It was originally titled "Cosmic Construction Corps" before being renamed by the editor John W. Campbell[1] and published in the November 1939 issue of Astounding Science Fiction.
One of the earliest of Heinlein's Future History stories, it was later included in the collections Revolt in 2100 and The Past Through Tomorrow.
A coming-of-age story that follows Andrew Jackson Libby, a boy from Earth with extraordinary mathematical ability but meager education.
During the move to the destination orbit, the computer malfunctions, and Libby takes over, performing all the complex calculations in his head.
"Slipstick" Libby became one of Heinlein's recurring characters and would later appear in several works associated with Lazarus Long, among them Methuselah's Children and The Cat Who Walks Through Walls.