Embark on a captivating photographic journey beyond Earth, from the dawn of human space exploration, through the untold story of the Mercury and Gemini missions

'Wickedly exciting' Tom Hanks

'Experience the same incredible awe as we astronauts did on those very first voyages into space' Jim Lovell, Gemini 7 & 12, Apollo 8 & 13

'An unprecedented trip back in time… a vibrant, new, living record' Gene Kranz, Flight Director Mercury, Gemini, Apollo

When we think of the history of space exploration, we can't help but think of the Apollo missions and Neil Armstrong's one giant leap. But what about the small steps that enabled NASA to reach for the Moon?

Astronauts working on the earliest space missions, from Project Mercury to the Gemini missions of the mid-1960s, answered fundamental questions about the possibilities of long-duration space travel, paving the way for the Apollo missions and, ultimately, the Moon landings. They also took the first, and still some of the finest, images of Earth ever captured on film.