Highlights of twenty years of optical space research

The most important first discoveries in optical space research are reviewed for the twenty years since the beginning in 1946. Only research conducted from space vehicles is included: rockets, earth orbiting vehicles, both unmanned and manned, space probes, and lunar landings. The optical fields involved are: measurements of extreme uv and x rays from the sun, including spectra, spectroheliograms, and monitoring; the white light solar corona; x-rays and extreme uv from stars and nebulae; the airglow; photography of the moon, Mars, and the earth; the technical breakthroughs that made the work possible. An extensive bibliography is included.