History of Space Flights CD
	Milestones in the race to the Final Frontier.... "I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the Moon and returning him safely to Earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important in the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish."

These are the historic words of John F. Kennedy at the Special Joint Session of Congress on May 25, 1961. Only a few years later, his vision was realized - Neil Armstrong walked the moon’s barren surface and planted the American flag on lunar soil. Why it was imperative for America to beat Russia in the space program is still not clear, but the fact remains that this drive was the launching pad for world-changing advances in technology - and mankind’s vision of itself.

Many space undertakings preceded and followed the Apollo flight to the moon - Project Mercury (America’s first manned venture into outer space), Project Gemini, the Skylab and Mir Space Stations and the shuttle flights. Mankind’s quest for the stars has had its share of triumphs and travails - the recent Columbia tragedy is the latest example of a monumental dream turned nightmare. Setbacks notwithstanding, human space flight is still in its infancy and magnificent achievements are yet to come - conquering Mars, the other planets...maybe even interstellar space. Maybe we will find out in the distant future that we are, after all, not alone.

Sample thumbnails taken from the collection. Click on image to view larger picture.

The History of Space Flights CD from A2ZCDS takes you on a chronological step-by-step tour of America’s space program. Never before has such a multitude of photographs been declassified from top secret government files and collected from public domain archives, to be compiled onto a single source medium. You will be treated to crystal-clear photographs of the epic Project Mercury (1961-’63), Project Gemini (1965-’66) - on to the groundbreaking Project Apollo (1967-’72) both of the initial unmanned flights and the one that finally ended up with a man on the moon.

Many peripheral missions that contributed to the overall success of the space program have also been gleaned from rarefied sources and included on this historic CD, including satellites, probes and technical drawings/charts of interest to space fans and casual browsers alike. Here, too, are the men who braved all odds and risked everything to break down the boundaries between us and the stars - the astronauts, the scientists and the ground crews and the technicians who believed that nothing is impossible.

EDITORIAL REVIEW:

I, personally, have always been fascinated with the phenomenon of space flight. There is something inherently dangerous about mankind’s quest to conquer the dark void and its mysterious worlds, and it is only because of the great technological advances of the last century that Jules Verne’s magnificent dream as described in his 1866 novel ‘From The Earth To The Moon’ was finally realized by the Apollo mission. Again, I was a wide-eyed witness to the actual moon landing and Neil Armstrong’s historic walk on the moon’s surface as these were televised throughout an awestruck world.

I sincerely pity those who were not part of those cutting-edge times. In Armstrong’s apt words, this was "...a small step for him, but a giant leap for Mankind." For all times following that epic event, I have been an avid follower of the space program, but I do not expect that everyone could have my extensive collection of photographs, maps, charts and instruments.

The History of Space Flights CD from A2ZCDS is, in my opinion, a significant step forward in acquainting lay people with the immensity of what has been achieved in the space program. Names like Skylab and Mir, on the verge of becoming dry history, are suitably revived and illustrated with actual photographs of these legendary space stations, and the viewer can relive every key moment of bygone space flights from actual scenes that adorned the covers and centerfolds of international magazines and journals when they were first published. This is a timeless collector’s item.

CUSTOMER'S REVIEWS:

"It is breathtaking - and real! I mean, these are actual photographs, not artist’s impressions. These are actual people in real space stations and shuttles. It is awesome to see images of space flight history in quick succession. No time is wasted and the images have been arranged and sorted for easy viewing and quick understanding of the whole project. The History of Space Flights CD is a great discussion tool and makes for fascinating hours of solo browsing."

Customer's Name: Felipe J. Lobo (Gary, Indiana)