Space Odyssey: The First Forty Years of Space Exploration

In only forty years the exploration of space has become one of humanity's preeminent achievements. Space Odyssey follows the greatest moments of this saga and tells the tale of the four hundred men and women who have been into space. The journey begins with the pioneers of life in space, those first humans sent into Earth orbit and the legendary crews of the Apollo missions. It continues aboard the Mir space station, where we are invited to share the intimate life of its Russian, American and French inhabitants as they walk on the ceiling and sleep on the walls. At the beginning of the twenty-first century, the adventure moves forward with the International Space Station. Filled with stunning photographs, many taken by the astronauts themselves, Space Odyssey portrays the hopes and dreams of those who have been directly involved in one of the greatest adventures of all time. Serge Brunier is chief editor of the journal Ciel et Espace, a photojournalist, and the author of many nonfiction books aimed at both specialists and the general public. His previous books include Majestic Universe (Cambridge, 1999) and Glorious Eclipses with Jean-Pierre Luminet (Cambridge, 2000).