NPR American Chronicles: Exploring Space

by NPR Narrated by Joe Palca

Overview

From the competitive spirit ignited by Sputnik to the tragedies and triumphs of the Apollo missions, from the technological leap forward created by the Space Shuttle to the global cooperation forged by the International Space Station and beyond, NPR examines the inspirational story of modern space exploration and the extraordinary individuals who made it possible. Featuring in-depth profiles of landmark missions, along with interviews and commentary from voices that have lived the dream, including astronauts John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Bernard Harris, Sally Ride, and many more.

Contents:

Introduction by Joe Palca

So You Want to Be an Astronaut

A History of Manned Space Travel

Sputnik, Space Race Mirror a Personal Journey

Legacy of Space Race on U.S. Education

Space Race Permeated Pop Culture

Khrushchev, Schorr Look Back on Sputnik

Sputnik in Space and Song

Explorer I, America's Answer to Sputnik

John Glenn, a Hero Well Before Orbiting Earth

John Glenn on 50 Years Since His First Orbit

The Mercury 13: Training U.S. Women for Space

NASA's Longest Serving Astronaut Retires

Apollo 8 Moon Mission Still Awes

Early Days of NASA

Reflections on the Apollo I Disaster

Apollo 11 Moon Landing

Houston, We Erased the Apollo 11 Tapes

Apollo 15: The First Space Walk

Apollo 17 Lands on the Moon

Mr. Rogers and Apollo 15

One Small Town's Big Role in the Apollo Missions

A Small Step to the Moon, Giant Leap to Mars

Introducing the Space Shuttle

The First Space Shuttle Lifts Off

For Bernard Harris, More than “One Small Step for Man”

Challenger Disaster

Eileen Collins, Shuttle Commander, Inspires

Woman Astronaut Sally Ride

Columbia Disaster

Shuttle Legacy: Grand, Though Not What Was Planned

Curiosity Is on Mars, Now What?

Aboard the Space Station, It's a Beautiful World

Last Hubble Repair Mission

Space Station's Best Days Are Still Ahead

Vacation in Space? Possible . . . For the Rich

Virtual Space Elevator

Editorial Reviews

AUGUST 2013 - AudioFile

Anyone interested in both history and the space program will enjoy this collection of news reports, interviews, and recollections from an era that saw wondrous scientific advances contrasted with the Cold War fear that the U.S. and Soviet Union would use space exploration as an excuse to rain bombs down on each other. NPR reporter Joe Palca narrates as you would expect a reporter to. His voice is friendly, accessible, and informative, and he paces himself so that we can follow his reports. This is not just Palca’s gig, though, as the stories also feature other NPR on-air personalities, American citizens with an interest in space, astronauts from John Glenn to Sally Ride, rocket scientists, and even Nikita Krushchev’s son Sergei, who reminisces about the night that Sputnik launched in 1957. R.I.G. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940170243303
Publisher:	HighBridge Company
Publication date:	08/06/2013
Series:	NPR American Chronicles
Edition description:	Unabridged

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