A staple of early twentieth-century fiction, space stations orbiting Earth became a reality when the Soviet Union launched the first of seven terminals in 1971. By 2002, sixteen nations had become involved in a joint project to design and construct the International Space Station.
This fact-filled coloring book spotlights the many efforts to establish a docking station in space, including a 1950s concept for a “spoked wheel,” similar to the docking station depicted in the 1968 film 2001, A Space Odyssey; the Russian MIR Complex (1986-2001); astronauts and cosmonauts constructing the International Space Station; a visualization of the finished project, complete with solar panels, thermal radiators, a U. S. research lab, and a habitat module; and more. Captions accompany illustrations in a book that will thrill colorists and would-be space travelers alike.