The History of Human Space Flight
eBook - ePub

The History of Human Space Flight

  1. English
  2. ePUB (mobile friendly)
  3. Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub

The History of Human Space Flight

About this book

Military Writers Society of America Awards, Gold Medal for History Highlighting men and women across the globe who have dedicated themselves to pushing the limits of space exploration, this book surveys the programs, technological advancements, medical equipment, and automated systems that have made space travel possible. Beginning with the invention of balloons that lifted early explorers into the stratosphere, Ted Spitzmiller describes how humans first came to employ lifting gasses such as hydrogen and helium. He traces the influence of science fiction writers on the development of rocket science, looks at the role of rocket societies in the early twentieth century, and discusses the use of rockets in World War II warfare. Spitzmiller considers the engineering and space medicine advances that finally enabled humans to fly beyond the earth's atmosphere during the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. He recreates the excitement felt around the world as Yuri Gagarin and John Glenn completed their first orbital flights. He recounts triumphs and tragedies, such as Neil Armstrong's "one small step" and the Challenger and Columbia disasters. The story continues with the development of the International Space Station, NASA's interest in asteroids and Mars, and the emergence of China as a major player in the space arena. Spitzmiller shows the impact of space flight on human history and speculates on the future of exploration beyond our current understandings of physics and the known boundaries of time and space.

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Yes, you can access The History of Human Space Flight by Ted Spitzmiller in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Technology & Engineering & Science History. We have over one million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.

Table of contents

  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Contents
  6. Foreword
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. Prologue
  9. Introduction
  10. 1. Aerostats Open the Vista
  11. 2. Creating Rocket Science
  12. 3. Maturing the Technology
  13. 4. Space Medicine on the Threshold
  14. 5. Rocket-Powered Aircraft
  15. 6. Cold War Arms Race
  16. 7. The Race into Space
  17. 8. Developing a Manned Spacecraft
  18. 9. The First Orbital Flights
  19. 10. Exploring the Unknown
  20. 11. Commitment to the Moon
  21. 12. Rendezvous Is the Key
  22. 13. Conceiving a Moon Rocket
  23. 14. Gemini Captures the Lead
  24. 15. Project Apollo
  25. 16. Death Stalks the Astronauts
  26. 17. The Circumlunar Goal
  27. 18. One Small Step
  28. 19. Exploring the Moon
  29. 20. The First Space Stations
  30. 21. Designing a Reusable Spacecraft
  31. 22. Engineering the Space Shuttle
  32. 23. The Reality of Failure
  33. 24. Mir: A Durable Space Station
  34. 25. A Permanent Presence in Space
  35. 26. Unfulfilled Soviet Efforts
  36. 27. Return of the Expendable Rocket
  37. 28. The Next Generation of Manned Spacecraft
  38. Epilogue: What Will the Future Bring?
  39. List of Acronyms and Abbreviations
  40. Bibliography
  41. Index