Space: A thrilling human history by Britain’s beloved astronaut Tim Peake

From bestselling author and British astronaut Tim Peake, an inspirational human history of space travel, from the Apollo missions to our future forays to Mars. The Right Stuff for a new generation.

THE PERFECT GIFT FOR ANY SPACE TRAVEL ENTHUSIAST
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‘This book is brilliant – once in a blue moon. A book for the whole family.’ Chris Evans, Virgin Radio

‘The most wonderful book … Tim Peake is a historian and encyclopaedia of space.’ Rory Stewart

‘An extraordinary book. For anyone – even if you’re not interested in Space. If you’re interested in human stories and the human character – this is delightful.’ BBC Breakfast

‘A fascinating, detailed, playful book drawn from extensive research – Peake met seven Apollo astronauts, Russian cosmonauts and various other space technicians – as well as his considerable personal experience. Lifts the lid on what space is like: the dedication and sacrifice; the politics and pantomime; the practicalities and the peril; the glory and fame; the adjustment back to normal life.’ iPaper

‘A thrilling human history of space’ Daily Mirror

‘The bible of space travel’ Chris Moyles, Radio X
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As seen in the major TV series Secrets of Our Universe with Tim Peake.

Only 656 people in human history have left Earth. In Space: The Human Story, astronaut Tim Peake traces the lives of these remarkable men and women who have forged the way, from Yuri Gagarin to Neil Armstrong, from Valentina Tereshkova to Peggy Whitson.

Full of exclusive new stories, and astonishing detail only an astronaut would know, the book conveys what space exploration is really like: the wondrous view of Earth, the surreal weightlessness, the extraordinary danger, the surprising humdrum, the unexpected humour, the newfound perspective, the years of training, the psychological pressures, the gruelling physical toll, the thrill of launch and the trepidation of re-entry. The book also examines the surprising, shocking and often poignant stories of astronauts back on Earth, whose lives are forever changed as they readjust to terra firma.

Publication of the book comes on the eve of NASA’s plans to return to the moon, fifty years after an astronaut last walked on the lunar surface. In 2024 the Artemis II mission will send four astronauts to orbit the moon.

In 2025 Artemis III will send the first woman and the first person of colour to step on the lunar surface. What will separate these upcoming moonwalkers from the legendary Apollo crews? Does it still take a daring-do attitude, super-human fitness, intelligence, plus the ‘Right-stuff’ – a fabled grace under pressure? And how will astronauts travel even further – to Mars and beyond? Space: The Human Story reveals all.

From the Publisher

Ed White on a spacewalk during the Gemini 4 mission, 1965. Occasionally tools still

get lost, floating off into space ‘on a definite trajectory going somewhere’, in the words of

Ed White. Spacewalking remains the most physically and mentally demanding task for any astronaut, and the one that carries the greatest risk.

On January 28, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger broke apart 73 seconds into its flight. There were no survivors, but one thing that remained intact in the Challenger wreckage was a football. It had been packed for the journey by Ellison Onizuka, and was the ball used by his daughter’s high school team. Thirty years later, the NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough asked if the ball could accompany him on his mission to the ISS. He took a photograph of it floating against the backdrop of the Cupola observatory module window.

The Mercury Seven were the 1st group of NASA astronauts selected in 1959: Scott Carpenter, Gordon Cooper, John Glenn, Gus Grissom, Wally Schirra, Alan Shepard, and Deke Slayton. They created a new profession in the United States…and a new kind of ‘cool’.

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Penguin
Publication date ‏ : ‎ 23 May 2024
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Print length ‏ : ‎ 336 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1804946265
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1804946268
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 262 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 12.7 x 2.29 x 20.32 cm
Best Sellers Rank: 25,509 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) 11 in Military Aircraft 14 in History of Engineering & Technology 14 in Popular Astronomy
Customer reviews: 4.7 4.7 out of 5 stars 424 ratings var dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction; P.when(‘A’, ‘ready’).execute(function(A) { if (dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction !== true) { dpAcrHasRegisteredArcLinkClickAction = true; A.declarative( ‘acrLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault”: true }, function (event) { if (window.ue) { ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrLinkClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } } ); } }); P.when(‘A’, ‘cf’).execute(function(A) { A.declarative(‘acrStarsLink-click-metrics’, ‘click’, { “allowLinkDefault” : true }, function(event){ if(window.ue) { ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”, (ue.count(“acrStarsLinkWithPopoverClickCount”) || 0) + 1); } }); });