Who is recognized as a space pioneer known for writing a book about rocket travel into outer space?

The recognition of Konstantin Tsiolkvosky as a space pioneer comes from his foundational work in astronautics and his influential writings that laid the groundwork for future space travel. Tsiolkvosky authored the book "Exploration of Cosmic Space by Means of Reactive Devices," published in 1903, where he articulated many principles of rocketry and space travel, including the concept of using rockets to escape Earth's atmosphere and the idea of multistage rockets. His theoretical formulations and equations on propulsion remain critically relevant to the field of astronautics today.

Although Herman Oberth contributed significantly to rocketry and wrote substantial works on the subject, it is Tsiolkvosky who is often hailed as the "father of modern rocketry" due to his pioneering theories that inspired further development in both theoretical and practical rocket science. Wernher Von Braun and Alan Shepard made historical contributions to actual rocket development and human spaceflight but are not specifically noted for their original theoretical writings on rocket travel in the same foundational sense as Tsiolkvosky.