Spacecraft, by Michael Gorn and Giuseppe de Chiara

It's hard to imagine that mankind has been traveling to space for over half a century.  During that time, hundreds of different spacecrafts have been used to carry people and things into space.  Michael Dorn and Giuseppe de Chiara's book Spacecraft: 100 Iconic Rockets, Shuttles, and Satellites That Put Us in Space introduces readers to 100 of those spacecraft.

Spacecraft is a great intro to human space exploration, with the spacecraft we use serving as touchpoints along the way.  De Chiara and Gorn include a few photos, such as the stunning photo below, but most of the spacecraft are illustrated with detailed drawings.  It's interesting to see how the designs evolved, as well as to observe the differences and similarities between the designs used by NASA and by the USSR and other space agencies.

More than anything, Spacecraft got me excited about what's next.  My parents' and grandparents' generations have seen unfathomable changes in the way humans travel and interact with our world and in space.  I can't begin to imagine what my grandchildren will see in their lifetimes.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the complimentary electronic review copy!