back to the early '60s, Reporter-Researcher Sydnor Vanderschmidt recalls the difficulties that "space journalism" had in getting off the ground: "When the space age began, it seemed that no one was prepared to interpret the developments for a general audience. The scientists used incomprehensible jargon, and a typical reporter's question was 'How in the world does that satellite stay up there?' " Since then, Syd observes, "newsmen have acquainted themselves with orbital mechanics, and the scientists have finally learned to speak English."
Assigned to TIME'S Science section for the past 13 years,...
To continue reading: or Log-In