The fascinating story of how NASA sent humans to explore outer space, told through a treasure trove of historical documents--publishing in celebration of NASA's 60th anniversary and with a foreword by Bill Nye "An extremely useful and thought provoking documentary journey through the maze of space history. There is no wiser or more experienced navigator through the twists and turns and ups and downs than John Logsdon." -James Hansen, New York Times bestselling author of First Man, now a feature film starring Ryan Gosling and Claire Foy Among all the technological accomplishments of the last century, none has captured our imagination more deeply than the movement of humans into outer space. From Sputnik to SpaceX, the story of that journey--including the inside history of our voyages to the moon depicted in First Man--is told as never before in The Penguin Book of Outer Space Exploration. Renowned space historian John Logsdon traces the greatest moments in human spaceflight by weaving together essential, fascinating documents from NASA's history with his expert narrative guidance. Beginning with rocket genius Wernher von Braun's vision for voyaging to Mars, and closing with Elon Musk's contemporary plan to get there, this volume traces major events like the founding of NASA, the first American astronauts in space, the Apollo moon landings, the Challenger disaster, the daring Hubble Telescope repairs, and more. In these pages, we such gems as Eisenhower's reactions to Sputnik, the original NASA astronaut application, John Glenn's reflections on zero gravity, Kennedy's directives to go to the moon, discussions on what Neil Armstrong's first famous first words should be, firsthands accounts of spaceflight, and so much more.

The first in-depth, fully illustrated history of global space discovery and exploration from ancient times to the modern era “The Smithsonian History of Space Exploration examines civilization’s continued desire to explore the next frontier as only the Smithsonian can do it.” —Buzz Aldrin, Gemini 12 and Apollo 11 astronaut and author of No Dream Is Too High Former NASA and Smithsonian space curator and historian Roger D. Launius presents a comprehensive history of our endeavors to understand the universe, honoring millennia of human curiosity, ingenuity, and achievement. This extensive study of international space exploration is packed with over 500 photographs, illustrations, graphics, and cutaways, plus plenty of sidebars on key scientific and technological developments, influential figures, and pioneering spacecraft. Starting with space exploration's origins in the pioneering work undertaken by ancient civilizations and the great discoveries of the Renaissance thinkers, Launius also devotes whole chapters to our space race to the Moon, space planes and orbital stations, and the lure of the red planet Mars. He also offers new insights into well-known moments such as the launch of Sputnik 1 and the Apollo Moon landing and explores the unexpected events and hidden figures of space history. The final chapters cover the technological and mechanical breakthroughs enabling humans to explore far beyond our own planet in recent decades, speculating on the future of space exploration, including space tourism and our possible future as an extraterrestrial species. This is a must-read for space buffs and everyone intrigued by the history and future of scientific discovery. "This oversize offering is a space nerd’s dream come true." —Booklist

Help your child learn about space exploration with the new edition of this fact-packed guide and dedicated website From how satellites in space help us to forecast the weather to how an astronaut's body is affected upon re-entering Earth's atmosphere; let your child discover all about the mysteries beyond Earth. They'll discover more about space exploration. Great for projects or just for fun, ensure your child learns everything they need to know about space exploration. With dedicated website www.ew.dk.com.

We are living in a golden age of astronomy and space exploration, with more discoveries about the universe every day. With so many possibilities now open to us, revered science writers Michael E. Bakich and David J. Eicher will take young readers on a journey to the throughout the universe in this latest edition of A Child's Introduction series. Perfect for budding explorers aged 8-12, Bakich amd Eicher explore the history of space exploration from the very first rocket in China, to the moon landing, to the latest missions to Mars (and beyond). They also include profiles of noteworthy scientists, engineers, and astronauts including Isaac Newton, Neil Armstrong, Mae Carol Jemison; fun sections on space food, UFOs, a timeline of space suits, and how to go to the bathroom in space; and STEM experiments like how to build your own rocket and how to tell time using the sun. Packed with dozens of NASA photos and charming original illustrations, and a pull-out poster, this fascinating book reveals the wonders of space exploration-past, present and future!

Forty-four captioned illustrations accurately depict scenes of major milestones in space exploration — from launching of first liquid-fuel rocket in 1926 to Challenger tragedy in 1986. Other exciting drawings: launch of Sputnik (1957), first U.S. space walk (1965), first men on the moon (1969), more.

This is a completely updated and revised version of a monograph published in 2002 by the NASA History Office under the original title Deep Space Chronicle: A Chronology of Deep Space and Planetary Probes, 1958-2000. This new edition not only adds all events in robotic deep space exploration after 2000 and up to the end of 2016, but it also completely corrects and updates all accounts of missions from 1958 to 2000--Provided by publisher.