"As America's Mercury Seven astronauts were launched on death-defying missions, television cameras focused on the brave smiles of their young wives. Overnight, these women were transformed from military spouses into American royalty. They had tea with Jackie Kennedy, appeared on the cover of Life magazine, and quickly grew into fashion icons. Annie Glenn, with her picture-perfect marriage, was the envy of the other wives; platinum-blonde Rene Carpenter...

The award-winning author of Eye of the Storm chronicles the lesser-known rivalry between former Nazi-turned-U.S. Cold War scientist Wernher von Braun and Russian rocket designer Sergei Korolev, explaining how their controversial scientific achievements shaped human history.

Chronicles the epic race to the moon between the United States and the Soviet Union, discussing both countries' space exploration programs, the scientists and political leaders involved, and the key achievements and disasters of both.

The story of Albert II, the first monkey to be sent into space, including the climate of the times, facts about Albert, how it influenced history and more.

McDougall covers the first twenty-five years of space travel, from Sputnick to the Pioneer 10, including the industry surrounding space exploration, political machinations relevant to the Cold War, and social effects from an age where "the heavens" were transformed into "outer space."

"In 1977, Voyager 2 was launched to help human beings learn more about their universe. What's out there--past Earth, into deep space and beyond?"--

Since NASA was established in 1958, it has landed rovers on distant planets and launched telescopes deep into space, all so that we can look back to the beginning of time. Through stunning images provided by NASA and fascinating sidebars and profiles of lesser known contributors to the NASA program, young space fans will learn how NASA started, how it faced challenges along the way, how much it has achieved, and how it will continue to move forward...

"Find out all about NASA in this out-of-this-world addition to the What Was? series. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration, better known as NASA, began in 1958. With its creation, the United States hoped to ensure it won the space race against the Soviet Union. Author Sarah Fabiny describes the origins of NASA, the launching of the Apollo program that landed the first human on the moon, and the many missions and discoveries that have taken...

During World War Il, when the brand-new minted Jet Propulsion Laboratory needed quick-thinking mathematicians to calculate jet velocities and plot missile trajectories, they recruited an elite group of young women--known as "computers"--who, with only pencil, paper, and mathematical prowess, transformed rocket design and helped bring about America's first ballistic missiles. But they were never interested in developing weapons--their hearts lay in...