Here at last is the comprehensive, all-color guide to the major spacecraft of the last century, 2100 to 2200 AD, the time of the great advances in space technology that followed the first, hesitant steps of the early 21st century.
Primarily an identification manual, it examines the major types of spacecraft operating during the period, including those inhabited systems of Alpha and Proxima Centauri, giving details of their development and operational history, and charts of their technical specifications. The book is divided into sections covering Military, Civil & Commercial and Special Function, and the craft range from sleek interceptors through specialized research vessels to private yachts.
The individual stories of these craft are set against the historical background which created them. New industrial techniques and resources led to more advanced ships which opened the door to further possibilities in an accelerating spiral of development.
Here then, is the story of humanity's journey to the stars and the means by which it was made.