This is a book about rocket science: what it is and what it does. From the earliest fireworks to nuclear-powered spacecraft, all you would ever want or need to know about the subject is here, along with a straightforward explanation of how, why and when things work-or sometimes don't. We begin with the history and workings of early terrestrial rocketry before moving onto the main subject of the book: how we get things into space and, on occasion, back again. Entirely math-free, the chapters weave together innumerable anecdotes, real-world examples, and easy walk-throughs to help readers break down the complex physics behind some of humankind's most amazing feats. Neither a pure textbook nor a populist space travel tome, the book will educate, inform and above all entertain anyone intrigued by rocket science.

Based on years of research conducted at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Low-Energy Lunar Trajectory Design provides high-level information to mission managers and detailed information to mission designers about low-energy transfers between Earth and the moon. The book answers high-level questions about the availability and performance of such transfers in any given month and year. Low-energy lunar transfers are compared with various other types of transfers, and placed within the context of historical missions. Using this book, designers may reconstruct any transfer described therein, as well as design similar transfers with particular design parameters. An Appendix, Locating the Lagrange Points, and a useful list of terms and constants completes this technical reference. * Surveys thousands of possible trajectories that may be used to transfer spacecraft between Earth and the moon, including transfers to lunar libration orbits, low lunar orbits, and the lunar surface * Provides information about the methods, models, and tools used to design low-energy lunar transfers * Includes discussion about the variations of these transfers from one month to the next, and the important operational aspects of implementing a low-energy lunar transfer * Additional discussions address navigation, station-keeping, and spacecraft systems issues

This book explores the once popular idea of 'Flexible Path' in terms of Mars, a strategy that would focus on a manned orbital mission to Mars's moons rather than the more risky, expensive and time-consuming trip to land humans on the Martian surface. While currently still not the most popular idea, this mission would take advantage of the operational, scientific and engineering lessons to be learned from going to Mars's moons first. Unlike a trip to the planet's surface, an orbital mission avoids the dangers of the deep gravity well of Mars and a very long stay on the surface. This is analogous to Apollo 8 and 10, which preceded the landing on the Moon of Apollo 11. Furthermore, a Mars orbital mission could be achieved at least five years, possibly 10 before a landing mission. Nor would an orbital mission require all of the extra vehicles, equipment and supplies needed for a landing and a stay on the planet for over a year. The cost difference between the two types of missions is in the order of tens of billions of dollars. An orbital mission to Deimos and Phobos would provide an early opportunity to acquire scientific knowledge of the moons and Mars as well, since some of the regolith is presumed to be soil ejected from Mars. It may also offer the opportunity to deploy scientific instruments on the moons which would aid subsequent missions. It would provide early operational experience in the Mars environment without the risk of a landing. The author convincingly argues this experience would enhance the probability of a safe and successful Mars landing by NASA at a later date, and lays out the best way to approach an orbital mission in great detail. Combining path-breaking science with achievable goals on a fast timetable, this approach is the best of both worlds--and our best path to reaching Mars safely in the future.

An extensive text reference includes around an asteroid a new and important topic Covers the most updated contents in spacecraft dynamics and control, both in theory and application Introduces the application to motion around asteroids a new and important topic Written by a very experienced researcher in this area

A classic study of the development of the Saturn launch vehicle that took Americans to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s, Stages to Saturn is one of the finest official histories ever produced. The Saturn rocket was developed as a means of accomplishing President John F. Kennedy's goal for the United States to reach the moon before the end of the decade. Without the Saturn V rocket, with its capability of sending as payload the Apollo Command and Lunar Modules--along with support equipment and three astronauts--more than a quarter of a million miles from earth, Kennedy's goal would have been unrealizable. Stages to Saturn not only tells the important story of the research and development of the Saturn rockets and the people who designed them but also recounts the stirring exploits of their operations, from orbital missions around earth testing Apollo equipment to their journeys to the moon and back. Essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the development of space flight in America and the course of modern technology, this reprint edition includes a new preface by the author providing a 21st-century perspective on the historic importance of the Saturn project.

When President Kennedy issued his well-known challenge to reach the moon and return safely before the end of the 1960s, the immediate responsibility for undertaking the task fell to 54-year-old NASA director James E. Webb. Eight years later, when the Apollo 11 spacecraft splashed down safely in the Pacific and the screens in NASA's Mission Control at Houston flashed the words "Task Accomplished," it was Webb who deserved much of the credit. In "Powering Apollo," W. Henry Lambright explores Webb's leadership role in NASA's spectacular success--success that is rare in ambitious government policies and programs.

A North Carolina native and Congressional staff member, Jim Webb had served in Congress, worked in the Truman administration, and risen to high office in the defense and energy industries by 1961 when Kennedy named him to head the new National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Examining Webb's role as both Washington insider and government program director, Lambright probes the skills and experience that equipped him to handle his enormous responsibilities. He also shows how Webb's performance reflected important changes in twentieth century public life, including the concentration of political power in Washington; expansion of the federal bureaucracy; the rise of big science; and visions of cooperation among government, industry, and higher education.

"An excellent reference. This book has to be on the shelf of every space buff." —James Lovell, Commander, Apollo 13.

Get the inside story on outer space from three-time shuttle astronaut R. Mike Mullane.

"A fascinating collection of honest, factual, from-the-heart answers to the most often asked questions about spaceflight and spacefliers. Required reading for all who aspire to travel in space." —Kathy Thornton, 4-mission Shuttle Astronaut, World Record Holder for Spacewalks by a Woman.

"A brilliant addition to the understanding of space flight. Only a man who has been there—outer space—and done that—fly the Space Shuttle—could render the complexities of flying in space so lucidly." —Walter J. Boyne, Colonel, USAF (Ret.), Former Director, National Air and Space Museum.

"A highly informative inside view of what astronauts really experience in space." —Ed Buckbee, Former Director, U.S. Space & Rocket and U.S. Space Camp.

"All astronauts have been peppered with great questions. Mike Mullane has great answers." —Vice Admiral Richard H. Truly, U.S. Navy (Ret.), Columbia 1981, Challenger 1983, NASA Administrator 1989-1992.

In the span of a single lifetime, light pollution stemming from Artificial Light At Night (ALAN) has severed our connection with the stars that we've had since the dawn of time. With the nocturnal biosphere significantly altered, light's anthropogenic influence has compelled millions of people to seek out the last remaining dark skies. This book explores the burgeoning growth of the astrotourism market, identifies star seeker trends, how the stars have shaped civilizations, and the budding space tourism industry. Discover ways to develop a destination for those who will cater to the astrotourist, share the night with guests, how to find customers, and the 2024 Great North American Eclipse. Meteor storms, eclipses, auroras, and other celestial phenomena have lured travellers for years. Here, the author expands the field of astrotourism with the inclusion of astronomical clocks, megaliths, and sundials, which are used to track the movement of the stars.

Humanity's first reusable spacecraft and the most complex machine ever built, NASA's Space Shuttle debuted with great promise and as a dependable source of wonder and national pride. But with the "Challenger" catastrophe in 1986, the whole Space Shuttle program came into question, as did NASA itself, so long an institution that was seemingly above reproach. "Wheels Stop" tells the stirring story of how, after the "Challenger" disaster, the Space Shuttle not only recovered but went on to perform its greatest missions. From the Return to Flight mission of STS-26 in 1988 to the last shuttle mission ever on STS-135 in 2011, "Wheels Stop" takes readers behind the scenes as the shuttle's crews begin to mend Cold War tensions with the former Soviet Union, conduct vital research, deploy satellites, repair the Hubble Space Telescope, and assist in constructing the International Space Station. It also tells the heart-wrenching story of the "Columbia" tragedy and the loss of the magnificent STS-107 crew.

As complex as the shuttle was, the people it carried into orbit were often more so--and this is their story, too. Close encounters with astronauts, flight controllers, and shuttle workers capture the human side of the Space Shuttle's amazing journey--and invite readers along for the ride.
Browse more spaceflight books at upinspace.org.

“Insightful, instructive, and definitely worth the read.�—Greg Andres, Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada“As someone who has been teaching a course on space exploration for many years and has visited most of NASA’s space centers, I have found plenty of new and valuable material in To a Distant Day. . . . I recommend the book to all who wish to know more about the conditions, people, and discoveries between 1890 and 1960 that led to the space age.�—Pangratios Papacosta, Physics Today Although the dream of flying is as old as the human imagination, the notion of rocketing into space may have originated with Chinese gunpowder experiments during the Middle Ages. Rockets as both weapons and entertainment are examined in this engaging history of how human beings acquired the ability to catapult themselves into space. Chris Gainor’s irresistible narrative introduces us to pioneers such as Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, Robert Goddard, and Hermann Oberth, who pointed the way to the cosmos by generating the earliest wave of international enthusiasm for space exploration. It shows us German engineer Wernher von Braun creating the V-2, the first large rocket, which, though opening the door to space, failed utterly as the “wonder weapon� it was meant to be. From there Gainor follows the space race to the Soviet Union and the United States, giving us a close look at the competitive hysteria that led to Sputnik, satellites, space probes, and—finally—human flight into space in 1961. As much a story of cultural ambition and personal destiny as of scientific progress and technological history, To a Distant Day offers a complete and thoroughly compelling account of humanity’s determined efforts—sometimes poignant, sometimes amazing, sometimes mad—to leave the earth behind.

With the recent influx of spaceflight and satellite launches, the region of outer space has become saturated with vital technology used for communication and surveillance and the functioning of business and government. But what would happen if these capabilities were disrupted or even destroyed? How would we react if faced with a full-scale blackout of satellite communications? What can and has happened following the destruction of a satellite? In the short term, the aftermath would send thousands of fragments orbiting Earth as space debris. In the longer term, the ramifications of such an event on Earth and in space would be alarming, to say the least. This book takes a look at such crippling scenarios and how countries around the world might respond in their wake. It describes the aggressive actions that nations could take and the technologies that could be leveraged to gain power and control over assets, as well as to initiate war in the theater of outer space. The ways that a country's vital capabilities could be disarmed in such a setting are investigated. In addition, the book discusses our past and present political climate, including which countries currently have these abilities and who the aggressive players already are. Finally, it addresses promising research and space technology that could be used to protect us from those interested in destroying the world's vital systems.

This book describes the history of this now iconic room which represents America's space program during the Gemini, Apollo, Skylab, Apollo-Soyuz and early Space Shuttle eras. It is now a National Historic Landmark and is being restored to a level which represents the day the flight control teams walked out after the last lunar landing missions. The book is dedicated to the estimated 3,000 men and women who supported the flights and tells the story from their perspective. It describes the rooms of people supporting this control center; those rooms of engineers, analysts and scientists most people never knew about. Some called it a "shrine" and some called it a "cathedral." Now it will be restored to its former glory and soon thousands will be able to view the place where America flew to the moon.

The race to the moon was won spectacularly by Apollo 11 on 20 July 1969. When astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin took their 'giant step' across a ghostly lunar landscape, they were watched by some 600 million people on Earth 250,000 miles away. 'A Man on the Moon' is the definitive account of the heroic Apollo programme: from the tragedy of the fire in Apollo 1 during a simulated launch, through the euphoria of the first moonwalk, to the discoveries made by the first scientist in space aboard Apollo 17. Drawing on hundreds of hours of in-depth interviews with the astronauts and team, this is the story of the twentieth century's greatest human achievement, minute-by-minute, in the words of those who were there.

On 12th April 1981 a revolutionary new spacecraft blasted off from Florida on her maiden flight. NASA's Space Shuttle Columbia was the most advanced flying machine ever built - the high watermark of post-war aviation development. A direct descendant of the record-breaking X-planes the likes of which Chuck Yeager had tested in the skies over the Mojave Desert, Columbia was a winged rocket plane, the size of an airliner, capable of flying to space and back before being made ready to fly again. She was the world's first real spaceship. On board were men with the Right Stuff. The Shuttle's Commander, moonwalker John Young, was already a veteran of five spaceflights. Alongside him, Pilot Bob Crippen was making his first, but Crip, taken in by the space agency after the cancellation of a top secret military space station programme in 1969, had worked on the Shuttle's development for a decade. Never before had a crew been so well prepared for their mission. Yet less than an hour after Young and Crippen's spectacular departure from the Cape it was clear that all was not well. Tiles designed to protect Columbia from the blowtorch burn of re-entry were missing from the heatshield. If the damage to their ship was too great the astronauts would be unable to return safely to earth. But neither they nor mission control possessed any way of knowing. Instead, NASA turned to the National Reconnaissance Office, a spy agency hidden deep inside the Pentagon whose very existence was classified. To help, the NRO would attempt something that had never been done before. Success would require skill, pinpoint timing and luck ... Drawing on brand new interviews with astronauts and engineers, archive material and newly declassified documents, Rowland White, bestselling author of Vulcan 607, has pieced together the dramatic untold story of the mission for the first time. Into the Black is a thrilling race against time; a gripping high stakes cold-war story, and a celebration of a beyond the state-of-the-art machine that, hailed as one of the seven new wonders of the world, rekindled our passion for spaceflight. *With a foreword by Astronaut Richard Truly* `Beautifully researched and written, Into the Black tells the true, complete story of the Space Shuttle better than it's ever been told before.' Colonel Chris Hadfield, former Astronaut and Space Station Commander `Brilliantly revealed, Into the Black is the finely tuned true story of the first flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia. Rowland White has magnificently laid bare the unknown dangers and unseen hazards of that first mission ... Once read, not forgotten.' Clive Cussler

The definitive guide to the modern body of spacecraft charging knowledge--from first principles for the beginner to intermediate and advanced concepts

The only book to blend the theoretical and practical aspects of spacecraft charging, Guide to Mitigating Spacecraft Charging Effects defines the environment that not only creates the aurora, but which also can have significant effects on spacecraft, such as disruption of science measurements and solar arrays from electrostatic discharge (ESD). It describes in detail the physics of the interaction phenomenon as well as how to construct spacecraft to enhance their survivability in the harsh environment of space.

Combining the authors' extensive experience in spacecraft charging--and in their provision of design support to NASA, JPL, the commercial satellite market, and numerous other projects--this incredible book offers both a robust physics background and practical advice for neophytes in the field and experienced plasma physicists and spacecraft engineers.

In addition to containing numerous equations, graphs, tables, references, and illustrations, Guide to "Mitigating Spacecraft Charging Effects" covers:

Solar cell technology, especially higher voltage arrays, and the new design approaches that are appropriate for them

Information about the space plasma environment

New analytic computer codes to analyze spacecraft charging

Spacecraft anomalies and failures which emphasized designs that are of greater importance than others

This is a long-overdue volume dedicated to space trajectory optimization. Interest in the subject has grown, as space missions of increasing levels of sophistication, complexity, and scientific return - hardly imaginable in the 1960s - have been designed and flown. Although the basic tools of optimization theory remain an accepted canon, there has been a revolution in the manner in which they are applied and in the development of numerical optimization. This volume purposely includes a variety of both analytical and numerical approaches to trajectory optimization. The choice of authors has been guided by the editor's intention to assemble the most expert and active researchers in the various specialities presented. The authors were given considerable freedom to choose their subjects, and although this may yield a somewhat eclectic volume, it also yields chapters written with palpable enthusiasm and relevance to contemporary problems.

This book is dedicated to important issues concerning Space Shuttle retirement and transition to the next generation of human space flight systems. Emphasis is placed on the issues of costs, suppliers, transition progress, environmental risks, and mission identification and scope.

Some fifty years ago as a cub reporter, Barbree caught space fever the night that Sputnik passed over Albany, Georgia. On a double date where the couples actually did some star gazing, Barbree recognized that exploring space would become one of the most important stories of the century. Convinced that one day astronauts would walk on the moon, Barbree moved to the then sleepy ocean-side community of Cocoa Beach, right outside Cape Canaveral, and began reporting on rockets that soared, exploded, and fizzled. In the decades to come he witnessed a parade of history as space pioneers, hucksters, groupies and politicians participated in the greatest show of technology the world had ever seen. In "Live from Cape Canaveral", Barbree offers his unique perspective on the space program. Warm and perceptive, he reminds us just how thrilling the great moments of the space race were and why America fell in love with its heroic, sometimes larger-than-life astronauts.

This handbook, designed to help analysts assess cost estimates of space systems, covers planning an estimate and identifying the key data needed. It also provides typical cost ranges for components of relevant historical space programs. It supplements the Air Force Cost Analysis Agency's spacecraft training course by focusing on the cost analysis implications of the systems and processes covered in the course.

"The Space Handbook", first published in 1958, was designed to serve as a basic guide on the uses and characteristics of space systems, including astronautics and its applications, technology in the space environment, rocket vehicles, propulsion systems, propellants, internal power sources, structures and materials, flight path and orientation control, guidance, communication, observation and tracking, and atmospheric flight. Written at the request of the Hon. John W. McCormack, chairman of the House Select Committee on Astronautics and Space Exploration, it was produced in only three weeks using RAND's own funds in the public interest. Now, fifty years after its initial publication, and to celebrate RAND's 60th Anniversary, RAND brings this classic work back into print in paperback and digital formats.

Winner of the Emme Award for Astronautical Literature, 2001

"The essential reference work for Soviet/Russian space history . . . for anyone hoping to make sense of the too many 'truths' of Soviet Space history."--"Journal of Military History"

"We finally have a definitive English-language history covering the first three decades of the Soviet Union's space program. Sixteen years in the making, Asif Siddiqi's amazingly detailed book provides a kaleidoscopic view of the technical and political evolution of Soviet missile and space projects. . . . a veritable gold-mind of factual information."--"Air Power History"

"An extraordinary volume. . . . This is not simply an account of one side of the space race. It is nothing less than the first full-scale, detailed explanation of how and why the Soviet Union led the world into space. It belongs on the shelf of every historian with an interest in flight, technology and politics, the Cold War, or any one of a score of related topics."--"The Public Historian"

"No space buff's library will be complete without this book. Readers will marvel at the complex interactions between design bureaus, and will enjoy getting to know the people behind the failed Soviet effort--a vital step toward putting Apollo's victory in context."--"Smithsonian Air and Space"

"Absolutely mandatory on the bookshelf of anyone interested in space."--"Encyclopedia Astronautica"

First published by NASA in 2000 as "Challenge to Apollo," these two volumes are the first comprehensive history of the Soviet-manned space programs covering a period of thirty years, from the end of World War II, when the Soviets captured German rocket technology, to the collapse of their moon program in the mid-1970s.

The spectacular Soviet successes of Sputnik--the first Earth satellite (1957) and Yuri Gagarin--the first man in space (1961) shocked U.S. leaders and prompted President John F. Kennedy to set the goal of landing a man on the moon before the end of the 1960s. The moon race culminated with the historic landing of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the moon in 1969 (coincidentally the first Soviet unmanned moon probe crashed on its surface while the American astronauts were at Tranquility Base).

The epic story of the Soviet space program remained shrouded in secrecy until the unprecedented opening of top secret documents. Based almost entirely on these Russian-language sources and numerous interviews with veterans, Siddiqi's book breaks through the rumors, hearsay, and speculation that characterized books on the Soviet space program published during the Cold War years. Supplementing the text with dozens of previously classified photographs, he weaves together the technical, political, and personal history of the major Soviet space programs, providing the other side of the history of human space flight.

Asif A. Siddiqi is a Ph.D. candidate in history at Carnegie Mellon University.

"Let the meek inherit the earth—the rest of us are going to the stars! Here's how it's going to be done." — Robert Zubrin

"These articles are not 'just science fiction.' They are things we can do—and with any luck at all, and vision and determination, we will." — Stanley Schmidt

Take off on a thrilling journey of space exploration and speculation—to the realm where science fiction becomes science fact—as leading writers, researchers, and astronautic engineers describe a not-too-distant future of interstellar travel and colonization. From cable cars that ride "skyhooks" into space to rockets that can refuel out of Martian air, from "terraforming" planets (a process that makes them habitable for human life) to faster-than-light propulsion systems, Islands in the Sky offers an astonishing collection of challenging—and plausible—ideas and proposals from the pages of Analog magazine. Brilliant and provocative, here is fun-filled reading for everyone interested in science, technology, and the future.

On April 13, 1970, some 205,000 miles from the Earth, an explosion rocked the moon-bound Apollo 13, taking out both engines of the command module and crippling the life-support system. Guided by the ground crew in Houston, the crew took refuge in the lunar module and used its engines, almost in the fashion of an outboard motor, to maneuver the craft around the moon and back toward Earth. With temperatures in the module below freezing, water in short supply, and one crew member seriously ill, the astronauts and the ground crew struggled to manipulate machines into doing things they were never meant to do. Long unavailable, Thirteen: The Apollo Flight That Failed is a riveting, minute-by-minute account of the only manned NASA mission to have malfunctioned outside the Earth's orbit. Henry Cooper takes readers behind the scenes in this story of unprecedented crisis that severely tested NASA's button-down ethic of the time - forcing technological improvisation on an organization built on caution and procedure.