Space Stations: Base Camps to the Stars

From winged rocket ships, to the giant rotating wheels of Wernher von Braun and 2001: A Space Odyssey, to the epic, controversy-wracked sagas of Mir and the International Space Station, this highly original blend of history and popular culture explains why the dream of a permanently occupied space outpost has captivated so many for so long. Ninety-five of the most arresting drawings, artists' conceptions, and photographs ever assembled, many rare and never before published, illustrate this thought-provoking narrative of the evolution of the space station as cultural icon.

Uniquely qualified to tell the story of the extraordinary effort to actually put hardware and people in space, preeminent space historian Roger Launius is at his best relating lessons from Mir, Skylab, ISS, and the Salyuts, navigating political treachery, translating technology, refereeing controversies, and weaving the magic of space habitation, both real and imaginary. He resuscitates the Flash Gordon and Captain Kirk in us all with his vision of a future in which space stations are surrounded by space-based research parks, industry and commerce, and tourist destinations, and, most importantly, provide a portal to the Moon, Mars-and beyond.

In this richly illustrated book, Launius (former NASA chief historian) details the developments of space stations, from their first imaginings to the future of the International Space Station. He describes the public relations efforts of Werner Von Braun to promote space colonization, describes the science and politics of earlier space stations Skylab and Salyut, and speculates on the future of space exploration. Annotation ©2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Roger D. Launius, former chief historian of NASA, is a member of the Space History Division of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.