In the course of just over half a century, aeronautics and space travel has progressed from one man, Chuck Yeager, breaking the sound barrier in an airplane to building an International Space Station, which has hosted numerous individuals from at least eight different countries. Readers will delight in this high-interest coverage of key missions in the history of spaceflight as the text provides important factual background and recreates the experiences of astronauts. Supported by beautiful illustrations and dramatic photographs, the book relates tales of triumph and disaster, including the first space walk, the moon landings, and the Challenger explosion.