Space exploration, this book suggests, is frequently seen by the general public in the same way as some serious-minded engineers might look at poems—something to be interested in until you grow up and are confronted by the challenges of adult life. Johnson and Cokinos explore this theme of abandoned dreams and quickly demolish that concept.
One could posit that humanity did not grow up until it reached outward from Earth and reflected upon the experience. Just as photos capture the wonders of space exploration far more compellingly than any engineering report ever can, so can poetry capture elements a photo is incapable of sharing. One of the earliest forms of art, poetry has adapted to new audiences for millennia. When the Space Age began, it was a perfect time to capture the unknowable—the first steps into a wider cosmos.