50 years of space exploration and science is explored in photographs and accessible text. Both a comprehensive history of, and a portfolio of images (some rare or unique) from, the American, Russian and other space programs. "The photographs in this book capture a vision of the Heavens and our Earth with a crystal clarity which we are lucky enough to see with our own eyes." "The immensity ... the beauty ... the challenge ... the triumph and the tragedies ... are captured in Andy Chaikin's elegant photo history." Evocative, dramatic and fascinating, Space is a brilliant collection of more than 300 images that pay tribute to and trace the history of space exploration. This book covers fifty years of this immense human endeavor that started in earnest during the Cold War: Early theories on space travel - Pioneering flights by the Soviets - NASA's earliest missions - Apollo moon landings - The space shuttle - Space probes and space stations - The future of space exploration - The images -- some very rare - have been painstakingly researched from American, Russian and other space programs. As a result, this book is both a historical record of this astonishing era and a portfolio of the most stunning scenes ever photographed.