Spaceflight: A Smithsonian Guide (Smithsonian Guides Series) [Hardcover]

Valerie Neal (Author), Cathleen S. Lewis (Author), Frank H. Winter (Author)

Book Description

Series: Smithsonian Guides Series | Publication Date: April 1995

Seven thematic sections detail landmark events, technological advances, and the drama of the men, women, and machines that took us into space. Here are rocket launch vehicles and space stations, moon explorations and military satellites, the pioneering flights of Gagarin and Glenn, and more. Fact boxes and diagrams explain such concepts as attitude control, while two-page sections feature subjects from "walking" in space to Voyager's grand tour. Spaceflight includes more than 350 illustrations, photographs, and other artworks. Events that shaped the course of spaceflight are presented in an 8-page foldout illustrated timeline, an instant reference to the entire subject. The 40-page photo glossary offers concise explanations of technical and scientific terms, plus biographies of major figures.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

SMITHSONIAN GUIDES is an illustrated home reference series exploring the worlds of science, nature, technology, and history, produced in unique partnership with the world's most popular museum. Each superbly produced guide stands alone as a compact introduction to its subject. Taken together, Smithsonian Guides form a library on topics timeless in their appeal. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Macmillan General Reference; 1 edition (April 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 002860007X
• ISBN-13: 978-0028600079
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,325,503 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A must if you want to have just one book on spaceflight!, August 1, 1998

By 

Robert Zuch ([e-mail]) (Christchurch, New Zealand) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Spaceflight: A Smithsonian Guide (Smithsonian Guides Series) (Hardcover)

This is a very enjoyable text covering the history and present day (up to mid-nineties) of the exploration of space. Unlike many personal accounts written by those who took part in these events, this book has an almost refreshing air of objectivity.

In well-divided chapters it features an overview of spaceflight (what are the necessary elements of a workable spacecraft?) and its early history (the great men of rocket theory and design).

It discusses close to all the launch vehicles and spacecraft that has ever flown, from Vostok to the Shuttle. All manned flights are listed. History of Moon exploration follows in a similar fashion. Planetary probes and satellites are discussed in the final chapter, together with visions for the future.

Both the Russian and American space programs are given a thorough and balanced overview, without any obvious bias either way.

The book has excellent drawings, diagrams and charts allowing those unfamiliar with the space jar! gon to understand how things work. Although sometimes oversimplified, these ensured that the message was clear. Photographs were plentiful but not overwhelming - there are other books more suitable for coffee table perusal pile.

As this text is fairly small in size (B5?) it is very handy to keep even on a cramped bookshelf. Having read a number of space exploration accounts, I thoroughly recommend this guidebook if you only want to have one resource text on spaceflight.