{"title":"Valerie Neal","description":null,"products":[{"product_id":"discovery-book-valerie-neal-9780760343838","title":"Discovery","description":"This book places Space Shuttle Discovery within the history of the space shuttle program and provides an introduction to space shuttle technology, with a focus on the orbiter itself. Discovery's unique history is presented mission by mission that includes a brief narrative of each mission, a chart of its key statistics (dates, duration, altitude, payloads, etc.), each mission's patch with an explanation of its unique symbolism, a crew portrait, and two to four iconic photos that capture the distinct activities and successes of each mission. The book also features anecdotes and memories of several astronauts who flew on Discovery, as well as its modernization over the years and its final preparation for retirement at the Smithsonian.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49571849240849,"sku":"GOR007548410","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":49943477387537,"sku":"CIN0760343837G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":51072778141969,"sku":"CIN0760343837VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0760343837.jpg?v=1750702023"},{"product_id":"spaceflight-book-valerie-neal-9780028600079","title":"Spaceflight","description":null,"brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49609431646481,"sku":"GOR012825760","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50242976153873,"sku":"CIN002860007XG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50416073048337,"sku":"CIN002860007XVG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/002860007X.jpg?v=1751355101"},{"product_id":"where-next-columbus-book-valerie-neal-9780195092776","title":"Where Next, Columbus?","description":"In the decades since the launch of Sputnik, the world has thrilled to the moon walks of the Apollo astronauts, marvelled at photographs of the outer planets brought to us by Voyager, and watched in horror as Challenger exploded before our eyes. No longer the terrifying realm of science fiction, space has been hailed by popular culture as the `final frontier', the focal point of future exploration. Yet today there is no strong consensus about our future in space. Where should we go next? Mars? Deep space? Is it worth the cost to explore space at all? Now, a curator of space history at the Smithsonian, Valerie Neal, has assembled a noted group of writers and thinkers to consider such questions. The result is an intriguing collection of essays that offer stimulating insights into the past, present, and future exploration of new worlds, and the physical, technical, and social challenges to space exploration. Harrison H. Schmitt - the last astronount to set foot on the moon - describes the poetry of an earth-rise, and makes a compelling case for human rather than robot explorers. Stephen Jay Gould pleads for a manned mission to Mars, one which would scour the Red Planet for signs of life. And physicist Robert L. Forward offers detailed plans for actual starships that could send astronauts to the nearest star system in a single lifetime. Complete with more than fifty colour illustrations, Where Next, Columbus? is a highly colourful and utterly absorbing contribution to a debate that may help define the twenty-first century.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"GB \/ VERY_GOOD \/ INTERNAL","offer_id":49636498374929,"sku":"GOR001131803","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0195092775.jpg?v=1751356464"},{"product_id":"spaceflight-in-the-shuttle-era-and-beyond-book-valerie-neal-9780300206517","title":"Spaceflight in the Shuttle Era and Beyond","description":"An exploration of the changing conceptions of the iconic Space Shuttle and a call for a new vision of spaceflight   The thirty years of Space Shuttle flights saw contrary changes in American visions of space. Valerie Neal, who has spent much of her career examining the Space Shuttle program, uses this iconic vehicle to question over four decades’ worth of thinking about, and struggling with, the meaning of human spaceflight. She examines the ideas, images, and icons that emerged as NASA, Congress, journalists, and others sought to communicate rationales for, or critiques of, the Space Shuttle missions. At times concurrently, the Space Shuttle was billed as delivery truck and orbiting science lab, near-Earth station and space explorer, costly disaster and pinnacle of engineering success. The book’s multidisciplinary approach reveals these competing depictions to examine the meaning of the spaceflight enterprise. Given the end of the Space Shuttle flights in 2011, Neal makes an appeal to reframe spaceflight once again to propel humanity forward.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":50346716659985,"sku":"CIN0300206518G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/0300206518.jpg?v=1772274780"},{"product_id":"on-a-mission-book-valerie-neal-9781588347763","title":"On a Mission","description":"\u003cb\u003eThe definitive history of all 61 American women astronauts that's perfect for fans of \u003ci\u003eThe Six\u003c\/i\u003e eager for more\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Sally Ride became a household name as the first American woman in space, but scores of equally impressive women have also left their mark in space. \u003ci\u003eOn a Mission- The Smithsonian History of US Women Astronauts\u003c\/i\u003e spans 45 years and 61 astronauts to share the epic journeys of women who made space for themselves in a male-dominated field.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e Valerie Neal, emerita curator from the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum and expert on human spaceflight, interviewed many of the US women astronauts to bring their experiences to life. She offers a culturally insightful history of their achievements, the challenges they've faced, and their distinctive stories. Collectively, they've completed more than 100 space shuttle missions and more than 30 long-duration stays on the International Space Station and Russian Space Station Mir, and they continue to prove themselves in present-day space exploration efforts.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e The book includes 50 black-and-white photographs to complement the historical account. With its sweeping look from the first women astronauts to Christina Hammock Koch, assigned to the first crewed Artemis mission around the Moon, there is no comparably thorough book on America's women astronauts. \u003ci\u003eOn a Mission\u003c\/i\u003e is an inspiring tribute to unsung women's history.","brand":"WoB","offers":[{"title":"- \/ - \/ -","offer_id":51610355630353,"sku":"","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"GB \/ NEW \/ GARDNERS","offer_id":51610355892497,"sku":"NGR9781588347763","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ NEW \/ INGRAM","offer_id":52542632821009,"sku":"NIN9781588347763","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"US \/ GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":52820172210449,"sku":"CIN1588347761G","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false},{"title":"US \/ VERY_GOOD \/ SBYB","offer_id":53122089353489,"sku":"CIN1588347761VG","price":0.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0784\/4072\/6801\/files\/1588347761.jpg?v=1769684075"}],"url":"https:\/\/www.worldofbooks.com\/collections\/author-books-by-valerie-neal.oembed","provider":"World of Books ","version":"1.0","type":"link"}