Space 50.

SPACE 50 PIERS BIZONY

In just half a century, people have managed to explore the heavens in a way that ancient people never imagined. The space age dawned in 1957 with the launch of the Russian spacecraft Sputnik 1. Since then, people have been to the moon and back, sent space probes to Mars and Saturn, and constructed an international space station. Science writer Bizony looks back on space exploration and ponders its future. He details the rivalry between the two ingenious rocket scientists Sergei Pavlovich Korolev and Wernher von Braun, who paved the way for the intense space race between Russia and the United States. Since NASA'S formation in 1958, U.S. citizens have been enamored of the idea of space flight. Political pressure after Russia's successful launch of a man into space spurred the U.S. government to catch up. Bizony chronicles the subsequent missions launched by both the United States and Russia. The author also explains some of the problems that have plagued NASA since its inception. Finally, Bizony examines whether the future of space travel lies in vessels designed by private companies and paid for by space tourists. HarperCollins, 2006, 320 p., color photos, hardcover, $40.00.