Hi Graham

I will hunt through by Asimov collection to see what i can find.

I also seem to recall a Heinlein story where the first person to go into space is trapped in orbit and dies, despite heroic efforts to see him. Several years later a friend sees him, and concludes that the whole things was a hoax to galvanise the space program. Pre-Garagin obviously, and I would have gread it 20-30 years ago.

Using the threat of an imaginary alien presence in space has featured in a number of stories, I think.


Nuking the moon would have been a step but from Goddard's plan to explode a charge of flash powder

Cheers

Jon