The Space Race was an unofficial competition for spaceflight dominance between Cold War rivals the United States and the Soviet Union. This interesting title sets the scene for lunar and space exploration by both countries, describing early rocket development, NASA's Gemini program, which put humans in space, and the development of robot explorers. Maps show how early astronomers mapped the Moon hundreds of years ago, and what materials the Moon is made up of.

Using archival images and explanatory text, this title guides the reader through NASA's Apollo space program, including the tragic deaths of an entire flight crew and Apollo's ultimate triumph--the first lunar landing in 1969. Maps of the moon show where Apollo 11's lunar lander Eagle landed and the route taken by the Soviet robot lander Lunokhod 1 in 1970.

In the history of space exploration, there have been many leaps for humankind. From the foremost experts at the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum, here is a complete visual narrative of our journey from Earth to the stars. . . . Although the momentous October 4, 1957, launch of Sputnik 1 was not the beginning of humanity's adventure toward space—our curiosity about the skies has been one of the few constants in history—it was the first true venture into orbit. And when future generations think of the twentieth century, they will undoubtedly judge our movement into space, with both machines and people, as a crowning achievement. As we progress in the new millennium, space exploration is vital to managing our global future, as well as to understanding our past and the creation of Earth. The Atlas of Space Exploration depicts the ever-fascinating history of the space age and humanity's progress in exploring new frontiers. Incredible images from NASA and other sources, visual conceptions of Moon bases, and newly commissioned maps reveal a visual history spanning the earliest eras of the universe, the dawn of the space age, the launch of Sputnik, missions to the Moon, robot landings on the terrestrial planets, and the exploration of the outer solar system. These developments in technology are illuminated by a rich historical context, highlighting how space exploration has changed and expanded our vision of the universe.

In late 2007, the Japanese Space Exploration Agency (JAXA) placed the Kaguya/ Selene spacecraft in orbit around the Moon to probe the Moon’s surface and interior. But unlike previous lunar orbiters, Kaguya carries a high definition television camera (HDTV) sent beyond Earth orbit. Sponsored by the Japanese NHK TV network, the HDTV has amazed both scientists and the public with its magnificent views of the lunar surface. What makes these images so much more engaging than standard vertical view lunar photography is that they are taken looking obliquely along the flight path. Thus, they show the Moon as it would be seen by an astronaut looking through a porthole window while orbiting only 100 km above the lunar surface. This is the view we all would wish to have but are never likely to, except vicariously through the awe-inspiring Kaguya HDTV images. Each page features a HDTV image with a map of the entire Moon on the upper left showing where the image is located. On the upper right is a 100-150 word description. Seeing the Moon is not intended solely for lunar scientists who are striving to work out the mysteries of the Moon’s origin and evolution. Everyone can appreciate the natural beauty and be entranced by the view of the nearby world where humans may one day live.

The only work to date to collect data gathered during the American and Soviet missions in an accessible and complete reference of current scientific and technical information about the Moon.

In Gemini - Steps to the Moon, David Shayler, the author, tells the story of the origin and development of the programme and the spacecraft from the perspective of the engineers, flight controllers and astronauts involved. It includes chapters on flight tests, Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA), rendezvous and docking, as well as information from NASA archives and personal interviews.