REFERENCE

Smithsonian Treasures of the National Air and Space Museum

Smithsonian. Apr. 2023. 128p. ISBN 9781588347350. pap. $12.95. REF
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Chock-full of over 250 illustrations, here Nature magazine senior editor Reichhardt and Smithsonian experts delve into human flight chronologically, from early imagining and tethered objects (kites, balloons) to a zero-gravity coffee cup from the International Space Station. Text contextualizes the historical significance of museum artifacts large (a full-scale mock-up of the Hubble space telescope) and small (the stopwatch that timed the Wright brothers’ first flights).
VERDICT An enjoyable science-based browse for air and space buffs, with occasional whimsy (a tribble from Star Trek, a helmet from the Halo videogame’s Master Chief).
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