Review of "Into Space With the Astronauts," by Robert Scbarff

Review of

Into Space With the Astronauts, by Robert Scbarff


Four out of five stars

 Written in 1965, this book is dated to the time when the Mercury program in the United States was over and the Gemini program was in progress and the Apollo program was in the late planning stages. During the Mercury program, a single astronaut was launched into space and in the Gemini, there were two. Furthermore, it was in the Gemini program where the critical skills of rendezvous and docking in space were achieved.

 This book contains a set of explanations of what had happened so far, what the goals for space flight are and how they are expected to be achieved. Written at the level of the late elementary or middle school child, this book gives an accurate rendition of the U. S. space program at the time. Since most of the planning for the moon landings had been done, the artists renditions of the spacecraft and the other equipment are fairly accurate.

 The reader also learns some of the aspects of the training that the astronauts undergo, from simulated weightlessness to survival in a desert environment. It demonstrates how rigorous the selection and preparation process is in order to be considered worthy of being perched on top of the rocket. Although this book is dated, it is still an effective look back on what was truly one of the greatest achievements of the human species.