Exploring the Moon: The Apollo Expeditions (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration) Paperback – Illustrated, 31 Dec. 2007

In this comprehensive overview of Man's relationship with his planet's nearest neighbor, David Harland opens with a review of the robotic probes, namely the Rangers which returned television before crashing into the Moon, the Surveyors which 'soft landed' in order to investigate the nature of the surface, and the Lunar Orbiters which mapped prospective Apollo landing sites. He then outlines the historic landing by Apollo 11 and the final three missions of comprehensive geological investigations. He concludes with a review of the robotic spacecraft that made remote-sensing observations of the Moon. This Commemorative Edition includes a foreword by one of the original astronauts as well as an extra section reviewing the prospect of renewed exploration there. New graphics and images are also included. Review: From the reviews of the first edition - "A detailed guide to what the astronauts did during their stays on the lunar surface. Walk(s) the reader through the prospecting excursions and then incorporate(s) decades of subsequent analysis to put the explorations of dust, rocks, craters, and rilles into geologic context." SKY & TELESCOPE "EXPLORING THE MOON is very well illustrated...All aficionados of the Apollo program will find much to appreciate in [this book]. "...this is an interesting account of one of the most extraordinary decades in history...a very different book. David Harland probably knows more about the nuts and bolts of the Russian and American space programs than any other author and it shows."LUNAR & PLANETARY INFORMATION BULLETIN From the reviews of the second edition: "David Harland's book is an honourable addition to the ranks. Exploring the Moon - The Apollo Expeditions is packed with photos, and features a historically detailed text backed by a thorough index. ... If you want to know the exact order in which NASA's Apollo astronauts surveyed particular zones of their landing sites, or which craters delivered the most interesting scientific clues about the origins of the Moon, then this is the book for you. ... a fantastic resource for fans of the Apollo era." (Piers Bizony, BBC Sky at Night, July, 2008) "A wealth of knowledge regarding the early days of manned space exploration. ... Its high resolution photography brings a surface that few have seen before into crystal clarity." (James M. Busby, Space Times, Vol. 47 (3), 2008) Contents: The robots.- Magnificent desolation.- 'Pin-point' landing.- Knowledge from the Moon.- The wonder of the unknown at Hadley-Apennine.- Surprise at Descartes-Cayley.- The beautiful valley of Taurus-Littrow.- Luna revival.- Apollo in context.