The Complete Book of Spaceflight: From Apollo 1 to Zero Gravity

A commanding encyclopedia of the history and principles of spaceflight- - from its humble beginnings to its likely future" Our reason for spaceflight is just this: we are human, and to be human is to be inquisitive.At heart, we are explorers with a universe of billions of new worlds before us." - - from the IntroductionThe Complete Book of Spaceflight compiles more than 3,000 extensively cross-referenced entries, spanning every historic milestone and technological achievement in the quest to conquer space.In this all-inclusive reference, astronomer David Darling provides fascinating insights into the cultural development of spaceflight, including its history, science, and technology; the people involved; spaceflight' s role in popular culture; and much more.The Complete Book of Spaceflight includes: All key missions, manned and unmannedNotable fictional portrayals of space journeys Biographies of astronauts, rocket engineers, and others involved in space explorationCurrent concepts for future interplanetary and interstellar missionsExtended, highlighted articles on major topics from Project Mercury to Mir

DAVID DARLING, Ph.D., is the author of Life Everywhere; The Extraterrestrial Encyclopedia; Deep Time; Equations of Eternity (a New York Times Notable Book); Soul Search; and Zen Physics. He received his doctorate in astronomy from the University of Manchester, England, and now lives with his family in rural Minnesota. More information on spaceflight may be found at www. daviddarling.info.