In the 1940s and 50s, when the newly minted Jet Propulsion Laboratory needed quick-thinking mathematicians to calculate velocities and plot trajectories, they recruited an elite group of young women who, with only pencil, paper, and mathematical prowess, transformed rocket design, helped bring about the first American satellites, and made the exploration of the solar system possible. Rise of the Rocket Girls tells the stories of these women--known as "human computers"--who broke the boundaries of both gender and science. Based on extensive research and interviews, Nathalia Holt offers a unique perspective on the role of women in science: both where we've been, and the far reaches of space to which we're heading.

Choice Highly Recommended Title, January 2020 This special edition of Apollo in Perspective marks the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 Moon landing in 1969. Updated and revised throughout, it takes a retrospective look at the Apollo space program and the technology that was used to land a man on the Moon. In addition, there is a new chapter looking forward to the future of contemporary spaceflight in returning to the Moon (project Artemis) and going on to Mars. Using simple illustrations and school-level mathematics, it explains the basic physics and technology of spaceflight, from how rockets work to the dynamics of orbits and how to simulate gravity in a rotating spacecraft. A mathematical appendix shows how some of the formulas can be derived. This is an excellent introduction to astronautics for anyone interested in space and spaceflight. Features: Accessible, written in a friendly and informal style Contains real-world examples Updated throughout, with new chapters on the Apollo missions and the immediate future of human spaceflight From the Foreword "I am sure there is a woman or a man alive today who will land on the Moon and on Mars. This book will certainly help them be ready for such a journey. Most importantly, it explains not only what happened 50 years ago, but how the Apollo missions happened, and the science that is required to do it again, or to go further, to Mars. If the reader is younger, still in school and perhaps considering the sciences, this book will introduce ideas that will help you choose the subjects to study which can help you to make your space travel a reality. For others, the book will be an exciting and thought provoking read that gives a vision of the near future in space, which all of us on planet Earth will be able to enjoy as the adventure unfolds."- Michael Foale, CBE, former-NASA astronaut

Whether you're interested in visiting Apollo landing sites or the locations of classic sci-fi movies, this is the tourist guide for you! This tourist guide has a twist - it is a guide to a whole different world, which you can visit from the comfort of your backyard with the aid of nothing more sophisticated than an inexpensive telescope. It tells you the best times to view the Moon, the most exciting sights to look out for, and the best equipment to use, allowing you to snap stunning photographs as well as view the sights with your own eyes. Have you ever been inspired by stunning images from the Hubble telescope, or the magic of sci-fi special effects, only to look through a small backyard telescope at the disappointing white dot of a planet or faint blur of a galaxy? Yet the Moon is different. Seen through even a relatively cheap 'scope, it springs into life like a real place, with mountains and valleys and rugged craters. With a bit of imagination, you can even picture yourself as a sightseeing visitor there - which in a sense you are.

A Brief History of Time for the 21st Century At the heart of our galaxy lies a monster so deadly, not even light can escape its grasp. Its secrets lie waiting to be discovered. It's time to explore our universe's most mysterious inhabitants Black Holes At the heart of the Milky Way lies a supermassive black hole 4 million times more massive than our Sun. A place where space and time are so warped that light is trapped if it ventures within 12 million km. According to Einstein, inside lies the end of time. According to 21st-century physics, the reality may be far more bizarre. Black holes lie where the most massive stars used to shine and at the edge of our current understanding. They are naturally occurring objects, the inevitable creations of gravity when too much matter collapses into not enough space. And yet, although the laws of nature predict them, they fail fully to describe them. Black holes are places in space and time where the laws of gravity, quantum physics and thermodynamics collide. Originally thought to be so intellectually troubling that they simply could not exist, it is only in the past few years that we have begun to glimpse a new synthesis; a deep connection between gravity and quantum information theory that describes a holographic universe in which space and time emerge from a network of quantum bits, and wormholes span the void. In this groundbreaking book, Professor Brian Cox and Professor Jeff Forshaw take you to the edge of our understanding of black holes; a scientific journey to the research frontier spanning a century of physics, from Einstein to Hawking and beyond, that ends with the startling conclusion that our world may operate like a giant quantum computer.

There is an unbridged gap between human aspirations to travel into space and the barriers to realizing such dreams. Despite optimistic predictions, a viable space tourism industry has yet to emerge, with only a handful of 'millionaire' space tourists having experienced travel in outer space. Space tourism remains an elusive dream. This is the first comprehensive, multidisciplinary work on the emergent phenomenon of space tourism. Leading specialists from a range of fields cover a wide spectrum of topics including the space history and technology underpinning current developments; space tourists' motivations; and the environmental, social, and legal aspects concomitant with a space tourism industry. The book is unique in its focus on virtual forms of space travel, such as those manifesting in virtual reality, films, and games. The volume takes a nuanced and critical approach to the development of aspirations to leave Earth, stressing the far-reaching implications for the environment and for human life and society on Earth. The book is written in an approachable manner, making it accessible to both academics and the interested general reader. Owing to its interdisciplinary character, it should be of interest to practitioners and teachers across the sciences, humanities, and social sciences.

Christopher A. Roosa grew up the eldest son of Apollo 14 astronaut and command module pilot Stuart A. Roosa. As a child of the space program, Christopher had a ringside seat at the dinner table of one of twenty-four Americans who had either entered lunar orbit or landed on the moon. The first book written by an offspring of an Apollo astronaut to focus on growing up in that era, Son of Apollo tells the inside story of the life of his father, a man who had a remarkable career despite always believing his air force career was "off-track," from his initial application to the service to his removal from the prime crew of Apollo 13 and his subsequent assignment to Apollo 14. During the Apollo 13 mission and recovery, Stuart played an integral role in developing the procedures to return the crew to Earth safely. The focus-and the pressure-of the entire Apollo program then shifted to the Apollo 14 mission. If the Apollo program was to continue, Stuart and the Apollo 14 crew would need to get safely to the moon, land, and return. In writing about his father's career, Christopher Roosa also shows us a familial side of the Apollo experience, from the daily struggles of growing up in the shadow of a father who was necessarily away in training most of the year to the expectations involved in being an astronaut's son. Roosa's story shows the Apollo era was the result not only of thousands of scientists and engineers working steadfastly toward achieving an assassinated president's national goal but also the families who supported them and lived the missions in their own way. For more information about the book visit roosa.com

How does one go about organizing something as complicated as a strategic-missile or space-exploration program? Stephen B. Johnson here explores the answer--systems management--in a groundbreaking study that involves Air Force planners, scientists, technical specialists, and, eventually, bureaucrats. Taking a comparative approach, Johnson focuses on the theory, or intellectual history, of "systems engineering" as such, its origins in the Air Force's Cold War ICBM efforts, and its migration to not only NASA but the European Space Agency.

Exploring the history and politics of aerospace development and weapons procurement, Johnson examines how scientists and engineers created the systems management process to coordinate large-scale technology development, and how managers and military officers gained control of that process. "Those funding the race demanded results," Johnson explains. "In response, development organizations created what few expected and what even fewer wanted--a bureaucracy for innovation. To begin to understand this apparent contradiction in terms, we must first understand the exacting nature of space technologies and the concerns of those who create them."

Book & CD-ROM. pace weather refers to variations in the space environment between the sun and Earth (and throughout the solar system) that can affect technologies in space and on Earth. Space weather can disrupt the technology that forms the backbone of this country's economic vitality and national security, including satellite and airline operations, communications networks, navigation systems, and the electric power grid. As the Nation becomes ever more dependent on these technologies, space weather poses an increasing risk to infrastructure and the economy. Further, the Strategic National Risk Assessment has identified space weather as a hazard that poses significant risk to the security of the Nation. Clearly, reducing vulnerability to space weather needs to be a national priority. The National Space Weather Strategy (Strategy) and the accompanying National Space Weather Action Plan (Action Plan) together seek to enhance the integration of existing national efforts and to add important capabilities to help meet growing demands for space-weather information. The Strategy and Action Plan build on recent efforts to reduce risks associated with natural hazards and improve resilience of essential facilities and systems, aiming to foster a collaborative environment in which government, industry, and the American people can better understand and prepare for the effects of space weather. The Nation must continue to leverage existing public and private networks of expertise and capabilities and pursue targeted enhancements to improve the ability to manage risks associated with space weather. This book outlines objectives for enhancing the Nation's space-weather readiness in three key areas: national preparedness, forecasting, and understanding. It also describes the study process, the study requirements and their relevance and importance, an assessment and accounting of current and planned space weather observing systems used or to be used for operations, an analysis of gaps between the observing systems' capabilities and their ability to meet documented requirements, and a summary of key findings.

Once the United States landed on the moon in July 1969, it was up to President Nixon to decide what to do in space after Apollo. This book chronicles the decisions he made, including ending space exploration and approving the space shuttle. Those decisions determined the character of the US human space flight program for the next forty years.

Provides the basics of spacecraft orbital dynamics plus attitude dynamics and control, using vectrix notation

"Spacecraft Dynamics and Control: An Introduction" presents the fundamentals of classical control in the context of spacecraft attitude control. This approach is particularly beneficial for the training of students in both of the subjects of classical control as well as its application to spacecraft attitude control. By using a physical system (a spacecraft) that the reader can visualize (rather than arbitrary transfer functions), it is easier to grasp the motivation for why topics in control theory are important, as well as the theory behind them. The entire treatment of both orbital and attitude dynamics makes use of vectrix notation, which is a tool that allows the user to write down any vector equation of motion without consideration of a reference frame. This is particularly suited to the treatment of multiple reference frames. Vectrix notation also makes a very clear distinction between a physical vector and its coordinate representation in a reference frame. This is very important in spacecraft dynamics and control problems, where often multiple coordinate representations are used (in different reference frames) for the same physical vector.Provides an accessible, practical aid for teaching and self-study with a layout enabling a fundamental understanding of the subjectFills a gap in the existing literature by providing an analytical toolbox offering the reader a lasting, rigorous methodology for approaching vector mechanics, a key element vital to new graduates and practicing engineers alikeDelivers an outstanding resource for aerospace engineering students, and all those involved in the technical aspects of design and engineering in the space sectorContains numerous illustrations to accompany the written text. Problems are included to apply and extend the material in each chapter

Essential reading for graduate level aerospace engineering students, aerospace professionals, researchers and engineers.

This book discusses the physics of conductive channel development in space, air and vacuums and summarizes the attempts to create super-long conductive channels to study the upper atmosphere and to complete specific tasks related to energy transmission from the space to earth with high-voltage high repetition rate electrical sources. Conductive channels are produced by the laser jet engine vehicle-propulsion under the influence of powerful high repetition rate pulse-periodic laser radiation by CO2-laser, solid state Nd YAG,HF/DF laser systems generated with each pulse of the powerful laser conductive dust plasma. The book also presents the experimental and theoretical results of conductive canal modeling: the laser jet engine vehicle "Impulsar", which can reach the lower layers of the ionosphere in several hundred seconds. Further, the book explores the development of lightning protection systems. The so-called long laser spark is generated to provide the conditions for connecting a thunderstorm cloud with a grounded metal rod, i.e. a classical lightning rod. Such conductivity channels can be used for energy transmission, overvoltage protection systems, transport of charged particle beams and plasma antennas. It provides the theoretical and experimental basis of high repetition rate P-P mode of operation for high power lasers (COIL, HF/DF, CO2,Nd YAG). It describes high efficiency and excellent beam quality disk lasers used for numerous applications, including surface treatment of dielectric materials in microelectronics, cutting, drilling, welding, polishing and cleaning of the surface and other technological operations. Lastly it investigates how megawatt mono-module disk lasers could be used to solve various problems: small satellites launched by lasers, formation of super-long conducting channels in space and atmosphere, cleaning of the near-earth space from the space debris and related applications.

Extreme Space Weather not only allows readers to learn the basics of complex space weather phenomena and future directions for research in space physics and extreme space events. The book begins with a brief overview of space weather, including sunspot cycles, solar winds and geomagnetic fields. From there, the book moves on to extreme space weather phenomena, including mass coronal ejections, solar flares and magnetic storms. The book also includes a discussion of both observed and theoretical extreme events. This book is ideal for students and researchers in geophysics and space physics departments, as well as those in hazard and disaster preparedness.

An updated and expanded new edition of an authoritative book on flight dynamics and control system design for all types of current and future fixed-wing aircraft Since it was first published, Flight Dynamics has offered a new approach to the science and mathematics of aircraft flight, unifying principles of aeronautics with contemporary systems analysis. Now updated and expanded, this authoritative book by award-winning aeronautics engineer Robert Stengel presents traditional material in the context of modern computational tools and multivariable methods. Special attention is devoted to models and techniques for analysis, simulation, evaluation of flying qualities, and robust control system design. Using common notation and not assuming a strong background in aeronautics, Flight Dynamics will engage a wide variety of readers, including aircraft designers, flight test engineers, researchers, instructors, and students. It introduces principles, derivations, and equations of flight dynamics as well as methods of flight control design with frequent reference to MATLAB functions and examples. Topics include aerodynamics, propulsion, structures, flying qualities, flight control, and the atmospheric and gravitational environment. The second edition of Flight Dynamics features up-to-date examples; a new chapter on control law design for digital fly-by-wire systems; new material on propulsion, aerodynamics of control surfaces, and aeroelastic control; many more illustrations; and text boxes that introduce general mathematical concepts. Features a fluid, progressive presentation that aids informal and self-directed study Provides a clear, consistent notation that supports understanding, from elementary to complicated concepts Offers a comprehensive blend of aerodynamics, dynamics, and control Presents a unified introduction of control system design, from basics to complex methods Includes links to online MATLAB software written by the author that supports the material covered in the book

Given the near incomprehensible enormity of the universe, it appears almost inevitable that humankind will one day find a planet that appears to be much like the Earth. This discovery will no doubt reignite the lure of interplanetary travel. Will we be up to the task? And, given our limited resources, biological constraints, and the general hostility of space, what shape should we expect such expeditions to take?

In "Robots in Space, " Roger Launius and Howard McCurdy tackle these seemingly fanciful questions with rigorous scholarship and disciplined imagination, jumping comfortably among the worlds of rocketry, engineering, public policy, and science fantasy to expound upon the possibilities and improbabilities involved in trekking across the Milky Way and beyond. They survey the literature--fictional as well as academic studies; outline the progress of space programs in the United States and other nations; and assess the current state of affairs to offer a conclusion startling only to those who haven't spent time with Asimov, Heinlein, and Clarke: to traverse the cosmos, humans must embrace and entwine themselves with advanced robotic technologies.

Their discussion is as entertaining as it is edifying and their assertions are as sound as they are fantastical. Rather than asking us to suspend disbelief, "Robots in Space" demands that we accept facts as they evolve.

The story behind the elite scientists, technologists, SF enthusiasts, and billionaires who believe that humanity's destiny is to populate the stars . . . Does humanity have a destiny "in the stars?" Should a species triggering massive extinctions on its own planet instead stay put? This new book traces the waxing and waning of interest in space settlement through the decades, and offers a journalistic tour through the influential subculture attempting to shape a multiplanetary future. What motivates figures such as billionaires Elon Musk and Yuri Milner? How important have science fiction authors and filmmakers been in stirring enthusiasm for actual space exploration and settlement? Is there a coherent motivating philosophy and ethic behind the spacefaring dream? Star Settlers offers both a historical perspective and a journalistic window into a peculiar subculture packed with members of the scientific, intellectual, and economic elite. This timely work captures the extra-scientific zeal for space travel and settlement, places it in its historical context, and tackles the somewhat surreal conceptions underlying the enterprise and prognoses for its future.

A noted space expert explains the current revolution in spaceflight, where it leads, and why we need it. A new space race has begun. But the rivals in this case are not superpowers but competing entrepreneurs. These daring pioneers are creating a revolution in spaceflight that promises to transform the near future. Astronautical engineer Robert Zubrin spells out the potential of these new developments in an engrossing narrative that is visionary yet grounded by a deep understanding of the practical challenges. Fueled by the combined expertise of the old aerospace industry and the talents of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, spaceflight is becoming cheaper. The new generation of space explorers has already achieved a major breakthrough by creating reusable rockets. Zubrin foresees more rapid innovation, including global travel from any point on Earth to another in an hour or less; orbital hotels; moon bases with incredible space observatories; human settlements on Mars, the asteroids, and the moons of the outer planets; and then, breaking all limits, pushing onward to the stars. Zubrin shows how projects that sound like science fiction can actually become reality. But beyond the how, he makes an even more compelling case for why we need to do this--to increase our knowledge of the universe, to make unforeseen discoveries on new frontiers, to harness the natural resources of other planets, to safeguard Earth from stray asteroids, to ensure the future of humanity by expanding beyond its home base, and to protect us from being catastrophically set against each other by the false belief that there isn't enough for all.

This contributed volume arose from the idea of assembling scientists from space research and ground development, time transfer techniques and radio science missions, the time-frequency community, and both the geodesy-geophysics and solar system exploration communities. Such a fusion of diverse interests in these fields related to time measurement has rarely, if ever, been achieved. The topics covered in these papers include clocks, time transfer, technology, and the applications of high-precision clocks in Earth Sciences, Fundamental Physics, Astrophysics, and Solar System exploration. This book will be of major interest to all those involved in the implementation and utilization of space-based high precision timing for a wide range of applications. Originally published in Space Science Reviews in the Topical Collection "High Performance Clocks with Special Emphasis on Geodesy and Geophysics and Applications to Other Bodies of the Solar System"

Harvard's top astronomer takes us inside the mind-blowing story of the first interstellar visitor to our solar system.

In late 2017, scientists at a Hawaiian observatory glimpsed a strange object soaring through our inner solar system. Astrophysicist Avi Loeb conclusively showed it was not an asteroid; it was moving too fast along a strange orbit, and leaving no trail of gas or debris in its wake. There was only one conceivable explanation: the object was a piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien civilization.

In Extraterrestrial, Loeb takes readers inside the thrilling story of the first interstellar visitor to be spotted in our solar system. He outlines his theory and its profound implications: for science, for religion, and for the future of our planet. A mind-bending journey through the furthest reaches of science, space-time, and the human imagination, Extraterrestrial challenges readers to aim for the stars-and to think critically about what's out there, no matter how strange it seems.

An astrophysicist presents an in-depth yet accessible tour of the universe for lay readers, while conveying the excitement of astronomy.How is a galaxy billions of lightyears away connected to us? Is our home nothing more than a tiny speck of blue in an ocean of night? In this exciting tour of a universe far larger than we can imagine, cosmologist Paul M. Sutter emphasizes how amazing it is that we are part of such a huge, complex, and mysterious place. Through metaphors and uncomplicated language, Sutter breathes life into the science of astrophysics, unveiling how particles, forces, and fields interplay to create the greatest of cosmic dramas. Touched with the author's characteristic breezy, conversational style--which has made him a breakout hit on venues such as The Weather Channel, the Science Channel, and his own popular Ask a Spaceman! podcast--he conveys the fun and wonder of delving deeply into the physical processes of the natural universe. He weaves together the past and future histories of our universe with grounded descriptions of essential modern-day physics as well as speculations based on the latest research in cosmology. Topics include our place in the Milky Way galaxy; the cosmic web--a vast web-like pattern in which galaxies are arranged; the origins of our universe in the big bang; the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy; how science has dramatically changed our relationship to the cosmos; conjectures about the future of reality as we know it; and more.For anyone who has ever stared at the starry night sky and wondered how we humans on Earth fit into the big picture, this book is an essential roadmap.

With the ongoing miniaturisation of components, the utility of smaller satellites is increasing. Many believe in the near future that small satellites will be able to perform all functions that larger satellites currently perform today. It has been suggested that these satellites will be less expensive, thus offer a lower risk to the consumer in case they fail before their mission design life. This book looks at the ability to build and operate smaller satellites with current technology to perform covert Space Control and Space Situational Awareness missions near geostationary orbit. The investigation determined if space qualified Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) components and current technology could be used to build covert smaller satellites. The largest satellite was sized to be undetectable from earth based sensors. Subsequent CubeSat sizes were selected to determine how small a satellite could be built with COTS components and current technology to perform the assigned missions. A comparative analysis was then performed to determine how these satellites could be cost effectively launched to orbit. A cost estimate was performed to determine the entire life cycle cost for each satellite size excluding launch and integration segments. Using that information, the best satellite size was determined.

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.

Computers in Earth and Environmental Sciences: Artificial Intelligence and Advanced Technologies in Hazards and Risk Management addresses the need for a comprehensive book that focuses on multi-hazard assessments, natural and manmade hazards, and risk management using new methods and technologies that employ GIS, artificial intelligence, spatial modeling, machine learning tools and meta-heuristic techniques. The book is clearly organized into four parts that cover natural hazards, environmental hazards, advanced tools and technologies in risk management, and future challenges in computer applications to hazards and risk management. Researchers and professionals in Earth and Environmental Science who require the latest technologies and advances in hazards, remote sensing, geosciences, spatial modeling and machine learning will find this book to be an invaluable source of information on the latest tools and technologies available.

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.

Mike Leinbach was the launch director of the space shuttle program when Columbia disintegrated on reentry before a nation's eyes on February 1, 2003. And it would be Mike Leinbach who would be a key leader in the search and recovery effort as NASA, FEMA, the FBI, the US Forest Service, and dozens more federal, state, and local agencies combed an area of rural east Texas the size of Rhode Island for every piece of the shuttle and her crew they could find. Assisted by hundreds of volunteers, it would become the largest ground search operation in US history.For the first time, here is the definitive inside story of the Columbia disaster and recovery and the inspiring message it ultimately holds. In the aftermath of tragedy, people and communities came together to help bring home the remains of the crew and nearly 40 percent of shuttle, an effort that was instrumental in piecing together what happened so the shuttle program could return to flight and complete the International Space Station. Bringing Columbia Home shares the deeply personal stories that emerged as NASA employees looked for lost colleagues and searchers overcame immense physical, logistical, and emotional challenges and worked together to accomplish the impossible.Featuring a foreword and epilogue by astronauts Robert Crippen and Eileen Collins, this is an incredible narrative about best of humanity in the darkest of times and about how a failure at the pinnacle of human achievement became a story of cooperation and hope.

Featuring over seventy images from the heroic age of space exploration, Through Astronaut Eyes presents the story of how human daring along with technological ingenuity allowed people to see the Earth and stars as they never had before. Photographs from the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo programs tell powerful and compelling stories that continue to have cultural resonance to this day, not just for what they revealed about the spaceflight experience, but also as products of a larger visual rhetoric of exploration. The photographs tell us as much about space and the astronauts who took them as their reception within an American culture undergoing radical change throughout the turbulent 1960s. This book explores the origins and impact of astronaut still photography from 1962 to 1972, the period when human spaceflight first captured the imagination of people around the world. Photographs taken during those three historic programs are much admired and reprinted, but rarely seriously studied. This book suggests astronaut photography is particularly relevant to American culture based on how easily the images were shared through reproduction and circulation in a very visually oriented society. Space photography's impact at the crossroads of cultural studies, the history of exploration and technology, and public memory illuminates its continuing importance to American identity.