Spaceflight

A Concise History

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Technology, Engineering
Cover of the book Spaceflight by Michael J. Neufeld, The MIT Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Michael J. Neufeld ISBN: 9780262350464
Publisher: The MIT Press Publication: September 21, 2018
Imprint: The MIT Press Language: English
Author: Michael J. Neufeld
ISBN: 9780262350464
Publisher: The MIT Press
Publication: September 21, 2018
Imprint: The MIT Press
Language: English

A concise history of spaceflight, from military rocketry through Sputnik, Apollo, robots in space, space culture, and human spaceflight today.

Spaceflight is one of the greatest human achievements of the twentieth century. The Soviets launched Sputnik, the first satellite, in 1957; less than twelve years later, the American Apollo astronauts landed on the Moon. In this volume of the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, Michael Neufeld offers a concise history of spaceflight, mapping the full spectrum of activities that humans have developed in space.

Neufeld explains that “the space program” should not be equated only with human spaceflight. Since the 1960s, unmanned military and commercial spacecraft have been orbiting near the Earth, and robotic deep-space explorers have sent back stunning images of faraway planets. Neufeld begins with the origins of space ideas and the discovery that rocketry could be used for spaceflight. He then discusses the Soviet-U.S. Cold War space race and reminds us that NASA resisted adding female astronauts even after the Soviets sent the first female cosmonaut into orbit. He analyzes the two rationales for the Apollo program: prestige and scientific discovery (this last something of an afterthought). He describes the internationalization and privatization of human spaceflight after the Cold War, the cultural influence of space science fiction, including Star Trek and Star Wars, space tourism for the ultra-rich, and the popular desire to go into space. Whether we become a multiplanet species, as some predict, or continue to call Earth home, this book offers a useful primer.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

A concise history of spaceflight, from military rocketry through Sputnik, Apollo, robots in space, space culture, and human spaceflight today.

Spaceflight is one of the greatest human achievements of the twentieth century. The Soviets launched Sputnik, the first satellite, in 1957; less than twelve years later, the American Apollo astronauts landed on the Moon. In this volume of the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series, Michael Neufeld offers a concise history of spaceflight, mapping the full spectrum of activities that humans have developed in space.

Neufeld explains that “the space program” should not be equated only with human spaceflight. Since the 1960s, unmanned military and commercial spacecraft have been orbiting near the Earth, and robotic deep-space explorers have sent back stunning images of faraway planets. Neufeld begins with the origins of space ideas and the discovery that rocketry could be used for spaceflight. He then discusses the Soviet-U.S. Cold War space race and reminds us that NASA resisted adding female astronauts even after the Soviets sent the first female cosmonaut into orbit. He analyzes the two rationales for the Apollo program: prestige and scientific discovery (this last something of an afterthought). He describes the internationalization and privatization of human spaceflight after the Cold War, the cultural influence of space science fiction, including Star Trek and Star Wars, space tourism for the ultra-rich, and the popular desire to go into space. Whether we become a multiplanet species, as some predict, or continue to call Earth home, this book offers a useful primer.

More books from The MIT Press

Cover of the book Natural Resources as Capital by Michael J. Neufeld
Cover of the book The Monumental Challenge of Preservation by Michael J. Neufeld
Cover of the book Open Access by Michael J. Neufeld
Cover of the book Men, Machines, and Modern Times by Michael J. Neufeld
Cover of the book Groundless Grounds by Michael J. Neufeld
Cover of the book What Do Science, Technology, and Innovation Mean from Africa? by Michael J. Neufeld
Cover of the book Consciousness Demystified by Michael J. Neufeld
Cover of the book The Outsourcer by Michael J. Neufeld
Cover of the book Sources of Power by Michael J. Neufeld
Cover of the book Rock, Bone, and Ruin by Michael J. Neufeld
Cover of the book Simulation and Its Discontents by Michael J. Neufeld
Cover of the book Trade Policy Disaster by Michael J. Neufeld
Cover of the book Yuck! by Michael J. Neufeld
Cover of the book Minding the Weather by Michael J. Neufeld
Cover of the book The Outer Limits of Reason by Michael J. Neufeld
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy