The shuttle has ushered in a new era in space flight. No longer is space uniquely the province of superbly trained test pilots; the shuttle has opened the way for any person of normal health to venture there. It is a spacecraft for all seasons. It can transport huge amounts of cargo.

Discusses the first men and women who traveled into space, from Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin to John Glenn.

Text and photographs present flying machines throughout history, including hot-air balloons, helicopters, and the space shuttle.