Audiobook4 hours
Spaceflight: A Concise History
Written by Michael J. Neufeld
Narrated by Mike Chamberlain
Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
4/5
()
About this audiobook
Spaceflight is one of the greatest human achievements of the twentieth century. The Soviets launched Sputnik, the first satellite, in 1957; less than twelve years later, the American Apollo astronauts landed on the Moon.
Michael Neufeld explains that "the space program" should not be equated only with human spaceflight. Since the 1960s, unmanned military and commercial spacecraft have been orbiting near the Earth, and robotic deep-space explorers have sent back stunning images of faraway planets. Neufeld begins with the origins of space ideas and the discovery that rocketry could be used for spaceflight. He then discusses the Soviet-U.S. Cold War space race and reminds us that NASA resisted adding female astronauts even after the Soviets sent the first female cosmonaut into orbit. He analyzes the two rationales for the Apollo program: prestige and scientific discovery (this last something of an afterthought). He describes the internationalization and privatization of human spaceflight after the Cold War, the cultural influence of space science fiction, including Star Trek and Star Wars, space tourism for the ultra-rich, and the popular desire to go into space. Whether we become a multiplanet species, as some predict, or continue to call Earth home, this book offers a useful primer.
Michael Neufeld explains that "the space program" should not be equated only with human spaceflight. Since the 1960s, unmanned military and commercial spacecraft have been orbiting near the Earth, and robotic deep-space explorers have sent back stunning images of faraway planets. Neufeld begins with the origins of space ideas and the discovery that rocketry could be used for spaceflight. He then discusses the Soviet-U.S. Cold War space race and reminds us that NASA resisted adding female astronauts even after the Soviets sent the first female cosmonaut into orbit. He analyzes the two rationales for the Apollo program: prestige and scientific discovery (this last something of an afterthought). He describes the internationalization and privatization of human spaceflight after the Cold War, the cultural influence of space science fiction, including Star Trek and Star Wars, space tourism for the ultra-rich, and the popular desire to go into space. Whether we become a multiplanet species, as some predict, or continue to call Earth home, this book offers a useful primer.
Related to Spaceflight
Related audiobooks
Space 2069: After Apollo: Back to the Moon, to Mars, and Beyond Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Moon Shot: The Inside Story of America's Apollo Moon Landings Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How We'll Live on Mars Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Not Necessarily Rocket Science: A Beginner's Guide to Life in the Space Age Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Calculating the Cosmos: How Mathematics Unveils the Universe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Case for Mars: The Plan to Settle the Red Planet and Why We Must Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Reaching for the Moon: Short History of the Space Race Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Chandra's Cosmos: Dark Matter, Black Holes, and Other Wonders Revealed by NASA's Premier X-Ray Observatory Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Ten Days in Physics that Shook the World: How Physicists Transformed Everyday Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Apollo 11: An AP Special Anniversary Edition Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDiscovering Mars: A History of Observation and Exploration of the Red Planet Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDark Matter & Dark Energy: The Hidden 95% of the Universe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ripples in Spacetime: Einstein, Gravitational Waves, and the Future of Astronomy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Exoplanets (Goldsmith): Hidden Worlds and the Quest for Extraterrestrial Life Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Astrobiology: A Very Short Introduction Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Magicians: Great Minds and the Central Miracle of Science Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5GPS Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Robots Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Self-Tracking Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat to Think About Machines That Think: Today's Leading Thinkers on the Age of Machine Intelligence Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Future Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Digital Apollo: Human and Machine in Spaceflight Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Computing: A Concise History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Virtual Reality Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAI Ethics Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Haptics Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Technological Singularity Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5
Science & Mathematics For You
Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Change Your World Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Master and His Emissary: The Divided Brain and the Making of the Western World Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Salt: A World History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cosmos: A Personal Voyage Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Starry Messenger: Cosmic Perspectives on Civilization Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Science of Time Travel: The Secrets Behind Time Machines, Time Loops, Alternate Realities, and More! Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Thinking in Systems: A Primer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Brain Rules (Updated and Expanded): 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Conscious: A Brief Guide to the Fundamental Mystery of the Mind Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Midnight in Chernobyl: The Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Elephant in the Brain: Hidden Motives in Everyday Life Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Marshmallow Test: Mastering Self-Control Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Gene: An Intimate History Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Anatomy of a Breakthrough: How to Get Unstuck When It Matters Most Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Radiolab: Journey Through The Human Body Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Neuroscientist Who Lost Her Mind: My Tale of Madness and Recovery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Packing for Mars: The Curious Science of Life in the Void Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Related categories
Reviews for Spaceflight
Rating: 4.249999916666667 out of 5 stars
4/5
6 ratings0 reviews