Will there be a manned mission to Mars? What is the real benefit of the International Space Station? How does the Chinese space programme fit in to the general space exploration picture? This illustrated volume examines the technology, challenges, scientists, techologists and politics behind space exploration.
Some of the pictures in this are stunning, the text is pretty good as well, but becuase it comes from 2003, it is already dated with some of the mentioned missions either posponed or cancelled.