# Picturing the Space Shuttle: The Early Years - Hardcover

by **John Bisney** (Author), **J. L. Pickering** (Author), **Robert L. Crippen** (Foreword by)

**Rare views of the beginnings of the historic space program, selected and presented by two leading space flight authorities**

After the excitement of the first Moon landing, the U.S. space program took an ambitious new direction closer to home: NASA's Space Shuttle program promised frequent access to Earth orbit for medical and scientific breakthroughs; deploying, repairing, and maintaining satellites; and assembling a space station. _Picturing the Space Shuttle_ is the **first photographic history of the program's early years** as the world's first spaceplane debuted.

Showcasing over **450 unpublished and lesser-known images**, this book traces the growth of the Space Shuttle from **1965 to 1982, from initial concept through its first four space flights.** The photographs offer windows into designing the first reusable space vehicle as well as the construction and testing of the prototype shuttle _Enterprise_. They also show the factory assembly and delivery of the Space Shuttle _Columbia_, preparations at the major NASA field centers, and astronaut selection and training. Finally, the book devotes a chapter to each of the first four orbital missions, STS-1 through STS-4, providing an **abundance of seldom-seen photos** for each flight.

Mostly selected from J. L. Pickering's personal archive, **the world's largest private collection of U.S. human space flight images**, the high-quality photographs in this book are paired with veteran journalist John Bisney's **detailed descriptions and historical background information.** The book also includes images of NASA and shuttle contractor booklets, manuals, access badges, and press kits, as well as a foreword by Robert Crippen, the pilot of the first Space Shuttle flight. _Picturing the Space Shuttle_ re-creates the excitement of an era in which the possibilities of space exploration seemed limitless.

**Number of Pages:** 288

**Dimensions:** 0.9 x 11.1 x 8.6 IN

**Illustrated:** Yes

**Publication Date:** September 07, 2021

## Details

- **Price:** 45.0 USD
- **Vendor:** Books by splitShops
- **Type:** Books
- **Tags:** Books by splitShops, Shopify Collective

## Variants

| Variant | Price | Available |
|---------|-------|-----------|
| Default Title | 45.00 USD | In stock |

## Images

- Picturing the Space Shuttle: The Early Years - Hardcover

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