In the not so distant future, as seen from a vantage point a bit over fifty years ago the Earth has come through WWIII, which was finished with a few precision nuclear weapons launched from a space station, pretty much unscathed and ready for a new era of global harmony. The toothless UN has been replaced by the United States of Earth (guess who won the war) and the global congress meets in Connecticut. Earth looks forward to a time of peace and prosperity as we all put our shoulders to the wheel (if you think that's dated, I just read much the same premise in Horizons by Mary Rosenblum, where it worked pretty well). Now, it's time for the exploration of space.

(Source: Apogee Books)