Rip Foster in Ride the Gray Planet

A newly commissioned Planeteer and his classmates launch from a rotating space platform to locate a thorium-rich asteroid while a Consops cruiser races to claim it. They ready rockets, landing boats, and suits, shift into no-weight, and descend to a gray, unfamiliar world where surface operations become precarious. On and off the planet they face armed skirmishes, sabotage risks, and tense maneuvering as control of the resource hinges on quick decisions and teamwork. The episodic action emphasizes shipboard camaraderie, practical problem solving, and brisk technological detail as the team adapts to sudden hazards and enemy threats.