Space Journal: The Art and Science of Cosmic Exploration

A celebration of space exploration told through the visual imagination of great dreamers from the seventeenth century to the present day.

An endless source of fascination, space is both alluring and mysterious, a place of wonder and terror. Space Journal is a visual celebration of our perception of the cosmos across centuries and cultures. In drawings and diagrams, plans, charts, and paintings, a great range of scientists and dreamers each tell their own story of an element of space exploration. Their visions were largely based in the scientific understanding of their time, but as it turns out, many of the principles remain.

Moving beyond a collection of space snapshots, this book benefits from the unmatched insights of journalist and collector Dallas Campbell, who weaves together priceless memorabilia, revolutionary experiments, and spectacular scenes to map both real and potential encounters with the unknown throughout history. From Galileo’s shopping list to speeches annotated in President John F. Kennedy’s own hand, from The War of the Worlds to Space Invaders, Campbell’s lavishly illustrated orbit sets out the radical thinkers and creatives who envisioned us leaving our planet―or having guests stop by―and in some cases, made it happen.

517 color illustrations

Dallas Campbell has presented some of the most ambitious landmark series across the BBC, such as City in the Sky with Dr. Hannah Fry and Stargazing Live with Dara Ó Briain and Brian Cox, which included broadcasting astronaut Tim Peake’s historic live launch to the International Space Station and was nominated for a BAFTA. Dallas is a regular contributor to the BBC's Science Focus, the Times Eureka magazine, and has written for The Observer. He also presents the Patented podcast, which explores the history of inventions, and is the author of Ad Astra: An Illustrated Guide to Leaving the Planet.