posted 03-24-2010 10:29 AM               

For thousands of years, man has looked to the stars in wonder, but it is only recently that we have been able to travel among them, and The Spaceflight Vault: A History of NASA's Manned Missions traces the extraordinary journey from the early rocketry pioneers to the astronauts of today.

Filled with hundreds of photos from the archives at Johnson Space Center, Clark University and private collections, The Spaceflight Vault is a stunning visual history of man's achievements in space. Designed as a treasured scrapbook, the vault also contains replicas of historic memorabilia such as pages from Dr. Robert Goddard's handwritten diary, written tests from the Mercury astronaut selection program, Gemini flight menus, Apollo 7 checklists, media passes from early shuttle launches, front pages from numerous issues of The Johnson Space Center Roundup and much more.

No one who has ever dreamed of soaring among the stars should be without this "home archive" of man's journey into orbit.

"This book allows the reader to venture through the early rocket dreamers, follow the astronauts to the surface of the moon and dream of the possibilities that lie ahead." -- Chris Kraft, former NASA flight controller and director of Johnson Space Center

• Hardcover: 144 pages
  
• Publisher: Whitman Publishing (April 2010)
  
• ISBN-10: 0794830463
  
• ISBN-13: 978-0794830465

posted 04-29-2010 05:57 AM               

It comes in a slipcase, a coffee-table sized book, lots of images, with really a lot of different facsimile reproductions! Ends with Ares I-X flight. Not a book that you would buy for the text if you're a hardcore space buff but it looks like a lot of fun to flip through - much like the other book.

posted 05-08-2010 02:44 AM            

There is yet another similar book, containing facsimiles, which may be of interest. This is "The Story of Flight" ISBN 978-1-84732-356-9.

posted 07-14-2010 07:16 PM               

Blast off with the history of NASA at the Toms River branch

For thousands of years, man has looked to the stars in wonder, but only recently have we been able to travel among them.

Mark Mayfield, author of The Spaceflight Vault: A History of NASA's Manned Missions, is giving a special presentation about the history of spaceflight, from the early rocketry pioneers to the astronauts of today at the Ocean County Library Toms River branch (101 Washington St.) on Monday, August 2 at 7 pm.

Mayfield's presentation is based on The Spaceflight Vault, which is filled with hundreds of photos from the archives at Johnson Space Center, Clark University and private collection. The Spaceflight Vault is a stunning visual history of man's achievements in space.

Following the presentation, Mayfield will do a question-and-answer session and a book signing. Copies of The Spaceflight Vault will be available for purchase.

This program is free and open to the public.

To register, go online or speak to an operator at 732-349-6200.