Ever since mankind has existed, people have been looking at the night sky and wondering what is there. Relatively recently in our history - about 60 years ago, people have the opportunity to "look". The achievement of launching the first satellites, and later humans, into orbit around the Earth is exciting news for newspapers around the world. The first astronauts were read as heroes, while today they can fly to the International Space Station and return without even being mentioned in the media. At the beginning of the space age in the 1950s, only two countries, the United States and the Soviet Union (USSR), had the ability to launch aircraft into orbit and beyond. Today, there are 13 government agencies, including the European Space Agency, China, India and Japan. They have all developed long-term programs for space exploration. Although there are plans for a new expedition to the moon and even a trip to Mars, so far all trips are made by space probes such as Juneau, Rosetta and Cassini. These researchers do not need food, water or air to survive, and can travel to places where no one would survive. They are sent to the farthest parts of the solar system. Their results are amazing. The information that arrives is an inspiration that makes humanity look even further. "A Brief Illustrated History of Space Exploration" - with its stunning, full-color images and illustrations - will fascinate the young reader and provoke him to seek more knowledge.