About this item
Journey to the farthest corners of the universe in this visually stunning coffee-table atlas by the former chief historian of NASA. 300 maps and illustrations tell the incredible story of the past, present, and future of the universe and space exploration. Navigate the Solar System, the Milky Way, and beyond with 300 magnificent charts, illustrations, and photographs. This large-format atlas makes the immense universe feel more intimate, with striking full-page spreads and engaging text.. Former chief historian of NASA Roger D. Launius offers important perspective on the trajectory of space exploration and its achievements, covering topics like ancient ideas of the cosmos; the evolution of galaxies; the search for extraterrestrial intelligence; investigating the inner and outer solar system; and human migration to the Moon and to Mars.
About the Author
Roger D. Launius is a senior curator in the Division of Space History at the Smithsonian Institution's National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Between 1990 and 2002 he served as chief historian of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. A graduate of Graceland College in Lamoni, Iowa, he received his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, in 1982 and worked as a civilian historian with the United States Air Force until 1990. He has written or edited more than twenty books on aerospace history, among others including "Smithsonian Atlas of Space Exploration" (HarperCollins, 2009) ; "Robots in Space: Technology, Evolution, and Interplanetary Travel" (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008) ; "Space Stations: Base Camps to the Stars" (Smithsonian Books, 2003; 2nd ed. 2009) , which received the AIAA's history manuscript prize; "Flight: A Celebration of 100 Years in Art and Literature" (Welcome Books, 2003) ; "Reconsidering a Century of Flight" (University of North Carolina Press, 2003) ; "To Reach the High Frontier: A History of U.S. Launch Vehicles" (University Press of Kentucky, 2002) ; "Imagining Space: Achievements, Possibilities, Projections, 1950-2050" (Chronicle Books, 2001) ; "Innovation and the Development of Flight" (Texas A&M University Press, 1999) ; "NASA & the Exploration of Space" (Stewart, Tabori, & Chang, 1998) ; "Frontiers of Space Exploration" (Greenwood Press, 1998, rev. ed. 2004) ; "Spaceflight and the Myth of Presidential Leadership" (University of Illinois Press, 1997) ; and "NASA: A History of the U.S. Civil Space Program" (Krieger Publishing Co., 1994, rev. ed. 2001) . He is also involved in other historical studies. His book, "Joseph Smith III: Pragmatic Prophet" (University of Illinois Press, 1988) , won the prestigious Evans Award for biography. He has also published "Differing Visions: Dissenters in Mormon History" (University of Illinois Press, 1994) , "Cultures in Conflict: A Documentary History of the Mormon War in Illinois" (Utah State University Press, 1995) , "Kingdom on the Mississippi Revisited: Nauvoo in Mormon History" (University of Illinois Press, 1996) , and several others. "Alexander William Doniphan: Portrait of a Missouri Moderate" (University of Missouri Press, 1997) , discusses the role of the vital center in American politics during the Mexican-American War and sectional conflict.More recently he has been studying the relationship of baseball to American culture and has published, "Charlie Finley: The Outrageous Story of Baseball's Super Showman" (Walker and Co., 2010) , and "Seasons in the Sun: The Story of Big League Baseball in Missouri" (University of Missouri Press, 2002) .He served as a consultant to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board in 2003
