Kennedy Space Center: Gateway to Space - Hardcover

David West Reynolds

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1554070392 ISBN 13: 9781554070398

Publisher: Firefly Books, 2006

Synopsis

An insider's history of the heart of America's space program from its earliest days.

NASA's John F. Kennedy Space Center set the stage for the American adventure in space. Sprawled across 140,000 acres on Florida's Atlantic coast, the center has hosted the succession of rocket launches that have rewritten our knowledge of aeronautics and our very understanding of the nature of the universe.

Chosen because of its perfect location, with the wide Atlantic providing a buffer, Kennedy Space Center is now a major tourist attraction appealing to visitors of all ages.

This spaceport has served as the departure gate for every American space flight mission and the launching point of hundreds of other advanced scientific spacecraft. Kennedy Space Center will continue to make history as NASA embarks on new adventures in space exploration.

The book includes detailed information on:

• The earliest development of rockets in the United States and Germany
• The development of rockets and their launch facilities
• The missile race and U.S.-Soviet rivalry to be first in space
• The great Apollo program and the race to the moon
• The shuttle program, the Space Station and the Hubble Telescope
• The future of space exploration.

Clearly written, meticulously researched and packed with more than 150 spectacular images, Kennedy Space Center is the only complete history of this important site.

About this title

About the Author:

David West Reynolds is the author of six books, including Apollo: The Epic Journey to the Moon and the number 1 New York Times best-seller, Star Wars: Episode I, The Visual Dictionary. He holds a doctorate from the University of Michigan and is an expert in space exploration and its history.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.:

Prologue

The mission objectives are decided elsewhere. The spacecraft are designed and built elsewhere. Today the astronauts are trained elsewhere, and their mission is controlled elsewhere. But the gateway to space lies here. All the elements of America's space program come together at Cape Canaveral's Kennedy Space Center.

After everyone else in the vast NASA spaceflight organization has done his or her job, the Kennedy Space Center team bears the tremendous responsibility of being the last ones to make sure that all the work has been done right and that every component of a spacecraft will function properly. There will be no one after them to check their work or catch any mistakes.

Space rockets require extremely elaborate preparations. Each rocket type must have a specialized launch pad tailored to its precise needs. Without painstaking preparatory operations and supporting equipment to match, a rocket is useless. The most sophisticated rockets in the world require the most sophisticated launch facilities, and the finest are found at the legendary places known as Cape Canaveral and Kennedy Space Center.

About this edition

• Publisher: Firefly Books
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1554070392
• ISBN 13: 9781554070398
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 248