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This slim novel---the only science fiction story ever written by clergyman Edward Everett Hale, who also wrote the classic "Man Without A Country"---contains the first suggestion ever made for an artificial Earth satellite. Written in 1869, it also describes many of the functions modern satellites would fulfill: communications, navigation, weather observation, etc. Full of humor and gentle satire, the story is as readable today as it was nearly 140 years ago. Includes "On Vesta", a short essay by Konstantin Tsiolkovksy.