Words and illustrations highlight all of the missions and milestones of space travel, from the development of early rocketry to the race to the Moon and beyond, including the physics behind manned flight, and profiles of scientists and astronauts.

Spaceflight: A Smithsonian Guide (Smithsonian Guides Series)

Science & Math

Neal, Valerie

Lewis, Cathleen S.

Winter, Frank H.

Technology

Macmillan General* Reference

Spaceflight This comprehensive, easy-to-use guide tells the fascinating story of one of the greatest scientific achievements of our times—the conquest of space. Produced in association with the world-renowned Smithsonian Institution and its scientific experts, Spaceflight recounts the epic adventure of the men, women, and machines that took us into space. This Smithsonian Guide features: 
<ul>
<li>Detailed text by Smithsonian experts clearly explaining how spaceflight developed</li> <li>More than 350 full-color photographs and explanatory illustrations of spacecraft, equipment, people, and events</li> <li>Full-color foldout timeline of spaceflight milestones decade by decade</li> <li>40-page quick-access A-to-Z glossary, including capsule biographies, special terms, and key concepts</li> </ul> Other titles: Aviation • Planets • Zoo Animals • Automobiles • Railroads

Spaceflight: The Complete Illustrated Story - from the Earliest Designs to Plans for the 21st Century (Smithsonian Guides)

Engineering & Transportation

Transportation

wiley

An exploration of the changing conceptions of the iconic Space Shuttle and a call for a new vision of spaceflight The thirty years of Space Shuttle flights saw contrary changes in American visions of space. Valerie Neal, who has spent much of her career examining the Space Shuttle program, uses this iconic vehicle to question over four decades’ worth of thinking about, and struggling with, the meaning of human spaceflight. She examines the ideas, images, and icons that emerged as NASA, Congress, journalists, and others sought to communicate rationales for, or critiques of, the Space Shuttle missions. At times concurrently, the Space Shuttle was billed as delivery truck and orbiting science lab, near-Earth station and space explorer, costly disaster and pinnacle of engineering success. The book’s multidisciplinary approach reveals these competing depictions to examine the meaning of the spaceflight enterprise. Given the end of the Space Shuttle flights in 2011, Neal makes an appeal to reframe spaceflight once again to propel humanity forward.

Spaceflight in the Shuttle Era and Beyond: Redefining Humanity's Purpose in Space

History

Historical Study & Educational Resources

Yale University Press

This book places Space Shuttle Discovery within the history of the space shuttle program and provides an introduction to space shuttle technology, with a focus on the orbiter itself. Discovery's unique history is presented mission by mission that includes a brief narrative of each mission, a chart of its key statistics (dates, duration, altitude, payloads, etc.), each mission's patch with an explanation of its unique symbolism, a crew portrait, and two to four iconic photos that capture the distinct activities and successes of each mission. The book also features anecdotes and memories of several astronauts who flew on Discovery, as well as its modernization over the years and its final preparation for retirement at the Smithsonian.

Discovery: Champion of the Space Shuttle Fleet (Smithsonian Series)

Military

Zenith Press

The definitive history of all 61 American women astronauts that's perfect for fans of The Six eager for more Sally Ride became a household name&nbsp;as the first American woman in space, but a wealth of equally impressive women have come after her. On a Mission:&nbsp;The Smithsonian History of US Women Astronauts spans 45 years and 61 astronauts to&nbsp;share the triumphant histories of women who made space for themselves in a male-dominated field. Valerie Neal, emerita curator in the Department of Space History at the&nbsp;Smithsonian's National&nbsp;Air and Space Museum, offers a culturally insightful history of the experiences of women astronauts, the challenges they've faced, and their distinctive stories. Collectively, they've flown&nbsp;on every operational spacecraft, completed more than 100 space shuttle missions and more than 20 long-duration stays on&nbsp;the International Space Station and Russian Space Station Mir, and continue to prove themselves in present-day space exploration efforts. The book includes 30 black-and-white photographs to complement the historical account. With its sweeping look from the first women astronauts to&nbsp;Christina Hammock Koch, assigned to the first Artemis mission to the Moon slated for 2024, there is no comparable space history book. On a Mission is an inspiring tribute to unsung women's history.

On a Mission: The Smithsonian History of US Women Astronauts

World

Smithsonian Books

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Neal, Valerie. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Neal, Valerie