Blazing the Trail: The Early History of Spacecraft and RocketryWinner of the Luigi Napolitano Award (2006) from the International Academy of Astronautics This book presents the fascinating story of the events that paved the way to space. It introduces the reader to the history of early rocketry and the subsequent developments that led into the space age. People of various nations and from various lands contributed to the breakthrough to space, and the book takes the reader to faraway places on five continents. It also includes many quotes to give readers a flavor of how the participants viewed the developments. Most publications on the topic either target narrow aspects of rocket history or are popular books that scratch the surface, with minimal and sometimes inaccurate technical details. This book bridges the gap. It contains numerous technical details usually unavailable in popular publications. The details are not overbearing and anyone interested in rocketry and space exploration will navigate through the book without difficulty. There are 340 figures and photographs, many appearing for the first time. |
Contents
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS | 1 |
ROCKET PROLIFERATION THE FIRST WAVE | 7 |
UNDER ROCKET FIRE IN INDIA | 23 |
THE CONGREVE ROCKET | 31 |
ROCKETS COME TO AMERICA | 47 |
FIRST AMERICAN ROCKETS | 55 |
ROCKET PROLIFERATION THE SECOND WAVE | 69 |
PUBLIC IMAGINATION ON FIRE | 87 |
ROAD TO SPUTNIK | 267 |
GATEWAYS TO HEAVEN | 297 |
THE BREAKTHROUGH | 325 |
OPENING THE SKIES | 385 |
JOINING THE CLUB | 417 |
THE FIRST THOUSAND YEARS | 455 |
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS | 463 |
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY | 467 |
Common terms and phrases
achieved activities addition Air Force Aircraft altitude American Army artillery Astronautics Atlas ballistic missile became British build built California called carried Center command Company Defense direction early Earth effort engine established explosion facilities Figure fire flight followed formed French German ground guided History ICBM important industrial initiated Institute Italy known Korolev Laboratory land later launch launcher leading liquid major March mass ment miles military missile Moscow NASA Navy nuclear Office operational orbit Ordnance organized Photo courtesy possible President produced Project propellant propulsion range reached rocket rocketry Russian satellite scientific scientists Society Soviet Soviet Union space spacecraft stage station successful technical thrust tion troops United University Vanguard vehicle warhead weapon
References to this book
Into That Silent Sea: Trailblazers of the Space Era, 1961-1965 Francis French,Colin Burgess Limited preview - 2007 |