Valerie Neal

comprehensive, easy-to-use guide tells the fascinating story of one of the greatest scientific achievements of our timesthe conquest of space. Produced in association with the world-renowned Smithsonian Institution and its scientific experts, Spaceflight recounts the epic adventure of the men, women, and machines that took us into space. This Smithsonian Guide features: Detailed text by Smithsonian experts clearly explaining how spaceflight developed More than 350 full-color photographs and explanatory illustrations of spacecraft, equipment, people, and events Full-color foldout timeline of spaceflight milestones decade by decade 40-page quick-access A-to-Z glossary, including capsule biographies, special terms, and key concepts… (more)

Flying thirty-nine missions and spending three hundred sixty-five days in space, the space shuttle Discovery earned an impressive list of firsts over its twenty-seven years of service. Since Discovery flew every type of mission and served every purpose intended for the space shuttle, Discovery’s story is the story of the space shuttle itself.

Here, in the pages of this lavishly-illustrated volume from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, readers will discover the story of the space shuttle program. Then explore Discovery inside and out. Review each mission flown on board the shuttle and see where Discovery is now. Jam-packed with information and photographs, the story of the space shuttle is the story of a vital part of America’s space program. The story of Discovery is perfect for readers who remember the shuttle flights, for students of space exploration, and for those who want to learn about the space shuttle program.

A glossary is included.

Highly recommended.… (more)

Spaceflight in the Shuttle Era and Beyond is a rather academic look at NASA, space shuttle missions, and their legacies from a humanities and social sciences perspective. You might think it's more of a STEM-focused look based on the title and cover, and you would be wrong.

What I liked about this book was the unbiased look at spaceflight; many books about NASA portray all of the space missions through rose-colored lenses. This book includes reference to many sources (notably: the New York Times) that were not positive about NASA, the space shuttle, and the role of humans in space.

What I did not like about this book was almost everything else about it. It is very dry and academic, and I had guessed that the author was a tenure-track faculty member and was surprised to realize that I was wrong (Valerie Neal is a curator at the National Air and Space Museum). The book is frequently repetitive, to the point where I seriously doubted if I was having deja-vu or unintentionally re-reading sections (I do that sometimes when I'm really tired). Also, I really, really hated the use of the word "imaginary" as a noun rather than as an adjective. I would read and my brain would automatically fill in the blank and I would read "NASA's imaginary friend." Rather than "NASA's imaginary." (The latter of which just sounds stupid, in my opinion).

I leave you all with a very ambivalent recommendation. If you're really into spaceflight and NASA, you might just have enough interest to get through this book, especially if you don't mind a more cultural (rather than technical) view of history. Otherwise, skip it.… (more)