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Books > Professional & Technical > Other technologies > Space science > Astronautics
On June 17, 1963, Soviet cosmonaut Valentina Tereshkova became the first woman in space. Curiously, unlike every previous milestone in the "space race," this event did not spur NASA to catch up by flying an American woman. Though there were suitable candidates-two years earlier, thirteen female pilots recruited by the private Woman in Space program had passed a strenuous physical exam and were ready for another stage of astronaut testing-American women would not escape earth's gravity for another twenty years. In Right Stuff, Wrong Sex, Margaret Weitekamp shows how the Woman in Space program-conceived by Dr. William Randolph Lovelace and funded by world-famous pilot and businesswoman Jacqueline Cochran-challenged prevailing attitudes about women's roles and capabilities. In examining the experiences of the Fellow Lady Astronaut Trainees (as the candidates called themselves), this book documents the achievements and frustrated hopes of a remarkable group of women whose desire to serve their country fell victim to hostility toward such aspirations. Drawing from archival research and interviews with participants, Weitekamp traces the rise and fall of the Woman in Space program within the context of the cold war and the thriving women's aviation culture of the 1950s. Weitekamp's study sheds light on a little-known but compelling chapter in the history of the U.S. space program and the rise of the women's movement in America.
La realizzazione e il lancio nello spazio di satelliti o sonde attraverso missili o navette spaziali sono un esempio di attivita industriale di enorme complessita e di lungo periodo. Lo sviluppo di un programma spaziale prevede la realizzazione di vari sistemi costituenti: il segmento spaziale, cioe i lanciatori per l'accesso allo Spazio, i satelliti o le sonde, le infrastrutture spaziali abitate da astronauti oppure robotizzate; e il segmento di terra che consente agli operatori sulla terra di controllare i sistemi nello spazio e di fruire delle applicazioni derivanti dal loro uso. Il settore e di per se peculiare dato l'ambiente extra-atmosferico ove si troveranno ad operare astronauti o sonde robotizzate, pertanto la manifattura dei sistemi spaziali e una pratica a meta strada tra la scienza esatta e l'artigianato di elevatissima qualita. Le metodologie e i processi realizzativi dei programmi spaziali hanno pero avuto il pregio nel passato di costituire, sin dagli anni '60, un modello di riferimento per altri settori industriali proprio a causa della loro unicita tecnologica e produttiva. E oggi le metodologie di gestione dei programmi spaziali sono standardizzate e consolidate. Gli elementi trattati in questo libro intendono avvicinare il lettore alle specificita gestionali della concezione, del finanziamento e della messa in essere di un programma spaziale, una tra le piu complesse attivita umane influenzate da fattori storici, scientifici, economici e politici. "
GIOTTO, das spektakularste Raumprojekt seit der Mondlandung und ein
Glanzstuck der europaischen Raumforschung, wird von dem versierten
Autor Nigel Calder spannend dargestellt.
This book introduces the Martian simulations of The Mars Society, the first one installed on Devon Island, an uninhabited island in the Canadian Arctic, well within the polar circle, and the second in the desert of Utah, several hundreds of kilometers South of Salt Lake City. The book is based on the diaries held during the simulations, by Vladimir Pletser, a physicist-engineer, who was selected to participate in these simulations. It relates the details of everyday life in these Martian habitats and of the scientific and exploratory work conducted in these extreme environments in preparation for future manned missions to Mars. Through the real experiences described in the book, readers will find space explorations and living on Mars more tangible.
In "Faster, Better, Cheaper: Low-Cost Innovation in the U.S. Space Program," Howard E. McCurdy examines NASA's recent efforts to save money while improving mission frequency and performance. McCurdy details the sixteen missions undertaken during the 1990s--including an orbit of the moon, deployment of three space telescopes, four Earth-orbiting satellites, two rendezvous with comets and asteroids, and a test of an ion propulsion engine--which cost less than the sum traditionally spent on a single, conventionally planned planetary mission. He shows how these missions employed smaller spacecraft and cheaper technology to undertake less complex and more specific tasks in outer space. While the technological innovation and space exploration approach that McCurdy describes is still controversial, the historical perspective on its disappointments and triumphs points to ways of developing "faster, better, and cheaper" as a management manifesto.
Newton's laws of motion and his universal law of gravitation described mathematically the motion of two bodies undergoing mutual gravitational attraction. However, it is impossible to solve analytically the equation of motion for three gravitationally interacting bodies. This book discusses some techniques used to obtain numerical solutions of the equations of motion for planets and satellites, which are of fundamental importance to solar-system dynamicists and to those involved in planning the orbits of artificial satellites. The first part introduces the classical two-body problem and solves it by rigorously developing the six integrals of the motion, starting from Newton's three laws of motion and his law of gravitation and then using vector algebra to develop the integrals. The various forms of the solution flow naturally from the integrals. In the second part, several modern perturbation techniques are developed and applied to cases of practical importance. For example, the perturbed two-body problem for an oblate planet or for a nonsymmetric rotating planet is considered, as is the effect of drag on a satellite. The two-body problem is regularized, and the nonlinear differential equation is thereby transformed to a linear one by further embedding several of the integrals. Finally, a brief sketch of numerical methods is given, as the perturbation equations must be solved by numerical rather than by analytical methods.
Stung by the pioneering space successes of the Soviet Union - in particular, Gagarin being the first man in space, the United States gathered the best of its engineers and set itself the goal of reaching the Moon within a decade. In an expanding 2nd edition of How Apollo Flew to the Moon, David Woods tells the exciting story of how the resulting Apollo flights were conducted by following a virtual flight to the Moon and its exploration of the surface. From launch to splashdown, he hitches a ride in the incredible spaceships that took men to another world, exploring each step of the journey and detailing the enormous range of disciplines, techniques, and procedures the Apollo crews had to master. While describing the tremendous technological accomplishment involved, he adds the human dimension by calling on the testimony of the people who were there at the time. He provides a wealth of fascinating and accessible material: the role of the powerful Saturn V, the reasoning behind trajectories, the day-to-day concerns of human and spacecraft health between two worlds, the exploration of the lunar surface and the sheer daring involved in traveling to the Moon and the mid-twentieth century. Given the tremendous success of the original edition of How Apollo Flew to the Moon, the second edition will have a new chapter on surface activities, inspired by reader's comment on Amazon.com. There will also be additional detail in the existing chapters to incorporate all the feedback from the original edition, and will include larger illustrations.
This book has two goals. One goal is to provide a means for those new to high-energy-density physics to gain a broad foundation from one text. The second goal is to provide a useful working reference for those in the ?eld. This book has at least four possible applications in an academic c- text. It can be used for training in high-energy-density physics, in support of the growing number of university and laboratory research groups working in this area. It also can be used by schools with an emphasis on ultrafast lasers, to provide some introduction to issues present in all laser-target - perimentswithhigh-powerlasers, andwiththoroughcoverageofthematerial in Chap. 11 on relativistic systems. In addition, it could be used by physics, applied physics, or engineering departments to provide in a single course an introduction to the basics of ?uid mechanics and radiative transfer, with d- matic applications. Finally, it could be used by astrophysics departments for a similar purpose, with the parallel bene't of training the students in the similarities and di?erences between laboratory and astrophysical systems. The notation in this text is deliberately sparse and when possible a given symbol has only one meaning. A de?nition of the symbols used is given in Appendix A. In various cases, additional subscripts are added to distinguish among cases of the same quantity, as for example in the use of ? and ? 1 2 to distinguish the mass density in two di?erent regions
Part of the Princeton Aeronautical Paperback series designed to bring to students and research engineers outstanding portions of the twelve-volume High Speed Aerodynamics and Jet Propulsion series. These books have been prepared by direct reproduction of the text from the original series and no attempt has been made to provide introductory material or to eliminate cross reference to other portions of the original volumes. Originally published in 1960. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
To commemorate the momentous 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin's pioneering journey into space on 12th April 2011, a series of five books - to be published annually - will explore this half century, decade by decade, to discover how humanity's knowledge of flying, working and living in space has changed. Each volume will focus not only upon the individual missions within 'its' decade, but also upon the key challenges facing human space exploration at specific points within those 50 years: from the simple problems of breathing and eating in space to the challenges of venturing outside in a pressurised spacesuit and locomotion on the Moon. The first volume of this series will focus upon the 1960s, exploring each mission from April 1961 to April 1971 in depth: from the pioneering Vostok flights to the establishment of the first Salyut space station and from Alan Shepard's modest sub-orbital 'hop' into space to his triumphant arrival at the Moon's Fra Mauro foothills almost a decade later.
In Space Rescue: Ensuring the Safety of Manned Spacecraft, author David J. Shayler reviews the development of crew survival and escape methods from the earliest designs of manned spacecraft to the current discussions of systems for ISS and on to the future prospect of sending men and women out towards Mars. David Shayler reviews the numerous proposed systems of crew rescue and also analyses the adopted systems of ejection seats, escape towers and abort profiles during the ascent from Earth to space, including the safety requirements and contingency procedures available during various mission profiles to get the crew safely back to Earth. The author also examines the various wilderness training programs and abort simulations used to help prepare the crews for almost any unplanned and emergency contingency they may face during their mission.
David Altman, James M. Carter, S. S. Penner, Martin Summerfield. High Temperature Equilibrium, Expansion Processes, Combustion of Liquid Propellants, The Liquid Propellants Rocket Engine. Originally published in 1960. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.
The investigation of minor solar system bodies, such as comets and asteroids, using spacecraft requires an understanding of orbital motion in strongly perturbed environments. The solutions to a wide range of complex and challenging problems in this field are reviewed in this comprehensive and authoritative work.
Fundamentals of Space Systems was developed to satisfy two objectives: the first is to provide a text suitable for use in an advanced undergraduate or beginning graduate course in both space systems engineering and space system design. The second is to be a primer and reference book for space professionals wishing to broaden their capabilities to develop, manage the development, or operate space systems. The authors of the individual chapters are practicing engineers that have had extensive experience in developing sophisticated experimental and operational spacecraft systems in addition to having experience teaching the subject material. The text presents the fundamentals of all the subsystems of a spacecraft missions and includes illustrative examples drawn from actual experience to enhance the learning experience. It includes a chapter on each of the relevant major disciplines and subsystems including space systems engineering, space environment, astrodynamics, propulsion and flight mechanics, attitude determination and control, power systems, thermal control, configuration management and structures, communications, command and telemetry, data processing, embedded flight software, survuvability and reliability, integration and test, mission operations, and the initial conceptual design of a typical small spacecraft mission.
The objective of this textbook is to provide the mathematical models and algorithms needed to develop a thorough understanding of all control system functions of a rigid body spacecraft. Relatively simple, but practically applicable algorithms are presented rather than recent advances. We try to avoid detailed and specialized issues that are of less importance for the fundamental understanding, such as detailed environment models, etc. Furthermore, control problems that can be cast in standard formulations and solved with existing methods are not treated here. Instead, we intend to provide an understanding of the principles, put them in an engineering context, and try to give all explanations as concise as possible. Besides conventional three-axis attitude control systems, the following topics are treated in this book:* Control of agile rotation maneuvers using control moment gyros * Precise pointing control with error classes for pointing instruments * Control systems with accelerometers and free-flying test masses, which provide low-disturbance or disturbance-free environments We believe that these topics are of considerable relevance for the design of future spacecraft control systems, especially in the field of science and Earth observation missions.
A History Today Book of the Year A world-renowned astronomer and an esteemed science writer make the provocative argument for space exploration without astronauts. Human journeys into space fill us with wonder. But the thrill of space travel for astronauts comes at enormous expense and is fraught with peril. As our robot explorers grow more competent, governments and corporations must ask, does our desire to send astronauts to the Moon and Mars justify the cost and danger? Donald Goldsmith and Martin Rees believe that beyond low-Earth orbit, space exploration should proceed without humans. In The End of Astronauts, Goldsmith and Rees weigh the benefits and risks of human exploration across the solar system. In space humans require air, food, and water, along with protection from potentially deadly radiation and high-energy particles, at a cost of more than ten times that of robotic exploration. Meanwhile, automated explorers have demonstrated the ability to investigate planetary surfaces efficiently and effectively, operating autonomously or under direction from Earth. Although Goldsmith and Rees are alert to the limits of artificial intelligence, they know that our robots steadily improve, while our bodies do not. Today a robot cannot equal a geologist's expertise, but by the time we land a geologist on Mars, this advantage will diminish significantly. Decades of research and experience, together with interviews with scientific authorities and former astronauts, offer convincing arguments that robots represent the future of space exploration. The End of Astronauts also examines how spacefaring AI might be regulated as corporations race to privatize the stars. We may eventually decide that humans belong in space despite the dangers and expense, but their paths will follow routes set by robots.
Designed between 1969 and 1972 and first flown into space in 1981, the NASA Shuttle will have flown almost 140 missions by the time it is retired in 2010. David Baker describes the origin of the reusable launch vehicle concept during the 1960s, its evolution into a viable flying machine in the early 1970s, and its subsequent design, engineering, construction and operation. The Shuttle's internal layout and systems are explained, including the operation of life support, electrical power production, cooling, propulsion, flight control, communications, land and avionics systems.
A momentous look at the private companies driving the revolutionary new space race. In 2008, Elon Musk's SpaceX became the first private company to build a low-cost rocket that could reach orbit. Suddenly Silicon Valley, not NASA, was the epicentre of the new Space Age. Ashlee Vance follows four pioneering companies - Astra, Firefly, Planet Labs and Rocket Lab - as they race to control access to outer space. While the space tourism ambitions of billionaires such as Bezos and Branson make headlines, these under-the-radar companies are striving to monetise Earth's lower orbit; to connect, analyse and monitor everything on Earth. With unprecedented access to private company headquarters, labs and top-secret launch locations - from the US to New Zealand, Ukraine to India - Vance presents a gripping account of private jets, communes, gun-toting bodyguards, drugs, espionage investigations and multimillionaires guzzling booze as their fortunes disappear. This is the most pressing and controversial technology story of our time. Welcome to the new Wild West above the clouds.
In 1938 a committee of the British Interplanetary Society drew up the first serious plans for a manned lunar spacecraft. The BIS moon ship would be the first in a long line of designs that would ultimately lead to Tranquility Base and beyond. Working alongside engineers and scientists from Britain, Canada and Germany, the elite of American industrial engineers turned their attention to not only reaching the moon but to establishing a long-term presence there. Between 1958 and 1971 millions of man-hours and untold amounts of money were spent to try and create the hardware necessary to accomplish this unprecedented goal. In this book for the first time in one place, is a pictorial register of many of these incredible designs. A remarkable story of what might have happened if the mighty Saturn V rocket had not been relegated to the status of an historical footnote. In his latest book, "The Lunar Exploration Scrapbook", noted editor and writer Robert Godwin, has distilled years of research into an unprecedented look at the many machines considered by the United States for lunar exploration. Combining the blueprints of the 1950s and 1960s with modern computer graphics, Godwin has brought to life many of the past, and packed them all into one tightly woven package of colour and facts. The Lunar Exploration Scrapbook features colour texture-wrapped renderings of dozens of designs that never left the drawing board, creating a unique look at what might have happened if money had been no object, and humanity had gone to the moon to stay.
Foreword by Dr. Roger D. Launius, Former NASA Chief Historian For the past 75 years, the U.S. government has invested significant time and money into advanced aerospace research, as evidenced by its many experimental X-plane aircraft and rockets. NASA's X-Planes asks a simple question: What have we gained from it all? To answer this question, the authors provide a comprehensive overview of the X-plane's long history, from the 1946 X-1 to the modern X-60. The chapters describe not just the technological evolution of these models, but also the wider story of politics, federal budgets, and inter-agency rivalries surrounding them. The book is organized into two sections, with the first covering the operational X-planes that symbolized the Cold War struggle between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R, and the second section surveying post-Cold War aircraft and spacecraft. Featuring dozens of original illustrations of X-plane cross-sections, in-flight profiles, close-ups, and more, this book will educate general readers and specialists alike.
In May 1961, President Kennedy announced that the United States would attempt to land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth before the end of that decade. Yet NASA did not have a specific plan for how to accomplish that goal. Over the next fourteen months, NASA vigorously debated several options. At first the consensus was to send one big rocket with several astronauts to the moon, land and explore, and then take off and return the astronauts to earth in the same vehicle. Another idea involved launching several smaller Saturn V rockets into the earth orbit, where a lander would be assembled and fueled before sending the crew to the moon. But it was a small group of engineers led by John C. Houbolt who came up with the plan that propelled human beings to the moon and back-not only safely, but faster, cheaper, and more reliably. Houbolt and his colleagues called it "lunar orbit rendezvous," or "LOR." At first the LOR idea was ignored, then it was criticized, and then finally dismissed by many senior NASA officials. Nevertheless, the group, under Houbolt's leadership, continued to press the LOR idea, arguing that it was the only way to get men to the moon and back by President Kennedy's deadline. Houbolt persisted, risking his career in the face of overwhelming opposition. This is the story of how John Houbolt convinced NASA to adopt the plan that made history.
As we speak, stunning new snapshots of our Solar System are being transmitted to Earth by a fleet of space probes, landers, and rovers. Yet nowadays, it is all too easy to take such images for granted amidst the deluge of competing visuals we scroll through every day. To truly understand the value of these incredible space photos, we first need to understand the tools that made them possible. This is the story of imaging instruments in space, detailing all the technological missteps and marvels that have allowed us to view planetary bodies like never before. From the rudimentary cameras launched in the 1950's to the cutting-edge imaging instruments onboard the Mars Perseverance rover, this book covers more than 100 imaging systems sent aboard various spacecraft to explore near and distant planetary bodies. Featured within are some of the most striking images ever received by these pioneering instruments, including Voyager's Pale Blue Dot, Apollo's Blue Marble, Venera's images from the surface of Venus, Huygens' images of Titan, New Horizon's images of Pluto and Arrokoth, and much more. Along the way, you will learn about advancements in data transmission, digitization, citizen science, and other fields that revolutionized space imaging, helping us peer farther and more clearly across the Solar System.
Documents the challenges and the social, political, and economic factors involved in the planning and technological achievement of the Mariner 10 mission, and features more than one hundred high-resolution photographs of the surface of Mercury.
Propellants contain considerable chemical energy that can be used in rocket propulsion. Bringing together information on both the theoretical and practical aspects of solid rocket propellants for the first time, this book will find a unique place on the readers' shelf providing the overall picture of solid rocket propulsion technology. Aimed at students, engineers and researchers in the area, the authors have applied their wealth of knowledge regarding formulation, processing and evaluation to provide an up to date and clear text on the subject. |
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