From winged rocket ships, to the giant rotating wheels of Wernher von Braun and 2001: A Space Odyssey, to the epic, controversy-wracked sagas of Mir and the International Space Station, this highly original blend of history and popular culture explains why the dream of a permanently occupied space outpost has captivated so many for so long. Ninety-five of the most arresting drawings, artists' conceptions, and photographs ever assembled, many rare and never before published, illustrate this thought-provoking narrative of the evolution of the space station as cultural icon.
Uniquely qualified to tell the story of the extraordinary effort to actually put hardware and people in space, preeminent space historian Roger Launius is at his best relating lessons from Mir, Skylab, ISS, and the Salyuts, navigating political treachery, translating technology, refereeing controversies, and weaving the magic of space habitation, both real and imaginary. He resuscitates the Flash Gordon and Captain Kirk in us all with his vision of a future in which space stations are surrounded by space-based research parks, industry and commerce, and tourist destinations, and, most importantly, provide a portal to the Moon, Mars-and beyond.

William S. Konecky Associates, Incorporated

United States, United States of America

2nd edition, US, 2009

2009-03-09

Winner of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics History Manuscript Award. Originally published by the Smithsonian Institution in 2003 and priced at $39.95, this new edition has been fully updated by the author, Roger Launius, former chief historian of NASA and current member of the Space History Division of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum. It tells the complete story of the vision, technological achievement and political infighting that led to the establishment of the first space stations as base camps for space exploration. Currently in orbit, the International Space Station s mission continues to expand, with new proposals including the possibility of using it as a way station to beam solar power to meet the earth s energy needs. The book s extensive illustrative material draws heavily on NASA archives as well as the collection of the Air and Space Museum. Illustrated in color throughout.

2024-07-01