Opening the Space Frontier

School Library Journal

Gr 8 Up-- A well-researched history of space flight launched by citing authors Jules Verne and H. G. Wells, theoreticians such as Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, and rocket experimentalists Robert Goddard and Wernher von Braun. Spangenberg and Moser relay the personalities and the events of the moon race in detail. Although the story ends with the last moon flight in 1972, they thoughtfully connect those successes with future missions such as Skylab and Soviet long-term flights. Chronologies of missions, lists of astronauts, an extensive bibliography and glossary, and numerous historical black-and-white and color photographs supplement the clearly written text. Unfortunately, the story falters somewhat near the end. Important details about the near-fatal explosion on Apollo 13 and the trouble-plagued Soyuz 11 mission, which cost the lives of three cosmonauts, are missing. The authors also skip the ``punch line'' in favor of a more upbeat ending. In the early 70s the U. S. cancelled planned moon flights, reduced NASAs funding, and set forth a ``cheaper'' program relying entirely on the space shuttle. Many historians trace the 1986 shuttle disaster and our current lack of a space agenda to those decisions. In spite of its flaws, this book is a worthy purchase. --Alan Newman, American Chemical Society, Washington, D.C.

Booknews

The first volume in this series recounts the early history of space exploration--from the development of the first military rocket in the 19th century through the Apollo moon landings in the late 1960s and early 1970s. A popular work with many b&w photos. No bibliography. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)