NASA
released a new book on Thursday to commemorate the last five decades of achievement
in aeronautics, science and technology, and spaceflight since the launch
of Soviet satellite Sputnik ushered in the Space Age.
The U.S. space agency is also celebrating its own 50th
anniversary in 2008. Sputnik's historic launch on Oct. 4, 1957 led directly to NASA's creation in
1958 when Congress passed the National Aeronautics and Space Act.
"This
book has a wonderful collection of imagery that chronicles the first
half-century of NASA," said NASA deputy administrator Shana Dale in a
statement. "As we view the historic achievement of our
first generation of space explorers and see how far we have come in 50
years, we also peer over the horizon to a new era of exploration that will
provide us with an outpost on the moon and eventually human exploration of
Mars."
Titled
"America in Space" and published by Harry N. Abrams, Inc., New York,
the book contains 500 color and black-and-white photographs – many never before
published – that were gleaned from NASA archives. Images show dramatic moments
at lift-off as well as the faces behind-the-scenes in mission control,
providing vivid illustration of the very human astronauts, scientists,
engineers, and administrators.
"Abrams is tremendously proud to have collaborated with
NASA to create 'America in Space,' which celebrates some of
our nation's greatest achievements and is also a milestone in photographic
publishing," said Eric Himmel, Abrams vice president and editor-in-chief.
"It was thrilling to see these amazing images materialize from NASA's vast
visual archives as the project took shape."
"America in Space" also features a
foreword by Apollo 11 commander Neil Armstrong - the first human to walk on the
moon on July 20, 1969. NASA chief historian Steven Dick,
lead photo researcher Constance Moore and other officials also contributed to
the new book, the space agency said. The book sells for $50.
For more
images from the book, click here.
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