eBOOK
Breaking the Chains of Gravity
The Story of Spaceflight before NASA
By: Amy Shira Teitel
eBook | 22 October 2015 | Edition Number 1
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NASA's history is a familiar story, one that typically peaks with Neil Armstrong taking his small step on the Moon in 1969. But America's space agency wasn't created in a vacuum. It was assembled from pre-existing parts, drawing together some of the best minds the non-Soviet world had to offer.
In the 1930s, rockets were all the rage in Germany, the focus both of scientists hoping to fly into space and of the German armed forces, looking to circumvent the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles. One of the key figures in this period was Wernher von Braun, an engineer who designed the rockets that became the devastating V-2.
As the war came to its chaotic conclusion, von Braun escaped from the ruins of Nazi Germany, and was taken to America where he began developing missiles for the US Army. Meanwhile, the US Air Force was looking ahead to a time when men would fly in space, and test pilots like Neil Armstrong were flying cutting-edge, rocket-powered aircraft in the thin upper atmosphere.
Breaking the Chains of Gravity tells the story of America's nascent space program, its scientific advances, its personalities and the rivalries it caused between the various arms of the US military. At this point getting a man in space became a national imperative, leading to the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, otherwise known as NASA.
In the 1930s, rockets were all the rage in Germany, the focus both of scientists hoping to fly into space and of the German armed forces, looking to circumvent the restrictions of the Treaty of Versailles. One of the key figures in this period was Wernher von Braun, an engineer who designed the rockets that became the devastating V-2.
As the war came to its chaotic conclusion, von Braun escaped from the ruins of Nazi Germany, and was taken to America where he began developing missiles for the US Army. Meanwhile, the US Air Force was looking ahead to a time when men would fly in space, and test pilots like Neil Armstrong were flying cutting-edge, rocket-powered aircraft in the thin upper atmosphere.
Breaking the Chains of Gravity tells the story of America's nascent space program, its scientific advances, its personalities and the rivalries it caused between the various arms of the US military. At this point getting a man in space became a national imperative, leading to the creation of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, otherwise known as NASA.
Industry Reviews
"Teitel . . . illuminates the foundations of American spaceflight with this exceptional and detailed 'prehistory' of the field . . . fascinating new territory, filled with a galaxy of lively characters."
Publishers Weekly
"This is a good treatment of the origins of the US space program."
CHOICE magazine
"Breaking the Chains of Gravity tells the story of how we began to explore the cosmos--the lessons we had to learn the hard way--and shows why space exploration even today remains anything but routine."
Bobak Ferdowsi, Flight Director, Mars Science Laboratory
"The book is full of fascinating information on a central facet of 20th-century history. A must-read for anyone interested in the early history of space exploration."
Kirkus
Publishers Weekly
"This is a good treatment of the origins of the US space program."
CHOICE magazine
"Breaking the Chains of Gravity tells the story of how we began to explore the cosmos--the lessons we had to learn the hard way--and shows why space exploration even today remains anything but routine."
Bobak Ferdowsi, Flight Director, Mars Science Laboratory
"The book is full of fascinating information on a central facet of 20th-century history. A must-read for anyone interested in the early history of space exploration."
Kirkus
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eReader
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ISBN: 9781472911193
ISBN-10: 1472911199
Published: 22nd October 2015
Format: ePUB
Language: English
Number of Pages: 288
Audience: General Adult
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Country of Publication: GB
Edition Number: 1
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This product is categorised by
- Non-FictionScienceScience in GeneralPopular Science
- Non-FictionEngineering & TechnologyOther Technologies & Applied SciencesSpace Science
- Non-FictionNature & The Natural WorldPopular Astronomy & Space
- Non-FictionScienceScience in GeneralHistory of Science
- Non-FictionEngineering & TechnologyTransport Technology & TradesAerospace & Aviation Technology
- Non-FictionHistoryRegional & National HistoryHistory of the Americas