
History of Lunar Exploration
Robert Reeves(Author)
Firefly Books Ltd (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 1. September 2026
Book
Hardback
256 pages
978-0-2281-0628-9 (ISBN)
Description
An international fleet of robotic missions from the United States, Russia, Europe, India, Japan and China has transformed our understanding of the Moon. As exploration continues into the 21st century and humans prepare to return, new insights into the Moon, Earth and the wider Solar System are emerging.
Human fascination with the Moon predates spaceflight by thousands of years. From early civilisations to Renaissance astronomers armed with telescopes, its distance concealed many of its secrets. The breakthroughs of mid-20th-century spaceflight changed that forever. Robotic probes and the Apollo landings became defining scientific and technological achievements, shaping the modern world.
Today, lunar exploration is no longer limited to Cold War rivals. Multiple nations and private companies are planning missions, with long-term human presence now within reach. This book tells the full story of humanity's journey to the Moon: the origins of the space race, the technologies and missions that made it possible, the lessons learned so far, and what lies ahead as lunar exploration enters a new era.
Human fascination with the Moon predates spaceflight by thousands of years. From early civilisations to Renaissance astronomers armed with telescopes, its distance concealed many of its secrets. The breakthroughs of mid-20th-century spaceflight changed that forever. Robotic probes and the Apollo landings became defining scientific and technological achievements, shaping the modern world.
Today, lunar exploration is no longer limited to Cold War rivals. Multiple nations and private companies are planning missions, with long-term human presence now within reach. This book tells the full story of humanity's journey to the Moon: the origins of the space race, the technologies and missions that made it possible, the lessons learned so far, and what lies ahead as lunar exploration enters a new era.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Canada
Product notice
Laminated cover
Illustrations
black-and-white photographs, index
Dimensions
Height: 279 mm
Width: 216 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-2281-0628-9 (9780228106289)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Robert Reeves has been exploring the cosmos since 1958 and took his first lunar photograph in 1959. In 1984 Reeves began publishing articles about astrophotography, and since then his articles have appeared in Sky and Telescope, Astronomy, Deep Sky, Deep Sky Journal, Amateur Astronomy and The Astrograph. The author of six previous books about the Moon, space exploration and celestial photography, Reeves enjoys speaking about astronomy and spreading his passion for the Moon and photographing the heavens. His recent activities include a five-city speaking tour in China. Reeves is the first westerner to address the Chinese astronomy community about the Moon. He lives in San Antonio, Texas.