Countdown: A History of Space Flight - Couverture rigide

Heppenheimer, T.A.

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 0471144398 ISBN 13 : 9780471144397

Editeur : John Wiley & Sons Inc, 1997

Synopsis

This text takes a historian's view of the space age and places the major achievements of the space age, such as Apollo, in the context of concurrent political and social developments. It juxtaposes the Soviet space programme versus the US programme, providing insights into the "space race". It explains why the two most powerful nations in the world became embroiled in a very costly and politically charged race for space. The book shows how the vast expenditures for space development over the last four decades have left only modest achievements and put the future of NASA in question. It goes on to propose that NASA can find a valid and valuable future in the market for unmanned space craft for commercial use.

A propos du livre

Quatrième de couverture

The most comprehensive account of the forces behind mankind′s boldest adventure

A History of Space Flight

"By far the most significant and technically insightful account of the ventures into the space environment I have seen. . . . [Heppenheimer] concentrates unerringly on key elements, both technical and managerial, in this account of man′s initial space ventures." Lee Atwood, Former President and Chairman, North American Aviation Corporation

"A fascinating, detailed comparison of the people and programs, the triumphs and failures of the two major space–faring nations; well presented and well told." Dale D. Myers, Former Associate Administrator for Space Flight, NASA

"A hundred years ago, a brilliant Russian schoolteacher had a vision of human beings overcoming gravity to venture beyond their home planet. Today, astronauts and cosmonauts live together in space for months on end. What happened in between is a story of phenomenal ingenuity and perseverance by some of our century′s greatest engineers, scientists, and explorers. No one is better equipped to tell that wondrous tale than Tom Heppenheimer. Combining an expert grasp of technology with a historian′s perspective on world events, he weaves the story of space flight through the unfolding of the twentieth century. It′s all here, from the early rocket experiments of Goddard and von Braun, to the Cold War race to the moon, to the era of international cooperation in space. This truly impressive book conveys the power that has lifted humanity off the earth not only rockets, but people who dared to reach beyond their own limits." Andrew Chaikin, Author of A Man on the Moon: The Voyage of the Apollo Astronauts is the most comprehensive account of mankind′s drive to explore outer space. Drawing on new information including recently opened Soviet archives and declassified CIA documents this landmark book reveals the behind–the–scenes events that shaped both the U.S. and Soviet space programs.

Acclaimed science writer and aeronautical engineer T. A. Heppenheimer traces the evolution of long–range projectiles from their violent birth early in the twentieth century to their peaceful use today. He weaves a fascinating story of vivid personalities and awesome technologies, of courage and imagination as well as pettiness, waste, and destruction. The key players in NASA, the U.S. Air Force, the CIA, the Soviet Union, and the major European powers come together against a riveting backdrop of high technology and high stakes in international politics.

Working out of wine cellars, chicken coops, and parking lots, with improvised equipment that included sauce pans and cocktail shakers, space age prophets like Robert Goddard, Hermann Oberth, and Konstantin Tsiolkovsky attracted the attention of their respective governments who quickly saw the military potential of their work. Countdown is alive with rich portraits of pivotal figures, including the brilliant aristocrat, Wernher von Braun, father of the dreaded V–2 rocket and future head of the American space effort, and Sergei Korolev, sentenced to a Siberian prison camp under Stalin′s terror, only to be released to lead the Soviet rocket program.

Heppenheimer gives an eye–opening account of the involvement of the CIA during the 1950s and 1960s, and shows that the CIA, the Air Force, and the North American Aviation Corporation were, in fact, the original architects of America′s space program. He argues persuasively that the Soviet space program began as a cynical ploy by Nikita Khrushchev to convince Third World leaders that the Soviet Union was a much more technologically advanced country than it actually was, and that the tide of history was flowing East rather than West. He provides a detailed account of how Kennedy′s decision to go to the moon was, in turn, an attempt to counter Khrushchev′s public relations maneuvers. And he describes how, in the post–Cold War era, a new spirit of cooperation, epitomized by hybrid rockets and joint space missions, is merging the U.S. and Russian space programs into a single global enterprise.

Countdown: A History of Space Flight is historical writing at its very best: the precise and thrilling unfolding of human events on the grand scale.

Présentation de l'éditeur

T. A. Heppenheimer′s acclaimed chronicle of rockets, politics, and the pioneers who dared to reach beyond humanity′s limits.

"The most comprehensive, up–to–date, and best written history of space flight there is."–The Times (London)

"A lively account of the development of space activities in the U.S. and the Soviet Union . . . as good a one–volume overview of space as exists."–Scientific American.

"Countdown is by far the best history of space flight I have ever read. It is detailed, lucidly written for the layman, and full of fascinating stories.–Adrian Berry, Daily Telegraph.

"Science writer Heppenheimer′s readable account provides a timely historical overview of the early visionaries, the engineers, and the geopolitical forces that placed men on the moon and created today′s aerospace industry. . . . A thoughtful analysis that is highly recommended.–Library Journal.

"By far the most significant and technically insightful account of the ventures into the space environment I have seen. . . . [Heppenheimer] concentrates unerringly on key elements, both technical and managerial, in this account of man′s initial space ventures."–Lee Atwood, Former president and chairman, North American Aviation Corporation.

"Like a skilled artisan, Heppenheimer weaves social, political, scientific, technological, military, and economic threads of the history of space flight into a tapestry that reveals fascinating patterns and themes."–Publishers Weekly

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: John Wiley & Sons Inc
• Date d'édition: 1997
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 0471144398
• ISBN 13: 9780471144397
• Reliure: Relié
• Numéro d'édition: 1
• Nombre de pages: 400
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible