Space: The Next Twenty-Five Years

In this latest entry in the postChallenger space-books sweepstakes, McDonough writes with clarity and a pop-science touch. The volume's 16 chapters are fairly short, although interlarded with excellently chosen block inserts from official NASA documents and writings by well-known science writers and experts. He offers a brief history of space exploration up to Neil Armstrong, takes a less-than exhaustive look at the Space Shuttle and concludes with a discussion of what the vehicle is still expected to do in spaceif the money is available. Because he is an engineer, McDonough is sharp on space-vehicle design, but his overview of anticipated new space discoveries and industrial-military uses lacks the richness of astrophysicist Harry L. Shipman's Space 2000. (PW Forecasts, May 1). McDonough, also wrote The Search for Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence. Illustrations. (July 28)