Professor Michael Smith publishes new book, 'The Spacefaring Earth: A History of the Space Age'

Michael Smith, Professor in the Department of History at Purdue University, has published a new book, The Spacefaring Earth: A History of the Space Age.

Published by Routledge, the book provides an engaging survey of the Space Age, linking science and technology with politics and popular culture, war and peace, and crises and controversies, while examining the history of spaceflight as a mirror of human thought and action across the globe.

Smith wrote the book based on his lectures and interactions with students at Purdue, where he has been teaching versions of this course since 1996. The material also draws from his readings and research in Russian history and the history of the Cold War.

The full description from the publisher’s webpage highlights the significance of Smith’s book in the field of astronautics and spaceflight:

The volume encompasses the new astronomy and sciences of the modern era, the early dreamers and pioneers after 1903, the national competitions of the First World War, the rocket states that prepared for the Second World War, the rivalries and “space race” of the Cold War between the US and USSR, as well as more recent developments including the Space Shuttle, the International Space Station, national space programs, orbital technologies, transhumanism, and military and commercial ventures in space. It also stresses the importance of geography in the geopolitics of spaceflight competition and in the nature of the planetary biosphere. Taking a chronological approach to lived human experience and threshold achievements, the chapters show how these themes have been reflected in literature, art, music, film, and our new digital worlds.

This book is essential reading for students of the history of the Space Age, as well as an excellent companion to courses on twentieth century science and technology, the Cold War, and American history.

Learn more about Michael Smith: https://cla.purdue.edu/directory/profiles/michael-g.-smith.html