This web page started out, as I suppose many things in life do, with a question. Namely, "Who 'won' the so-called Space Race?" The obvious answer to that question is, of course, "Nobody." After the American lunar landings during the late '60's and early '70's, the Russian and American space programs took very different paths of development. During the '80's and '90's, we also saw a number of other nations and international groups (such as Canada, Japan, and Europe) enter the space-faring community. Needless to say, the world at large has begun to produce a rich tapestry of spaceflight history.

The thread that has always held my particular interest is manned spaceflight. Basically, I like to go fast, and spaceships are the fastest passenger-carrying vehicles that we've got. Long story short, I thought it might be fun to put together a Manned Spaceflight Timeline. While yes, it has been fun, it has also taken a long time and required a lot of research (and it's still not completed yet).

During the course of my research (much of it on-line), it occurred to me that assembling a set of web pages with a zillion links to other web pages, reference sources, research materials, photos, drawings, video clips, etc. (and all in a neat, orderly, and proficient manner) would be a cool thing. That's how I got the idea for an "armchair history" of manned spaceflight. The Mission Index page is where I'm putting those links. You'll also find a page full of miscellaneous space-related Links. These will get you in the front doors to the most useful spaceflight-related web sites I've found so far. Dig around for a while on those sites to find live video, virtual reality, space news, current events, emerging technologies, satellite tracking and other cool media excursions.

In addition, you'll find a page of my Recommendations for your reading and viewing edification. During my studies, I ran across a few books, movies, and television programs that I hope you'll learn from and enjoy as much as I did.

Anyway... Welcome to the wide world of space exploration. Have fun checking out my web site, and bon voyage!