Spaceflight : a concise history

Resource Information

The work Spaceflight : a concise history represents a distinct intellectual or artistic creation found in San Francisco Public Library. This resource is a combination of several types including: Work, Audio, Nonmusical, Sounds, Music.

Label

Spaceflight : a concise history

Title remainder

a concise history

Statement of responsibility

Michael J. Neufeld

Title variation

Space flight

Creator

• Neufeld, Michael J., 1951-

Contributor

• Chamberlain, Mike
• hoopla digital

Author

• Neufeld, Michael J., 1951-

Subject

• Astronautics -- United States -- History
• Manned space flight -- History
• Space flight -- History
• Space race -- Soviet Union -- History
• Space race -- United States -- History
• Astronautics -- Russia (Federation)
• Astronautics -- Soviet Union -- History

Language

eng

Summary

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. Michael 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

Member of

• MIT Press essential knowledge series

Accompanying matter

technical information on music

Cataloging source

Midwest

Dewey number

629.4/109

Form of composition

not applicable

Format of music

not applicable

Literary text for sound recordings

other

PerformerNote

Read by Mike Chamberlain

Target audience

adult

Transposition and arrangement

not applicable