SPACE EXPLORATION FOR DUMMIES

Your comprehensive guide to remarkable achievements in space
Do you long to explore the universe? This plain-English, fully illustrated guide explains the great discoveries and advancements in space exploration throughout history, from early astronomers to the International Space Station. You'll learn about the first satellites, rockets, and people in space; explore space programs around the world; and ponder the controversial question: Why continue to explore space?
Take a quick tour of astronomy — get to know the solar system and our place in the galaxy, take a crash course in rocket science, and live a day in the life of an astronaut
Run the Great Space Race — trace the growth of the Space Age from Sputnik to the Apollo moon landings and meet the robots that explored the cosmos
Watch as space exploration matures — from the birth of the Space Shuttle to the creation of the Mir Space Station to successes and failures in Mars exploration, see how space programs reached new levels
Journey among the planets — check out the discoveries made during historic voyages to the inner and outer reaches of the solar system
Understand current exploration — review the telescopes in space, take a tour of the International Space Station, and see the latest sights on Mars
Look into the future — learn about upcoming space missions and increased access to space travel
Open the book and find:
Descriptions of space milestones and future missions
An easy-to-follow chronological structure
Color and black-and-white photos
The nitty-gritty details of becoming an astronaut
A grand tour of the solar system through space missions
Explanations of tragedies and narrow escapes
Facts on the creation of space stations by NASA and the USSR
Ten places to look for life beyond Earth

Cynthia Phillips, PhD, and Shana Priwer are the coauthors of 14 books on subjects including astronomy, Einstein, da Vinci, the physics of the built environment, and a variety of other topics. Phillips works at the Carl Sagan Center for the Study of Life in the Universe at the SETI Institute. Priwer works for an architectural/design software company.

Introduction.
Part I: Space Exploration: Where, Who, and How.
Chapter 1: Space Exploration in a Nutshell.
Chapter 2: A Tour of the Universe.
Chapter 3: Yes, It’s Rocket (And Spacecraft) Science After All.
Chapter 4: The Life and Times of an Astronaut.
Chapter 5: Tragedies in Space.
Part II: The Great Space Race.
Chapter 6: A Small Beeping Sphere and the Dawn of the Space Age.
Chapter 7: What a Ride! The First People in Space.
Chapter 8: Sending Robots to the Moon.
Chapter 9: Man on the Moon: Project Apollo.
Chapter 10: Continued Lunar Exploration after Apollo 11.
Chapter 11: Going on a Grand Tour of the Solar System.
Chapter 12: The First Space Stations and the End of the Space Race.
Part III: Second-Generation Missions.
Chapter 13: The Space Shuttle and Mir Space Station: The Dawn of Modern Space Exploration.
Chapter 14 : Prime Time for the Space Shuttle: From the 1980s into the 21st Century.
Chapter 15: Revenge of the Red Planet: Successes and Failures in Mars Exploration.
Chapter 16: Exploring the Inner Solar System.
Chapter 17: Voyages to the Outer Solar System.
Part IV: Current Space Exploration.
Chapter 18: What a View! Telescopes in Space.
Chapter 19: A Symbol of Global Cooperation: The International Space Station.
Chapter 20: New Views of Mars in the New Millennium.
Part V: The Future of Space Exploration.
Chapter 21: More in Store: Upcoming Space Missions.
Chapter 22: Increasing Access to Space.
Chapter 23: Why Continue to Explore Space?
Part VI: The Part of Tens.
Chapter 24: Ten Places to Look for Life beyond Earth.
Chapter 25: Ten Ways Space Travel Isn’t Like Television or the Movies.
Chapter 26: Ten Types of Everyday Items Brought to You Courtesy of NASA.
Index.