Chesley Bonestell

It can be argued that Chesley Bonestell's photo-realistic art helped usher in the Space Age, as it presented space exploration not as some far-off dream, but as a real and possible undertaking.  

Bonestell began his career as an architectural artist. In 1938, he moved to special effects, creating paintings for films such as Destination Moon (1950) and War of the Worlds (1953). From 1947 onward, his paintings were used as cover illustrations for Astounding and The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.

He paid great attention to perspective and scale in conformity with the scientific knowledge of the day. During this time, Bonestell created what is arguably the most famous space painting, Saturn as Seen from Titan, which has been credited with inspiring the careers of countless scientists and artists.

Bonestell received a Special Achievement Hugo Award and was inducted into the International Space Hall of Fame. The Chesley Award for achievement in science fiction and fantasy art is named after him.