The challenge of communication in planetary exploration has been unusual. The guidance and control of spacecraft depend on reliable communication. Scientific data returned to earth are irreplaceable, or replaceable only at the cost of another mission. In deep space, communications propagation is good, relative to terrestrial communications, and there is an opportunity to press toward the mathematical limit of microwave communication. Yet the limits must be approached warily, with reliability as well as channel capacity in mind. Further, the effects of small changes in the earth's atmosphere and the interplanetary plasma have small but important effects on propagation time and hence on the measurement of distance. Advances are almost incredible. Communication capability measured in 18 bits per second at a given range rose by a factor of 10 in the 19 years from Explorer I of 1958 to Voyager of 1977. This improvement was attained through ingenious design based on the sort of penetrating analysis set forth in this book by engineers who took part in a highly detailed and amazingly successful pro gram. Careful observation and analysis have told us much about limitations on the accurate measurement of distance. It is not easy to get busy people to tell others clearly and in detail how they have solved important problems. Joseph H. Yuen and the other contribu tors to this book are to be commended for the time and care they have devoted to explicating one vital aspect of a great adventure of mankind."

This book provides a concise but broad overview of the engineering, science and flight history of planetary landers and atmospheric entry probes designed to explore the atmospheres and surfaces of other planets. It covers engineering aspects specific to such vehicles which are not usually treated in traditional spacecraft engineering texts. Examples are drawn from over thirty different lander and entry probe designs that have been used for lunar and planetary missions since the early 1960s. The authors provide detailed illustrations of many vehicle designs from different international space programs, and give basic information on their missions and payloads, irrespective of the mission's success or failure. Several missions are discussed in more detail to demonstrate the broad range of the challenges involved and the solutions implemented. This will form an important reference for professionals, academic researchers and graduate students involved in planetary science, aerospace engineering and space mission development.

This book documents how a complex branch of science was started and encouraged to grow both nationally and internationally, as seen through the eyes of two authors who together played a major role in many of the events that they describe. It traces the beginning and subsequent development of a space science programme for British scientists from the early 1950s to the early 1980s, and gives the scientific, technological and administrative background whilst highlighting some of the outstanding successes of the programme. Cooperation with NASA in the United States is described in some detail, and the part played by Britain in establishing European cooperation in space science is outlined, as is the more modest cooperative programme with Commonwealth countries. This historical account will be of interest to all space scientists, geophysicists and astronomers, as well as to those concerned with the administration and organisation of large, co-operative scientific programmes.

When Sultan bin Salman left Earth on the shuttle Discovery in 1985, he became the first Arab, first Muslim and first member of a royal family in space. Twenty-five years later, the discovery of a planet 500 light years away by the Qatar Exoplanet Survey - subsequently named `Qatar-1b' - was evidence of the cutting-edge space science projects taking place across the Middle East. This book identifies the individuals, institutions and national ideologies that enabled Arab astronomers and researchers to gain support for space exploration when Middle East governments lacked interest. Jorg Matthias Determann shows that the conquest of space became associated with national prestige, security, economic growth and the idea of an `Arab renaissance' more generally. Equally important to this success were international collaborations: to benefit from American and Soviet expertise and technology, Arab scientists and officials had to commit to global governance of space and the common interests of humanity. Challenging the view that the golden age of Arabic science and cosmopolitanism was situated in the medieval period, Determann tells the story of the new discoveries and scientific collaborations taking place from the 19th century to the present day. An innovative contribution to Middle East studies and history of science, the book also appeals to increased business, media and political interest in the Arab space industry.

April 12, 2011 is the 50th anniversary of Yuri Gagarin s pioneering journey into space. To commemorate this momentous achievement, Springer-Praxis is producing a mini series of books that reveals how humanity s knowledge of flying, working, and living in space has grown in the last half century.
Tragedy and Triumph focuses on the 1980s and early 1990s, a time when relations between the United States and the Soviet Union swung like a pendulum between harmony and outright hostility. The glorious achievements of the shuttle were violently arrested by the devastating loss of Challenger in 1986, while the Soviet program appeared to prosper with the last Salyut and the next-generation Mir orbital station. This book explores the continued rivalry between the two superpowers during this period, with each attempting to outdo the other the Americans keen to build a space station, the Soviets keen to build a space shuttle and places their efforts in the context of a bitterly divisive decade, which ultimately led them into partnership.

Communication satellites are a $144 billion industry. Is there any space-based industry that could possibly beat that market? 'Solar Power Satellites' shows why and how the space satellite industry will soon begin expanding its market from relaying signals to Earth to generating energy in space and delivering it to the ground as electricity. In all industrialized nations, energy demand is growing exponentially. In the developing world, the need for energy is as basic as food and water. The Sun's energy is available everywhere, and it is non-polluting. As business plans demonstrate its technical feasibility, commercial potential, and environmental acceptability, every country on Earth will look to space for the power it needs.

Full coverage of the techniques needed to implement an autonomous software-defined radio system

This book introduces the reader to the concept of an autonomous software-defined radio (SDR) receiver, which automatically recognizes attributes of an incoming signal and reconfigures itself to receive it. This is in contrast to conventional software-defined radios, which are reconfigurable but not autonomous.

The book explores the challenges of such automatic reconfiguration, and explains the design and development of algorithms that permit its successful operation. Among the topics covered are automatic identification of the carrier frequency, modulation index, data rate, modulation type, and pulse shape, based on observations of the received signal.

Each distinct aspect of the design of the receiver is treated in a separate chapter written by one or more leading innovators in the field. Chapters begin with a problem statement and then offer a full mathematical derivation of an appropriate solution, a decision metric or loop-structure as appropriate, and performance results.

Two of the chapters serve specifically to pull all the individual elements together and help readers see how a successful autonomous SDR receiver works: Chapter 2, The Electra Radio, provides a detailed review of NASA's Electra radio, which was developed for deep space applications Chapter 11, Implementation and Interaction of Estimators and Classifiers, the final chapter, demonstrates the performance of an actual software implementation of the various algorithms working in concert with each other

In summary, all the materials and techniques that an engineer needs to implement an autonomous SDR areincluded. Although the technology is intended for deep space applications, the theoretical development and algorithms presented in this text can be applied to any terrestrial radio with the capability of processing more than one type of signal.

This book analyses the rationale and history of space programs in countries of the developing world.

Space was at one time the sole domain of the wealthiest developed countries. However, the last couple of decades of the twentieth century and the first decade of the twenty-first century have witnessed the number of countries with state-supported space programs blossom. Today, no less than twenty-five developing states, including the rapidly emerging economic powers of Brazil (seventh-largest), China (second-largest), and India (fourth-largest), possess active national space programs with already proven independent launch capability or concrete plans to achieve it soon.

This work places these programs within the context of international relations theory and foreign policy analysis. The author categorizes each space program into tiers of development based not only on the level of technology utilised, but on how each fits within the country s overall national security and/or development policies. The text also places these programs into an historical context, which enables the author to demonstrate the logical thread of continuity in the political rationale for space capabilities generally.

This book will be of much interest to students of space power and politics, development studies, strategic studies and international relations in general.

This book is for scientists and engineers involved in the definition and development of space science missions. The processes that such missions follow, from the proposal to a space agency, to a successful mission completion, are numerous. The rationale behind approval of a mission, its definition and the payload that it will include are topics that cannot be presented in undergraduate courses. This book contains contributions from experts who are involved in today's space missions at various levels. Chapters cover mission phases and implementation, launchers and cruise strategies, including gravity assist maneuvers and different thrust scenarios. The payload needed for remote sensing of the Universe at various wavelengths and for in-situ measurements is described in detail, and particular attention is paid to the most recent planetary landers. Whilst the book concentrates on the ESA program Cosmic Visions, its content is relevant to space science missions at all space agencies.

Two top astronomers (and bestselling authors) take a cutting-edge look at how life itself develops, survives, evolves, becomes intelligent, and where it might exist in outer space. Illustrated with breathtaking photos and state-of-the-art graphics, this thrilling story reveals a newfound understanding of the conditions that fostered life on Earth; how stars and planets are formed; the specific qualities of the Sun and planets in our solar system; and the techniques required to observe phenomena outside our system. The fascinating advances in technology and information revealed here could enable us to locate extraterrestrials within the next 20 years!

This book provides an introduction, from the astronomical point of view of the author, to the exciting search for extra-terrestrial life, and an overview of the current status of research into 'alien' life in the Solar System and beyond. It also explores the potential future human exploration of the Moon and Mars. Up-to-date with the latest developments in the field and accompanied by key references for further study, it is a fantastic introduction to the field of astrobiology for non-science majors taking an elective module, in addition to undergraduates studying physics with an interest in this area. Features: Contains the latest groundbreaking research in the hunt for life outside of Earth Discusses the identification of biosignatures in exo-planets Reviews future options for human outposts on the Moon and Mars

Many readers will doubtless be astonished to learn that animals were being fired aloft in U.S. and Soviet research rockets in the late 1940s. In fact most people not only believe that the Russian space dog Laika was the first canine to be launched into space, but also that the high-profile, precursory Mercury flights of chimps Ham and Enos were the only primate flights conducted by the United States. In fact, both countries had sent literally dozens of animals aloft for many years prior to these events and continued to do so for many years after. Other latter-day space nations, such as France and China, would also begin to use animals in their own space research.

Animals in Space will explain why dogs, primates, mice and other rodents were chosen and tested, at a time when dedicated scientists from both space nations were determined to establish the survivability of human subjects on both ballistic and orbital space flights. It will also recount the way this happened; the secrecy involved and the methods employed, and offer an objective analysis of how the role of animals as spaceflight test subjects not only evolved, but subsequently changed over the years in response to a public outcry led by animal activists. It will explore the ways in which animal high-altitude and space flight research impacted on space flight biomedicine and technology, and how the results - both successful and disappointing - allowed human beings to then undertake that same hazardous journey with far greater understanding and confidence.

This book is intended as a detailed yet highly readable and balanced account of the history of animal space flights, and the resultant application of hard-won researchto space technology and astrobiology. It will undoubtedly become the ultimate authority on animal space flights.

A NEW, FULLY ILLUSTRATED EDITION OF ANDREW MAY'S ILLUMINATING GUIDE TO LIFE NOT ON EARTH The possibility that alien life exists in the universe is among the most profound of human conjectures, which today is being investigated not just by science-fiction writers but by scientists. Astrobiology presents an expert guide to this compelling field of science. It shows how the tell- tale signatures of life on Earth might hold the key to detecting life beyond our planet; explores the many planets beyond our Solar System discovered by NASA's Kepler and TESS missions; and explains alien- hunting touchstones such as Fermi's Paradox, the Drake Equation, and the 'Wow' signal. As NASA's rovers burrow into Mars and its probes peer ever further into the cosmos, this illustrated edition combines deep space images with infographics to cast a scientific eye over the most significant of scientific treasure hunts.

This useful resource deals with satellite orbits, showing how the wide range of available orbits can be used in communications, positioning, remote-sensing, meteorology, and astronomy. An accompanying CD-ROM determines the orbit and sampling of a satellite.

Space activities are currently in a transitional phase: the shift from publicly financed to private activities is a result of reduced public funding and increased commercial space opportunities. This leads to an increased commercial space marketing mix and marketing management. A classical 4Ps' approach is proposed, covering the Product, Price, Physical distribution, and Promotion of space activities. Special emphasis is placed on technology transfer, spin-off, and intellectual property aspects, as well as on aspects of space economy, such as alternate financing schemes like PPP (Public-Private Partnership) and sponsoring. However, space activists require broad public support and the exploratory aspect of space activities, the Space Frontier' dimensions should not be ignored. For this reason, the philosophical dimension as an integral part of the marketing mix is elaborated in detail. The approach is illustrated with two case studies: commercialisation of the International Space Station (ISS) and the emerging Space Tourism market.

In Gemini - Steps to the Moon, author David Shayler unfolds the story of the origin and development of the programme and the spacecraft from the perspective of the engineers, flight controllers and astronauts involved. It includes chapters on flight tests, Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) and rendezvous and docking.

In 1969, Princeton physicist Gerard O'Neill began looking outward to space colonies as the new frontier for humanity's expansion. A decade later, Eric Drexler, an MIT-trained engineer, turned his attention to the molecular world as the place where society's future needs could be met using self-replicating nanoscale machines. These modern utopians predicted that their technologies could transform society as humans mastered the ability to create new worlds, undertook atomic-scale engineering, and, if truly successful, overcame their own biological limits. The Visioneers tells the story of how these scientists and the communities they fostered imagined, designed, and popularized speculative technologies such as space colonies and nanotechnologies. Patrick McCray traces how these visioneers blended countercultural ideals with hard science, entrepreneurship, libertarianism, and unbridled optimism about the future. He shows how they built networks that communicated their ideas to writers, politicians, and corporate leaders. But the visioneers were not immune to failure--or to the lures of profit, celebrity, and hype. O'Neill and Drexler faced difficulty funding their work and overcoming colleagues' skepticism, and saw their ideas co-opted and transformed by Timothy Leary, the scriptwriters of Star Trek, and many others. Ultimately, both men struggled to overcome stigma and ostracism as they tried to unshackle their visioneering from pejorative labels like "fringe" and "pseudoscience." The Visioneers provides a balanced look at the successes and pitfalls they encountered. The book exposes the dangers of promotion--oversimplification, misuse, and misunderstanding--that can plague exploratory science. But above all, it highlights the importance of radical new ideas that inspire us to support cutting-edge research into tomorrow's technologies.

Saturn is back in the news! The Cassini/Huygens spacecraft, a joint venture by NASA and the European Space Agency, is on its way to Saturn, where it will arrive in July 2004. During 2005 it will explore beneath the clouds of Titan, Saturn's largest moon and potential home for extraterrestrial life. Written by an established space historian and experienced author, Mission To Saturn - Cassini and the Huygens Probe is an up-to-date and timely review of our knowledge of Saturn and its enigmatic moon, Titan, on which the Huygens probe will land to search for prebiotic chemistry or even life. It explains how the mission was planned, how it will operate and, as the spacecraft nears its target, puts into context the discoveries that are sure to follow from this once-in-a-lifetime mission.

The Ulysses observations have charted the heliosphere around the minimum in the 11 year cycle of solar activity, revealing the large scale properties of the heliospheric medium and its micro-scale characteristics. This book presents for the first time, a comprehensive review of the results of the Ulysses mission.The first chapter provides an overview of the region, introducing the heliosphere prior to the Ulysses mission, and the objectives and characteristics of the mission itself. Subsequent chapters discuss in detail specific areas of the heliosphere, including the solar wind, large and small scale features, cosmic rays and energetic particles, and the observations of interstellar gas and cosmic dust. Each of these chapters is written by members of the Ulysses science team, concentrating on their own areas of expertise, and is written in a clear and accessible way.In this book, the authors aim to summarise our understanding of the heliosphere near solar minimum and to provide the basis for understanding the more complex state of the heliosphere around solar maximum, which will be observed during the next phase of the Ulysses mission.

As featured in THE EDGE OF ALL WE KNOW - the new Netflix documentary about Black Holes For readers of Stephen Hawking, a fascinating account of the universe from the perspective of world-leading astrophysicist Heino Falcke, who took the first ever picture of a black hole. 10th April 2019: a global sensation. Heino Falcke, a man "working at the boundaries of his discipline and therefore at the limits of the universe" had used a network of telescopes spanning the entire planet to take the first picture of a black hole. Light in the Darkness examines how mankind has always looked to the skies, mapping the journey from millennia ago when we turned our gaze to the heavens, to modern astrophysics. Heino Falcke and Jorg Romer entertainingly and compellingly chart the breakthrough research of Falcke's team, an unprecedented global community of international colleagues developing a telescope complex enough to look directly into a black hole - a hole where light vanishes, and time stops. What does this development mean? Is this the beginning of a new physics? What can we learn from this about God, the world, and ourselves? For Falcke, astrophysics and metaphysics, science and faith, do not exclude one another. Black Hole is both a plea for curiosity and humility; it's interested in both what we know, and the mysteries that remain unsolved.

Skylab is not just a story of space hardware and space science, but also of space explorers and pioneers. Using official NASA documentation and interviews with the astronauts and key personnel, the inside story of Skylab is presented as the story unfolds. An evaluation of the lessons learnt from the programme and how these were, or were not, incorporated into the Space Shuttle and Space Station programme is also offered to present the value of Skylab in the context of the current programme, 25 years after the last crew came home.

Ring Current Investigations offers a comprehensive description of ring current dynamics in the Earth's magnetosphere as part of the coupled magnetosphere-ionosphere system. In order to help researchers develop a deeper understanding of the fundamental physics of geomagnetic storms, it includes a detailed description of energetic charged particles injection, trapping, and loss. It reviews historical and recent advances in observations, measurements, theory and simulations of the inner magnetosphere and its coupling to the ionosphere and other surrounding plasma populations. In addition, it compares the physics of ring currents at other strongly magnetized planets in the solar system, specifically Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and Neptune, with the ring current system at Earth. Providing a description of the most important space weather effects driven by inner magnetospheric energetic particles during geomagnetic storms and present capabilities for their nowcast and forecast, Ring Current Investigations is an important reference for researchers in geophysics and space science, especially related to plasma physics, the ionosphere and magnetosphere, solar-terrestrial relations, and spacecraft anomalies.