Clifton, Mark 1906-1963 creator Apostolides, Alex 1923-2005 Orban, Paul 1896-1974 text utu 2011 monographic en 1 online resource : multiple file formats "Progress Report" by Mark Clifton and Alex Apostolides is a science fiction narrative written in the early 1950s. The story revolves around a critical test flight of a new spacecraft, exploring themes of human ambition, the scientific quest for knowledge, and the political machinations that can influence technological progress. The backdrop of Cold War anxieties and technological advancements serves to heighten the stakes and tensions throughout the plot. The narrative follows Colonel Jennings and his team as they prepare for a crucial test of their spacecraft, with a politically motivated senator, O'Noonan, observing the proceedings. The tense atmosphere is amplified by the senator's ignorance and dismissive attitude toward the scientific efforts at play, as he seeks personal glory and relevance. Just as the spacecraft successfully launches, it inexplicably loses contact, raising alarms about what could have gone wrong. The ending reveals that the ship had been tampered with, suggesting external intervention, represented by the cryptic message "Not yet." This twist underlines the complexities of man's pursuit of progress while hinting at unknown forces that may decide humanity's readiness for space exploration. (This is an automatically generated summary.) Release date is 2011-07-27 Produced by Greg Weeks, Dianna Adair and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net Original publication data not identified Science fiction Short stories Space flight -- Fiction Space ships -- Fiction PS Original publication data not identified https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36867 https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/36867 UtSlPG 260607 20260610133836.0 36867