| Popis: |
Sixty years of human spaceflight after the maiden flights of Yuri Gagarin in 1961 and John Glenn in 1962, respectively, seem to be justification enough to look back and summarize the scientific results and technological achievements in space life sciences. In the introductory chapter, the scene is set by describing the extraordinary environmental conditions of space and their importance for living systems. Also, the historical background for establishing space life sciences especially after World War II with the foundation of ESA and national European space agencies and of their respective programs is provided. A short look on the activities of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR) closes the introduction. |
