NASA and the Exploration of Space: With Works from the Nasa Art Collection

by Roger D. Launius

The curator of NASA's art collection and the agency's chief historian have collaborated to put together this arresting collection of paintings, drawings, and sculptures representing more than 30 years of space exploration. From the Mercury flights to the Mars Pathfinder mission, artists interpret the sights and emotions of each journey. Some focus on the astronauts, some on the machinery, some on the behind-the-scenes action. Each work is unique, whether realistic or impressionistic. This is a gorgeous book--perfect for space buffs, science historians, and anyone interested in a different perspective on human efforts to explore the universe.

Genres: Art, Space, Technology, Nonfiction

224 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 1998

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Dr. Roger D. Launius earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in history at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge (American frontier and military history).

Dr. Launius was a civilian historian with the United States Air Force, and became Chief Historian for the Military Airlift Command. Since October 1990 he is Chief Historian for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He is also Senior Curator at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.

He is also involved in the study of nineteenth century history and the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church).

Reviews

[David Clifton · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent coffee table book about the history of NASA with accompanying artwork. However, since is was published in 1998, it seems incomplete (e.g. space shuttle Columbia, International Space Station, Mars rover projects, etc).

Because I enjoyed the history but would have preferred photographs over sketches and paintings, I recommend "Spaceshots and Snapshots of Projects Mercury and Gemini: A Rare Photographic History, " by John Bisney and J.L. Pickering (2015).

[L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although a written history of the things NASA has done over the years, the best part of this book is the artwork. From its earliest years, NASA employed artists, and the best artwork is included in this book.