The Penguin Book of Outer Space Exploration: NASA and the Incredible Story of Human Spaceflight, edited by John Logsdon 

Synopsis: The fascinating story of how NASA sent humans to explore outer space, told through a treasure trove of historical documents–publishing in celebration of NASA’s 60th anniversary and with a foreword by Bill Nye

Among all the technological accomplishments of the last century, none has captured our imagination more deeply than the movement of humans into outer space. From Sputnik to SpaceX, the story of that journey–including the inside history of our voyages to the moon depicted in First Man–is told as never before in The Penguin Book of Outer Space Exploration.

Renowned space historian John Logsdon traces the greatest moments in human spaceflight by weaving together essential, fascinating documents from NASA’s history with his expert narrative guidance. Beginning with rocket genius Wernher von Braun’s vision for voyaging to Mars, and closing with Elon Musk’s contemporary plan to get there, this volume traces major events like the founding of NASA, the first American astronauts in space, the Apollo moon landings, the Challenger disaster, the daring Hubble Telescope repairs, and more. In these pages, we such gems as Eisenhower’s reactions to Sputnik, the original NASA astronaut application, John Glenn’s reflections on zero gravity, Kennedy’s directives to go to the moon, discussions on what Neil Armstrong’s first famous first words should be, firsthand accounts of spaceflight, and so much more.

Published: September 2018 | ISBN: 978-0143129950

Editor’s mini-bio: John Logsdon is the founder and from 1987–2008 was the Director of the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University. In 2003, Logsdon was a member of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. He is a former member of the NASA Advisory Council. Wikipedia

Leonard David’s Inside Outer Space Book Review
The Space Review Book Review
Washington Independent Review of Books Book Review
Open Letters Review Book Review

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Paperback Edition: The Penguin Book of Outer Space Exploration: NASA and the Incredible Story of Human Spaceflight
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