Synopses & Reviews
From the first experimentation with rocket technology in the early 20th century to the Mir space station and the Mars Pathfinder mission of 1997, this one-stop guide to space exploration provides a wealth of information for student researchers. Combining narrative description, analytical essays, a timeline, biographical profiles, and the text of key primary documents, Roger D. Launius, Chief Historian of NASA, provides the latest information and analysis on all aspects of space exploration. Four essays give a historical overview of space exploration and up-to-date examinations of the race to the moon, exploration of the solar system, space stations and space shuttles, and U.S.-Soviet cooperative ventures. Ready reference features include: a timeline of key events; biographical profiles of 24 American and Soviet space pioneers; the text of 20 key primary documents relating to space exploration initiatives; a table of American space flight since 1961; and an annotated bibliography of works on space history.
Review
Launius does an excellent job summarizing the early history of spaceflight with his essays--the real meat of the book--and the inclusion of the primary documents provides interesting insights into how major policy decisions were reached, from Kennedy's Apollo decision to the building of the space shuttle. Recommended for public and academic libraries.Library Journal
Synopsis
The most up-to-date one-stop source of information, analysis, biographical profiles, and key primary documents on space exploration.
About the Author
ROGER D. LAUNIUS is chair of the Division of Space History of the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. He has written or edited several books on aerospace history, including Space Stations: Base Camps to the Stars (2003)
Table of Contents
Series Foreword by Randall M. Miller
Preface
Chronology of Events
Historical Overview of Space Exploration
Scientific Explorations in the Space Age
A Permanent Presence in Space
Biographies: A Gallery of Space Exploration Pioneers
Primary Documents of Space Exploration
Developing a Rational Space Policy
The Decision to Go to the Moon
The Possibility of American/Soviet Cooperation in Space
The Gemini Interlude
Disaster and Recovery: The Apollo 204 Capsule Fire
Task Accomplished: The Culmination of Apollo
Recollections from the Crew of Apollo 11
The Decision to Build the Space Shuttle
The Challenger Accident
A Promise of Space Exploration for the New Century
Appendix: American Space Flights, 1961-1997
Annotated Bibliography