From 1955 to 1958, American and Soviet engineers battled to launch
successfully the world's first satellite, as the first nation to do so
would gain advantages in science, the Cold War propaganda contest,
and the military balance of power.

     The race to orbit featured two American teams led by rival services—
the army and the navy—and a Soviet effort so secret that few even knew
it existed. Now, Matt Bille and Erika Lishock tell this story from both
sides of the Iron Curtain, from the origins of spaceflight theory through
the military and political events that shaped the modern world.

    Some aspects of this story, such as the navy's NOTSNIK satellite
project, are almost unknown. Even some details of well-known programs,
such as the appearance of America's pioneering Explorer 1 satellite and 
the contributions made by its rival, Project Vanguard, are generally
misremembered.

    In today's era of space shuttles, Mars rovers, and the International
Space Station, it is difficult to imagine just how challenging the first
steps into space really were. Yet at the end of the race, not only had
those first satellites been launched, but the resulting new technologies
had forever changed life on Earth.

_________________________________________________________

MATT BILLE, who lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado, works with the
global consulting firm Booz Allen Hamilton on space policy and
technology projects. ERIKA LISHOCK is currently an associate with
Booz Allen Hamilton. She also lives in Colorado Springs.


Number Eight: Centennial of Flight Series


What people are saying about this book

"This is a well-documented treatise of the people, events and scientific 
discoveries that led to human beings' initial excursion into near earth 
space . . . This book is a 'must read' for anyone interested in an 
authoritative account of this critical period of space-flight development."
—Science Books and Films, Nov./Dec. 2005