Summary

Human Spaceflight explores the epoch journeys of human beings as they first ventured beyond Earth’s atmosphere, starting in the early 1960s, and traveled into outer space. One of the most memorable of these daring missions occurred on July 20, 1969, when American astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on another world. This volume follows the evolution of space technology from the dawn of the Space Age to the present day, addressing such topics as human survival in space, a spacecraft’s ability to launch people into orbit, and the safety and dangers of spaceflight.

A number of historic events, scientific principles, and technical breakthroughs were vital to establishing a human presence in space, and Human Spaceflight examines some of these scientific milestones more closely. This volume also presents some exciting future human spaceflight activities, including a return to the Moon to establish permanent lunar surface bases, human expeditions to Mars, and even the creation of large space settlements in orbit around Earth and at other strategic locations throughout the solar system. A special collection of illustrations highlighting historic, contemporary, and future human spaceflight activities allows readers to appreciate the tremendous progress that has been made since the early days of spaceflight, as well as what lies ahead. A generous number of sidebars covering fundamental physical concepts, engineering choices, and life support techniques, as well as capsule biographies of prominent scientists, astronauts, and cosmonauts, are also included to inspire students in high school and college to become the space experts of tomorrow.

Chapters include:

• The Dream of Human Spaceflight
• Living in Space
• Astrochimps, Canine Cosmonauts, and Other Space Traveling Animals
• Tiny Space Capsules and the Mercury Project
• Spacewalks and the Gemini Project
• Moonwalks and the Apollo Project
• Outposts in the Sky: Early Space Stations
• Space Shuttle
• International Space Station
• Permanent Moon Bases: Next Stop Beyond Low Earth Orbit
• Human Expeditions To Mars
• Large Space Settlements—Hallmark of a Solar System Civilization.

Specifications

Black-and-white photographs and line illustrations. Index. Glossary. Chronology. Further reading. Sidebars. Web sites.

About the Author(s)

Joseph A. Angelo Jr., has a Ph.D. in nuclear engineering from the University of Arizona, and is currently an adjunct professor of physics at Rollins College. He served with distinction as a commissioner for the governor of Florida’s Commission on Space and is the author of several books for Facts On File.