Ambassadors from Earth

Jay Gallentine is a space historian who strives to tell never-before-heard stories of the space age in a lightheartedly appealing, readable, and nontechnical style.

• List of IllustrationsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction1. Aboard the Glacier2. Problem Child3. The Convict4. Light Fuse, GET AWAY5. New Moon6. Let's Make a Deal7. The Creators and the Makers8. Storming the Sea of Dreams9. Moving at the Speed of Design10. Job Number MA-1111. The Science and the Cyclist12. Get Off the Bus13. Swing in Time14. The Meeting and the Mechta15. Think Like Gravity16. Didn't They Get It?17. The Death and the Funeral18. One Hundred Percent Failure19. Three-Problem Shipley20. Pete and Al's Little Field Trip21. Irradiated Plans22. Embarking23. Get It24. Instant Science25. Circles of Gold26. Last Light27. ContinuumSourcesIndex

"Many space buffs, especially young ones, should find this a satisfying narrative."—Publishers Weekly "Ambassadors is written in an accessible and engaging style, introducing readers to behind-the-scenes players most of us have never heard of."—Russell Lewis, NPR "[Ambassadors from Earth] offers an accessible account of the U.S. and Soviet planetary missions of the Space Race era, as well as the more widespread efforts of more recent times."—Roger Launius, Air & Space Magazine "Utilising original interviews with key players, bolstered by never-before-seen photographs, journal excerpts, and primary source documents, Gallentine delivers a quirky and unforgettable look at the lives and legacy of the Americans and Soviets who conceived, built, and guided those unmanned missions to the planets and beyond."—Philip Corneille, Spaceflight "This book provides a wonderful way of renewing interest in the pioneering contributions of the robotic space programs pursued by the United States and the Soviet Union."—De Witt Douglas Kilgore, Quest "An intriguing and essential read on the history of unmanned space programs and especially the tug-of-war between the United States and the Soviety Union for space supremacy in the late 1950s and the decade of the 1960s."—Dale A. Stirling, Journal for the History of Discoveries