Out of the Cradle: Exploring the Frontiers Beyond Earth - Softcover

Miller, Ron; Hartmann, William K.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0894807706 ISBN 13: 9780894807701

Publisher: Workman Publishing Company, 1984

Synopsis

"Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot live in the cradle forever," said Russian rocket pioneer Konstantin Tsiolkovksy in 1899; his words introduce this lavish and exhilarating vision of the time when man will not merely explore space, but actually live there.

In text, photographs, and nearly 100 dazzling paintings, Out of the Cradle offers a startling vision of our future in space, from the authors of the Hugo-Award nominee The Grand Tour. The full-color paintings depict the human adventure in the cosmos, with habitats and colonies offering the comforts of home, way stations and solar collectors turning vastness into territory, and robot "astronauts" that allow the journey into the unknown go deeper and deeper.

With special attention to Mars, the Moon, and satellites Ganymede, Callisto, and Enceladus, Out of the Cradle also features a wealth of supplementary photos, charts, and diagrams.

About this title

About the Authors

Ron Miller, co-author of Out of the Cradle, is an illustrator known for his astronomical and science fiction paintings, and served as a production illustrator for the movies Dune and Total Recall. He is a fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and member of the Academy of Astronautics. He lives in King George, Virginia.

William K. Hartmann is the author, most recently, of A Traveler’s Guide to Mars and co-author of Out of the Cradle. He is an internationally known scientist, writer, and painter, and winner of the first Carl Sagan Medal from the American Astronomical Society. He has an asteroid—#3341—named after him. He lives in Tucson, Arizona.

Pamela Lee is an artist whose illustrations have appeared in Smithsonian magazine, Science Digest, Astronomy and Sky & Telescope.

From the Back Cover

"Earth is the cradle of humanity, but one cannot live in the cradle forever."-Konstantin Tsiolkovsky

The adventure has begun. The first fledgling steps off the planet have been taken: a satellite, man in space, the first walk on the moon, space stations, a shuttle.

A book of science fact and probability, Out of the Cradle stunningly visualizes the immediate future and the decades ahead. Astronomer William K. Hartmann explores the new landmarks within our reach and projects how the realms of space will open not only to astronauts and scientists, but to visitors, workers and, eventually, settlers.

These extraordinary adventures are projected in 120 mind-expanding, full-color paintings. The landscapes, technology, and lifestyles of the final frontier take shape with every page: solar collectors orbit, beaming energy to Earth below; lunar mining operations collect the raw materials to build and fuel settlements; robot probes scout the nether regions of unlivable atmospheres.

The great triumphs of technology and exploration begin not as full-fledged plans, but as the dreams and hypotheses of bold thinkers. As economic and environmental pressures build on Earth, these dreams become an essential alternative. This book offers a crystal gaze into the future, unfolding grand possibilities for new tools, new societies, and a new way of life.

Edition details

• Publisher: Workman Publishing Company
• Publication date: 1984
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0894807706
• ISBN 13: 9780894807701
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Lee Pamela
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 192