The Space race by Sarah Cruddas
Dorling Kindersley, 2019. ISBN: 9780241343777.
(Age: 8+) Recommended. Subjects: Moon, Solar system, Space
transport, Mars mission. Astronaut Eileen Collins introduces The
Space race in an inspirational foreword. She discusses her
nine-year-old dreams to become a female astronaut, her career as a
space pilot and her future hopes for women to walk on the moon and
live on Mars.
The Space race is presented in three sections: 'To the Moon';
'After Apollo 11' and 'The new Space race'. Each spread includes
easy-to-read information, colourful photographs, diagrams and charts
with interesting captions. In Rocket Power we learn about ancient
Greek scientist Archytas who created a steam-powered wooden pigeon
which flew on a wire for 200 metres. The Chinese invented gunpowder
and fired arrows filled with this explosive material from 1200CE.
Animals played an important role: fruit flies, mice, the Russian dog
Laika even a trained chimpanzee called Ham who tested weightlessness
for sixteen minutes!
The 1960's Space race influenced TV shows - The Jetsons, clothes,
toys, fashion and even food and drinks. Author Sarah Cruddas
provides backgrounds of the women who played pivotal roles,
mathematicians, scientists and engineers. Some women worked as
'human computers' solving difficult mathematical calculations to
understand spacecraft performance. 'The quiet heroes' tells of the
team of 400,000 people who backed the astronauts, from seamstresses
who handstitched the space suits to ground control personnel and the
teams of scientists and engineers across the globe who tracked their
flights.
'The new Space race' is a wonderfully exciting section, exploring
the future possibilities with robonauts, super mega-rockets, the new
space nation of China and the possibility of building s permanent
base on the Moon and Mars. The author leaves the ending open - where
to next?
Sarah Cruddas and the Dorling Kindersley publishers have created a
visually outstanding and highly educational resource. The Space
race is an excellent resource for STEM and History research
investigating the ancient and modern dynamics of travel, propulsion,
living in Space and the influences of governments in exploring
space. Families will enjoy sharing this informative book, opening up
new realms and frontiers, providing lively discussions and piquing
the interests of space fans.
Rhyllis Bignell