THE SPACE RACE
Reviewed By Ian Banks November 23, 2018
Author Angelina Yalda
Distributor: New Holland Publishers
ISBN: 9781921580475
Publisher: New Holland Publishers
Release Date: 2018
Website: http://au.newhollandpublishers.com
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The Space Race is something younger generations may not relate too all that easily, but back in the 1950’s and 1960’s Russia and the United States of America competed to see which country would be the first to conquer space, to explore the furthest beyond the known boarders of planet Earth.
In today’s world so much more is known about the plants, the stars, the heavens and the various elements that go into creating ‘space’, but the knowledge of this still fascinating and evocative far off region is still evolving, as space craft also have evolved, able to travel further, remain in orbit longer and send back amazing photographs to Scientists, allowing much that was once a completely mystical and unknown to be available to everyone.
Even though space exploration no longer is a race between countries the fascination still remains, as does to some degree, the mysticism of what lies still further into the vastness of ‘space’.
In this well-presented book on The Space Race and How we set our sights on the stars and conquered space, Angelina Yalda has set out a clear and well documented perspective, on what man finds so very fascinating about the planets and their solar systems, as wells the many galaxies, that have intrigued mankind since the days of the ‘cave dweller’, when they would, as have the generations since, stared up at the night sky using it as a map for travel, a source of light for the night and a harbinger of what was to come.
Developments and achievements that have taken place over the past sixty years are documented in easy to understand language, illustrated with an excellent selection of photographs, beginning with Early Beliefs, moving through the range of topics such as the invention of the telescope and the incredible perspective the Hubble telescope has provided for exploring the vast dimensions of space. The launch of Apollo II on 16 July, 1969 allowed Neil Armstrong to become the first man to place a foot on the surface of the moon, and by doing so won the ‘space race’ begun in 1957.
Future Discoveries presents a look at space tourism and further exploration, Astronauts who have received specific training to enable them to undertake specific tasks and what you need to do to become an Astronaut!
Space Trivia at the end of the book, really does ask some very pertinent questions about what has been read, along with a range of activities that can be done, making this the prefect book for whiling away those, long, lazy days of holidays, when there is ‘nothing to do!’.
A wonderful quote from the iconic Dr Stephen Hawkins (1942-2018), a man who never ever lost the desire to wonder and discover just a little bit more, finishes this well constructed and presented book on Space perfectly when he said,
‘Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.’