| Futures:
50 Years in Space
The Challenge of the Stars |
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by David A. Hardy
- Sir Patrick Moore
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Patrick Moore and David Hardy first met in 1954 when Hardy illustrated Moore's book Suns, Myths and Men, and they agreed to produce an illustrated book to be called The Challenge of the Stars, showing how humans would expand into space, via orbiting space stations, Moon-landings, trips to the planets and on to the stars. In the event, a book with that title was not published until 1972, by which time men had not only landed on the Moon but were about to do so for the last time. But a great many developments had still to take place and wonderful discoveries to be made - some totally unexpected.
2004 seems an ideal time to review the many ways in which our visions of space, the universe and everything astronomical have changed in that 50 years. This is a unique book, which only this author/artist team could produce, and it brings together their combined wealth of experience and expertise in revealing the wonders of the cosmos to a wide audience, along with a cautiously optimistic forecast of our future in space. Sir Patrick Moore - OBE,FRS, has won a BAFTA Award for the longest-running TV series with the same presenter - The Sky at Night. He is a prolific amateur observer and eclipse chaser, was involved with mapping the Moon for the Apollo missions and was a main commentator on the BBC's television transmissions of these. He is the author of hundreds of books on astronomy and allied subjects. He celebrated his 80th birthday in 2003, when his autobiography, 80 Not Out, was published. David A. Hardy - FBIS, FIAAA was the first artist on The Sky at Night in 1957, and has illustrated a large number of Patrick Moore's books, as well as appearing on the programme in person. He is a former President of the International Association of Astronomical Artists (IAAA), and has written and illustrated seven of his own books, as well as producing work for TV, the stage and book, record and magazine covers, both factual and science fiction. A book about his life and work, Hardyware, appeared in 2001, and in 2003 his first novel, Aurora, was published.
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