Spaceflight

A Concise History

Michael J. Neufeld

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Paperback

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English

Massachusetts Inst of Tec
16 October 2018

Mathematics & Sciences; History of engineering & technology; Space science

Series: Spaceflight

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.

By: Michael J. Neufeld
Imprint: Massachusetts Inst of Tec
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 178mm, Width: 127mm, Spine: 16mm
ISBN: 9780262536332
ISBN 10: 0262536331
Series: Spaceflight
Pages: 240
Publication Date: 16 October 2018
Recommended Age: From 18 years
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Reviews for Spaceflight: A Concise History

There is almost nothing more difficult for a historian than writing a brief synthesis of a major subject of study. Success in doing so is always something to be celebrated, and this concise history of spaceflight by Michael J. Neufeld deserves celebration for offering a dandy short overview. -ISIS Journal