50 YEARS OF SPACE AGE - 1957-2007

Fifty years ago, on October 4, 1957, the first satellite, Sputnik-1, was launched. The space age had begun. Since that date, more than 5,500 other satellites have been launched into space for a variety of purposes: Earth observation and surveillance, telecommunications, meteorology, navigation, rescue, agriculture, security and defence, as well as exploration of the solar system and the universe and the presence of man in space in ships or on board orbital stations. The first part of this book reviews the achievements of Space in these different fields. In the second part, it presents, year after year, since 1957, the major events and firsts that have marked the history of these 50 years in space in the Soviet Union, then in Russia, the United States, Europe and the rest of the world. It is therefore a reference document for the use of all. Jacques Villain Jacques Villain has devoted his entire professional life to rockets and space. He