Full record for Earthward adv.

Definition toward the planet Earth (as opposed to toward the ground)
OED requirements antedating 1939
Earliest cite 'Dennis Clive', "Valley of Pretenders"
Comment Also appears in the form "earthwards". The OED currently only has citations for the sense "toward the ground".

Katrina Campbell submitted a cite from a 1985 reprint of Richard C. Meredith's 1969 "We All Died at Breakaway Station" which Mike Christie verified in its first publication.
Fred Galvin submitted a 1945 cite from "Thornecliffe Herrick" in Planet Comics.
Fred Galvin submitted a 1974 cite from a reprint of Donald Wandrei's 1934 "Colossus": we would like to verify this in its original publication in Astounding Stories, January 1934
Fred Galvin submitted a 1947 cite from Murray Leinster's "Skit-Tree Planet".
Fred Galvin submitted a 1946 cite from Bernard I. Kahn's "For the Public".
Fred Galvin submitted a 1947 cite from Jack Williamson's "The Equalizer".
Fred Galvin submitted a cite from a 1950 reprint of E. E. Smith's "Galactic Patrol", which first appeared in 1937-1938; Mike Christie checked the first publication and found that the term does not occur there.
Fred Galvin submitted a 1975 cite from a reprint of Jack Williamson's 1933 "Salvage in Space"; we would like to verify this in the story's first appearance in the March 1933 Astounding Stories.
Fred Galvin submitted a 1939 cite for "earthwards" from "Valley of Pretenders", by Dennis Clive (a pseudonym of John Russell Fearn)
Last modified 23 July, 2009

Citations for Earthward adv.

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1934 D. Wandrei Colossus in Before Golden Age 468 Almost regretfully, he sent the White Bird flying Earthward, and the crag-strewn, jagged, white ruin of the Moon's surface fell swiftly away, paled into softer outline, until once again, like a silver disk in the sky, it floated glowing and lovely and bathed in soft radiance.
1947 J. Williamson Equalizer in Astounding Sci. Fiction Mar. 6/1 Interstellar Task Force One was Earthward bound, from twenty years at space.
1947 ‘M. Leinster’ Skit-Tree Planet in Thrilling Wonder Stories April 49/2 The Galloping Cow, in fact, exactly fitted her name by her outward appearance, as she galloped Earthward through emptiness.