Rip Foster Rides the Gray Planet

"Rip Foster Rides the Gray Planet" by Harold L. Goodwin is a science fiction story about a young Lieutenant named Rip Foster, freshly graduated and ready for action. Rip and his crew of nine new officers, called Planeteers, are sent on a dangerous mission to capture an asteroid made of thorium, a valuable material. They must navigate the perils of space and avoid a war with the Consolidation of People's Governments so they can accomplish their mission. At the start of his adventure on the SCN "Scorpius," Rip finds out from Major Joe Barris the urgency and the challenges he will face, like hostile spacemen. Amidst light-hearted jokes, Major Barris makes it clear that intuition is as important as science, shaping Rip’s journey from rookie cadet to leader of a crucial mission, offering readers an exciting mix of adventure and science fiction.