Rocket Propulsion Elements, 7th Edition

Book Description

Aerospace Engineering/Mechanical Engineering
The definitive text on rocket propulsion-now completely revised to reflect rapid advancements in the field
For more than fifty years, this seminal text has been regarded as the single most authoritative sourcebook on rocket propulsion technology. More comprehensive and coherently organized than any other book on the subject, Rocket Propulsion Elements guides readers evenhandedly through the complex factors that shape propulsion, with both theory and practical design considerations.
With more than a third of the text and illustrations either completely new or extensively revised, this latest edition includes current information on engine structures, nozzle theory, gas properties, thrust chambers, launch vehicles, and more. With a detailed table of contents breaking down each chapter into subsections-as well as an expanded index of key words-the Seventh Edition efficiently steers readers quickly to the information they need. Other highlights include:
* Separate chapters on liquid, solid, and hybrid propulsion systems and a new chapter on thrust chambers including the new aerospike nozzle
* Comprehensive coverage of rocket propulsion technology, with applications to space flight, satellite flight, and guided and unguided missiles
* Problem-solving examples and exercises relevant to actual design situations
* More than 340 illustrations, including photographs, tables, and graphs
* Coherent, up-to-date chapter on electrical propulsion balancing fundamentals with practical aspects and applications
For professional engineers in the aerospace and defense industries as well as undergraduate and graduate students in mechanical and aerospace engineering, this time-honored resource is indispensable for its scope of coverage and utility.

Customer Reviews:

The Bible of the Field.......2007-03-24

When as a young physicist I started working on rocket nozzle design most of the material in this book had to be dug up from a paper here, a book there, or else it simply wasn't known. Now here's everything you need to know in a couple of chapters. And besides nozzle design, here in information on virtually every aspect of rockets from the design to the propellents, from concepts to testing. Most of the book is on conventional liquid or solid fuel chemical rockets, because that's where most of the action is today. There is a new chapter (from my older edition) on electrical propulsion.

The book is suitable for use as a textbook for either a one or two term course, or as an introductory book to an engineer now moving into the field, or as a reference book for the experienced. It is especially good to use when you need to come up to speed on some area of the business where you don't normally work.

The one weakness of the book is the lack of discussion on computers either in terms of engine control systems or of the design software that is avaiable. Next revision I guess.

If you love rocket propulsion you must get this book.......2007-01-19

I have loved rocket propulsion in all its forms (real and imagined) since I was following the Apollo 11 mission on television. This book will help you with every aspect of rocketry whether for direct professional relevance, hobbyist development or whether you dream with many of us of solving the problems that will allow us (as so eloquently put by the late Carl Sagan) to "dip our toes in the cosmic ocean". I believe we must swim between the stars and the nuts and bolts foundations for doing it are in this book. Go get it. Lets do it.

Rocket Scientists Use It Too.......2006-11-17

I started work with a rocket design group fresh out of a MS in mechanical engineering. One of the first things everybody told me was to pick up a copy of Sutton. It's a good thing I did, because I immediately started referring to it for just about every project I worked. After just a few months it became a dog eared, marked, and well used reference.

It's a few years later now, and I don't work with rockets full time any more. I've forgotten enough of the details that today when I was explaining a bit of rocketry to a coworker, out came Sutton again. It's still a great book.

Fantastic resource.......2006-02-20

This was a required test for a rocket propulsion class, but it has become an invaluable resource for many classes. Purchased for at least 20% less than other outlets.

A Must-Have Textbook for every Aerospace Engineer.......2004-03-27

This is the single best book on rocket propulsion systems, covering both liquid and solid rocket engines, hybrid rocket systems, and a dedicated chapter on electric propulsion. The authors include excellent illustrations and graphs to enhance the text, and practical examples which help the reader to grasp the theory. After loaning a copy of this book for over two years from my library, i finally bought it! Definitely recommended to all engineers and scientists who want to expand into the area of rocket propulsion.

Space Mission Analysis and Design, 3rd edition (Space Technology Library) (Space Technology Library)

Average customer rating:

My Most-Used Astronautics Reference Book
A great book for understanding spacecraft systems.
Good, but not Great
Good and bad
Outstanding inclusive text on satellites

Space Mission Analysis and Design, 3rd edition (Space Technology Library) (Space Technology Library)

Manufacturer: Microcosm Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1881883108

Book Description

This practical handbook for Space Mission Engineering draws on leading aerospace experts to carry readers through mission design, from orbit selection to ground ops. SMAD III updates the technology, provides greater emphasis on small spacecraft design and the cost-reduction process, and includes more detail on multi-satellite manufacturing, space computers, payload design and autonomous systems.

Customer Reviews:

My Most-Used Astronautics Reference Book.......2007-03-11

Over 5 years as an aerospace engineer at Boeing and Lockheed Martin, I have used this book far more than any other for astronautics. This is not only an excellent reference, but a good textbook, in fact the only textbook required for my entire Master's degree. Many engineers simply say "look at Wertz" to find whatever answers you need.

A great book for understanding spacecraft systems........2007-01-23

This is essential reading for anyone who works in the field of spacecraft hardware regardless if it is at the component level or the spacecraft level. This book adequately presents an overview of each of the subsystems that comprise a spacecraft. Indeed much of these systems are similar for payloads as well just in a scaled down version. Information is provided in such a way as to efficiently teach how these subsystems interact with each other as well as how the requirements flow down from the top mission or science level requirements into the detailed functional and performance requirements. This book captures the interrelation of the programmatic requirements of budgets and schedules in helping define what technical solutions are implemented for the aforementioned mission or science requirements.

This book will help all spacecraft mangers get a top level view of various subsystems such that he or she can make adequate trade studies. This book will help the systems engineer communicate requirements across the subsystem interfaces. This book will help the subsystem and component level engineers understand how the interfaces of their work carry over throughout the spacecraft as well as to understand the inputs that go into their specific area.

Good, but not Great.......2006-05-03

This book is the third edition of the author's previous work and is the collective writings from dozens of engineers who specialize in spacecraft systems design, space mission definition and operations and testing as well as a variety of other topics. While this book provides an excellent general overview of a variety of topics and the basics for designing and developing a space mission, more specialized materials are needed to develop specialized spacecraft systems, such as Guidance and Navigation. It is important to note that this book is geared to unmanned satellites and space probes and there is little material related to manned spaceflight.

As someone who has worked in the aerospace industry for almost two decades, I found the book slightly lacking in several areas. In addition to the previously noted areas, I found that some of the contributing authors focused primarily their specific projects. Even with these minor faults, this book provides the reader or developer of space missions, with a comprehensive overview of all the pieces that are needed to develop a spacecraft for a space mission.

Finally, it should be noted that this book is highly technical and not geared towards the casual reader who is interested general spaceflight.

Good and bad.......2001-06-20

I teach a Space Systems Engineering class and have used this book as a class text. I've found it to be both good and bad.

On the good side, SMAD provides a very good overview of the satellite and mission design process. It's full of realistic and experience-based design information, and useful data and algorithms for sizing and costing.

Especially useful are the "Process" tables, which map out the design process into several distinct steps.

The book has its downsides, though.

The various authors are usually far too verbose -- their points are often lost in the blizzard of words. The length of the book could be profitably cut by at least 100 pages.

Also, the authors often come to the table with a distinct agenda, which leads them to say things which are not necessarily accurate. (See, e.g., Wertz's diatribes on autonomous orbit determination and maneuver planning -- the latter is almost a veiled advertisement for a software product being sold by Wertz's company.) The effect is to cut off consideration of other valid options.

Finally, the book can be extremely uneven in the level of technical knowledge required. For example, Chapter 9 (Payload Design) presupposes a tremendous amount of detailed knowledge of, say, optical payloads, to the effect that: if you knew all of the stuff required, you wouldn't need SMAD; and if you don't know the stuff, SMAD won't help you.

Despite these problems, it is still a very good and useful book -- you just have to be careful sometimes in how you use it.

Outstanding inclusive text on satellites.......1999-10-22

This is an outstanding text covering all aspects of space missions and satellites. Orbital geometries, payload design, spacecraft design, subsystems, communications, operations, propulsion, launch systems, reliability. You name it, it's covered. It has become a valuable and indispensable resource in my personal library!

Introduction to Airborne Radar, Second Edition (Aerospace & Radar Systems)

Average customer rating:

Introduction to Airborne Radar 2nd Edition
I'm not a radar expert, but with this book I COULD BE!!!
No other introduction needed
Not easy reading
amazing book

Introduction to Airborne Radar, Second Edition (Aerospace & Radar Systems)
George W. Stimson
Manufacturer: SciTech Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1891121014

Book Description

The completely rewritten and revised Second Edition updates a famous work originally published by the Hughes Aircraft Company. Much more than a simple introduction, the book is actually a history, reference, tech manual, and textbook rolled into one beautiful illustrated volume, packed with full color photos, drawings, tables and charts, plus knowledgeable, informative text.

Twelve new chapters cover all the sophisticated stealth radar techniques. Over 90% of the illustrations are in color as the book describes over a dozen airborne radar systems currently in service, from long-range surveillance to environmental monitoring. The first three chapters can be used as a stand-alone briefing on modern radar for readers who need a quick introduction.

Key Features:

- Brilliantly illustrated full-color photographs, graphs, and figures

- 12 new chapters completely update the content

- Excellent for both specialists and nonspecialists

Customer Reviews:

Introduction to Airborne Radar 2nd Edition.......2007-06-03

Introduction to Airborne Radar is the revision of the classic book privately published by Hughes Aircraft Company in 1983. The first edition sold more than 40,000 copies. The second edition contains 13 entirely new chapters covering technological advances developed since the first publication. In addition, two chapters considered obsolete were deleted, three chapters were extensively rewritten, and two chapters were given new sections. This is the only text that completely covers the wide range of techniques employed in modern airborne and space-based radar. It fulfills the need of all those who want to learn about radar, regardless of their technical backgrounds. Lavishly produced in full color, the book contains over 1100 graphics. Virtually every concept is illustrated with a simple diagram that appears adjacent to the text it illustrates. Every illustration is accompanied by a concise caption, enabling it to stand on its own. Readers can quickly review a chapter's entire content simply by scanning the illustrations. Another feature of the book is marginal sidenotes that present exceptions, caveats, and other comments without detracting from the simplicity and clarity of the text. They are placed directly opposite the materials to which they apply. Blue panels give supplementary or more detailed explanation of the concepts presented. Readers can skip these notes on their first reading. A popular feature that brings the book to life is the inclusion of real-life examples of airborne radar, including military and civil applications, advanced radar techniques, battlefield surveillance and target acquisition, stealth technology, and more

Table of Contents:

Part I: Overview of Airborne Radar
Basic Concepts
Approaches to Implementation
Representative Applications
Part II: Essential Groundwork
Radio Waves and Alternating Current Signals
Key to a Nonmathematical Understanding of Radar
The Ubiquitous Decibel
Part III: Radar Fundamentals
Choice of Radio Frequency
Directivity and the Antenna Beam
Pulsed Operation
Detection Range
The Range Equation, What It Does and Doesn't Tell Us
Pulse Delay Ranging
Pulse Compressions
FM Ranging
Part IV: Pulse Doppler Radar
Doppler Effect
Spectrum of Pulsed Signal
Mysteries of Pulsed Spectrum Unveiled
Sensing Doppler Frequencies
How Digital Filters Work
The Digital Filter Bank and the FFT
Measuring Range Rate
Part V: Return from the Ground
Sources and Spectra of Ground Return
Effect of Range and Doppler Ambiguities on Ground Clutter
Separating Ground-Moving Targets from Clutter
Part VI: Air-to-Air Operation
The Crucial Choice of PRF
Low PRF Operation
Medium PRF Operation
High PRF Operation
Automatic Tracking
Part VII: High-Resolution Ground Mapping and Imaging
Meeting High-Resolution Ground Mapping Requirements
Principles of Synthetic Array (Aperture) Radar
SAR Design Considerations
SAR Operating Modes
Part VIII: Radar in Electronic Warfare
Electronic Countermeasure (ECM) Techniques
Electronic Counter Countermeaures (ECCM)
Electronic Warfare Intelligence Functions
Part IX: Advanced Concepts
Electronically Steered Array Antennas (ESAs)
ESA Design
Antenna RCS Reduction
Advanced Radar Techniques
Advanced Waveforms and Mode Control
Low Probability of Intercept (LPI)
Advanced Processor Architecture
Part X: Representative Radar Systems
Reconnaissance & Surveillance
Fighter & Attack
Strategic Bombing
Attack Helicopter
Transport/Tanker Navigation
Civil Applications
Appendix
Index

I'm not a radar expert, but with this book I COULD BE!!!.......2006-03-26

Mr. Stimson's book, "Introduction to Airborne Radar (2nd Edition)," has been one of my most treasured purchases from my graduate school education. I expected a book filled with equations and bad graphs and tables - I was wonderfully surprised by the high quality graphics, easy to follow mathematical treatment, and historical views into past and present radar systems.

I recommend this text to anyone interested in radar - engineering students to laypersons wanting to know more. This book has special meaning to CSPs (Certified Space Professionals) that is not quite apparent - since radar is used heavily to track space vehicles, and space-based radar is a capability the U.S. military wants, it is common-sense that CSPs should know a bit more about radar than "It's very cool and works really well..."

The basics of radar covered is great, along with the different characteristcs (PRF, frequencies, etc.). Some areas may not seem applicable (two airborne targets moving towards each other) until the reader extends their imagination to the High Ground (a RV trying to be hit by a moving 'kill-vehicle'). More techincal radar textbooks exist, but Mr. Stimson's should have a place reserved on your shelf.

No other introduction needed.......2005-05-21

Stimson's second edition is a slight improvement over his first. "Slight" because improving near perfection remains a difficult task. Nowhere else is such clarity apparent in the complex field of radars. Thanks to Stimson this subject could be understood by my grandmother. If only Stimson would carry edition three to the next echelon, extending depth and detail to levels required to actually build and make a working, modern radar. Like applying his talent to the intricacies of adaptive processing, a completion of SAR computational demands and processes (vs. stopping at the digital filter FFT), nuances of ever more important phase noise, test, measurement and producibility of radar systems that shouldn't cost a million dollars per copy, but a fraction of this with proper processes and synergistic integration vs. the "Mister Potato Head" approach of slapping together the latest-greatest-of-every-subsystem-technology still practiced by engineers in just about everything. Unfortunately this may be our last version from Stimson as he's no longer a young man and such efforts are monumental. Even so, he's made himself a national asset creating this magnificent edition, probably lasting longer than any of us in the field today.

Not easy reading.......2004-04-25

I bought this book because I work with radar and would like to improve my understanding of it. This book is a good middle ground, but for a dummy like me, several chapters require re-reads. One of the most annoying things is that when the author describes related material, he doesn't compare and contrast as much as write one paragraph on the attributes of thing A and then another paragraph on thing B using all but two words that were used in the first paragraph. The reader must wade through this writing and then compare and contrast themself.
So, it's a good book and probably a great book if you have a better than average technical background, but it's not as easy as the first few pages (Amazon free preview) lead you to believe.

amazing book.......2004-01-27

This is a very good book. It is interesting to read although you are not an engineer in electrical or eletronics. Very informative. Recommended for all students who interested to study avionics.

Average customer rating:

Good Fundamentals Book by a Talented Writer
An excellent introductory book. Highly readable.
A lot of info on aircraft control in a small textbook.

Flight Stability and Automatic Control
Robert C. Nelson
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0070462739

Book Description

This edition of this this flight stability and controls guide features an unintimidating math level, full coverage of terminology, and expanded discussions of classical to modern control theory and autopilot designs. Extensive examples, problems, and historical notes, make this concise book a vital addition to the engineer's library.

Customer Reviews:

Good Fundamentals Book by a Talented Writer.......2000-10-05

This is an excellent book for the modern fundamentals of aircraft control design. Most subjects are clearly treated with just the right amount of illustrations and examples. The author makes good effort of explaining procedures without resorting to function calls from some software package. The last of the book devotes relatively little space to modern control theory. I would hope this talented writer would create something more advanced in the future that would expand on his treatment of the state observer and the use of the cost function.

An excellent introductory book. Highly readable........2000-08-27

The best aspect of this book is the simplicity in the exposition of ideas and concepts while giving more than enough information for an introductory book. Fully worked out examples are frequent throughout the chapters and helps even further in getting good grasp of new materials. If the reader has taken introductory courses in Vibration and/or Feedback Control, the book should be an easy read. The book is roughly divided into two parts: The flight dynamics part and control part. In the flight dynamics part, the explanation smoothly leads the reader from equation of motion to the concept of stability derivatives and how they relate to dynamic stability. The derivatives are very well explained and then summarized in tables for a quick reference. In the control part, the author starts from the classic linear feed back control and proceeds to the modern state space method and introduces optimal control design using linear quadratic regulator. The control part is an amazing time saver. I have never seen a more efficient introduction to optimal control as applied to aircraft dynamics. If the reader wants a full fledged treatment of optimal control of aircraft, the materials presented here are far from enough, but as an introductory book, this is an excellent exposition that lets the reader get to pace quickly and have straight forward perspective on the subject. Although there were some blatant typos, it is an excellent work and I highly recommend the book.

A lot of info on aircraft control in a small textbook........1999-04-13

I found this textbook to include a large amount of concisely presented material on all aspects of aircraft stability and control and feedback control system design. It covers everything from the atmosphere, to development of forces and moments and equations of motion, to estimation of stability derivatives, analysis of dynamics and modes of motion, and handy reduced degrees of freedom. It also includes many examples of designing autopilots and stability augmentation systems. I really liked the examples which included both classical and state variable methods. Each chapter also has several interesting example problems. I would recommend this text for anyone in the field of aircraft or missile flight controls. The only dissappointing aspect of the text is what I consider an excessive number of typographical errors. I would caution anyone not to use the equations or formulas without first checking the derivation. The derivations are clear and concise enough that the reader should be able to find these errors.

Too Far From Home: A Story of Life and Death in Space

Average customer rating:

Great for those with interest in life in space.
stuck in space...
Couldn't put this book down!
Too far from home: A story of Life and Death in Space
This is as good as it gets.....

Too Far From Home: A Story of Life and Death in Space
Chris Jones
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385514654
Release Date: 2007-03-06

Book Description

An incredible, true-life adventure set on the most dangerous frontier of all—outer spaceIn the nearly forty years since Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, space travel has come to be seen as a routine enterprise—at least until the shuttle Columbia disintegrated like the Challenger before it, reminding us, once again, that the dangers are all too real.
Too Far from Home vividly captures the hazardous realities of space travel. Every time an astronaut makes the trip into space, he faces the possibility of death from the slightest mechanical error or instance of bad luck: a cracked O-ring, an errant piece of space junk, an oxygen leak . . . There are a myriad of frighteningly probable events that would result in an astronaut’s death. In fact, twenty-one people who have attempted the journey have been killed.
Yet for a special breed of individual, the call of space is worth the risk. Men such as U.S. astronauts Donald Pettit and Kenneth Bowersox, and Russian flight engineer Nikolai Budarin, who in November 2002 left on what was to be a routine fourteen-week mission maintaining the International Space Station.
But then, on February 1, 2003, the Columbia exploded beneath them. Despite the numerous news reports examining the tragedy, the public remained largely unaware that three men remained orbiting the earth. With the launch program suspended indefinitely, these astronauts had suddenly lost their ride home.
Too Far from Home chronicles the efforts of the beleaguered Mission Controls in Houston and Moscow as they work frantically against the clock to bring their men safely back to Earth, ultimately settling on a plan that felt, at best, like a long shot.
Latched to the side of the space station was a Russian-built Soyuz TMA-1 capsule, whose technology dated from the late 1960s (in 1971 a malfunction in the Soyuz 11 capsule left three Russian astronauts dead.) Despite the inherent danger, the Soyuz became the only hope to return Bowersox, Budarin, and Pettit home.
Chris Jones writes beautifully of the majesty and mystique of space travel, while reminding us all how perilous it is to soar beyond the sky.

Customer Reviews:

Great for those with interest in life in space........2007-09-15

I really enjoyed this book. I have always had an interest in the space program since I grew up in Florida and would watch most launches when I was in grade school. There were just a few parts of the book that might not be totally accurate due to the writers background as a sports writer and that is why I gave 4 stars. Happy reading!

stuck in space..........2007-07-30

In February of 2003 the space shuttle Columbia disintegrated upon re-entry into Earth's atmosphere and all seven astronauts aboard were lost. The news shattered the pysche of our nation and as TOO FAR FROM HOME strongly details the last people to see them and who felt their loss so acutely were the 3 astronauts aboard the International Space Station who had just seen Columbia disenage from station. Americans Kenneth Bowersox, and Don Pettit and Russian Nikolai Budarin were left with only the outdated Soviet capsule Soyuz to get back home. With the mission estended and no end in sight the author richly details life aboard the ISS and all the inherent risks of life in space and all the spectacular reasons why men and women risk their lives to be in space.

Couldn't put this book down!.......2007-07-25

I really enjoyed reading this book. The writing is beautiful and very descriptive. It reads like a science fiction book. It is very fast-paced and easy reading.

In November 2002, ten astronauts left Earth aboard the space shuttle Columbia headed for the International Space Station (ISS). The mission was to depart much earlier, but problems, both technical and weather related, marred the launch. On one launch date, when the astronauts were already strapped-in in their seats aboard space shuttle Columbia, bad weather in their emergency landing site in Spain prevented the launch. The astronauts had to return home. On another occasion, a technical fault cancelled the launch. When the new launch date in November was approaching, the astronauts were wandering if more problems would suddenly appear and prevent another launch. Some astronauts believed that the mission had a bad luck aura around it, but did not discuss it openly. One astronaut had told his relatives that he was never coming back home again!

The launch did take place on November 2002, and to spectators on the ground and to the astronauts aboard Columbia the launch was routine and successful. But cameras aboard Columbia transmitted a different image to Mission Control. A piece was dislodged during the launch and hit critical heat shields located underside the shuttle. After reviewing the tape hundreds of times, Mission Control concluded that the piece must have bounced off the underside of the shuttle causing no damage.

On February 1, 2003, only seven of the ten astronauts were heading back to Earth aboard Columbia after bidding farewell to the three astronauts they left behind in the International Space Station. Sadly, they never made it back home. On re-entry, as witnessed by millions of spectators worldwide, Columbia exploded, killing all seven astronauts onboard. Contrary to what Mission Control thought at first, the heat shields were damaged during the launch. The three astronauts left behind in the International Space Station -- Donald Petit, Kenneth Bowersox, and Russian flight engineer Nikolai Budarin -- found themselves too far from home, stranded on the International Space Station!

Mission Controls in Houston and Moscow worked around the clock to bring back the astronauts safely. Launching another Space Shuttle was not an option, since further NASA space shuttle launches were suspended for months, perhaps years. There was also the problem of how to provide the stranded astronauts with enough supplies while they remained in space. Ultimately, they had to settle to a plan that, according to the author, was risky to say the least. Latched to the side of the space station was a Russian-built Soyuz TMA-1 capsule with outdated technology and, according to the Americans, a questionable safety record. In 1971 a malfunction in the Soyuz 11 capsule left three Russian cosmonauts dead (However, as one reviewer on amazon.com pointed out, all Soyuz crews since that mission have worn full pressure suits during launch and entry as a safeguard against that failure happening again). Furthermore, the Soyuz TMA-1 capsule hadn't been flight tested before (there was never a need to use it)! However, as far as the Russians were concerned, the Soyuz was safe and the only way to bring the astronauts back home.

Despite the inherent danger, the Soyuz became the only hope to return Bowersox, Budarin, and Petit home. Interestingly, though, the three astronauts had such a great time aboard the International Space Station that none of them wanted to return home when they were relieved. Aboard the Soyuz, the three astronauts eventually took "an accelerated, lung-crushing dive" back to earth. Their account aboard the Soyuz is remarkable, and will leave you gasping for air!

The author goes back to the history of the space race with Russia; with the first Russian in space; to animals sent in rockets to space; Neil Armstrong's walk on the moon; the Russian space station; and finally to the International Space Station. You will learn a lot of things about life in space that you probably did not know about, assuming you have not read such material before like me. For example, many early astronauts aboard space stations felt lonely and depressed and longed for home. All the earlier astronauts retired from NASA soon after their return from space! Two astronauts actually went on strike for a whole day while on a space station, and refused to continue their mission. They too retired from NASA on their return. However, the Russian cosmonauts fared much better. They adapted well to the loneliness and confines of space, unlike their American counterparts. According to the author, this is due to the simple life of the Russians as compared to the luxurious and comfortable life Americans lead and are used to.

You will learn a lot about the amazing beauty of a space walk, and how astronauts are so mesmerized by the beauty that they forget themselves, floating as in a trance towards Earth. One astronaut almost was lost in this way if it wasn't for another astronaut pulling him back! I actually went to my video store and bought an Imax DVD of a spacewalk! On the funny side, you'll learn how astronauts "take a crap" in zero gravity, and some quite embarrassing situations!

Here's some negative criticism from other reviewers on amazon.com:

"This author skips around with what in the movie business would be called flashbacks; a few of these are fine but I think this author over used them."

"Felt like there was a little too much effort put into making this into a Manly Tale. Everything seems a little too exaggerated -- the spicy language, the icy fear, the burning decisions. Maybe this style would have held up without question in a magazine, but at the novel's length, I kept wondering, "How do you know?" The little details started to feel like some of them were imagined or embellished; the writing was popping me out of being lost in the scene."

Overall, I highly recommend this book if you have never read non-fiction books on space before.

Too far from home: A story of Life and Death in Space.......2007-07-05

Arived quickly in time for a flight to Atlanta and back, was able to get entirely through it during both flights, However I generly like a lininar book, this author skips around with what in the movie business would be called flashbacks, a few of these are fine but I think this author over used them.

This is as good as it gets............2007-06-27

Ordinarily I wouldn't read a book on space travel because it's not something I've ever had an interest in. I picked the book up for my husband. I'm certainly glad I opened it myself. I read one of the comments where the person thought that Chris Jones should stick to what he knows, sports. I think it's obvious that Chris IS sticking to what he knows, the heart and soul that fills a person up and pushes them to go for the impossible. He understands the human spirit and writes about it beautifully. Space travel is a huge, poetic, heroic, incredible achievement that somehow I viewed with a blase' attitude -- Ho-hum, man in space.... What was I thinking! Thanks to Chris I will now always view it with a lump in my throat and gratitude to the remarkable men and women who make it happen.

Fundamentals of Space Systems (The Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory Series in Science and Engineering)

Average customer rating:

Experts Define the State of the Art in Spacecraft Design

Fundamentals of Space Systems (The Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory Series in Science and Engineering)

Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195162056

Book Description

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 included 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.

Customer Reviews:

Experts Define the State of the Art in Spacecraft Design.......2005-08-17

This book is on the design of spacecraft. In order to have the most up to date information available, each chapter is written by an expert in the particular field covered by that chapter. Looking at the brief introduction of the writers shows that most of them have been involved in the design of actual spacecraft for the John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory. These people have been actually working on the subjects they discuss.

This is the second edition of the book, published in 2005 to reflect the latest changes in the technology and science of spacecraft systems engineering that have occurred since the publication of the first edition.

Second an attempt has been made to make the material more suitable for a space systems course as a prerequisite to a senior class project to design and perhaps build and launch a spacecraft or spacecraft instrument.

The structure of the book is to break down the spacecraft into a number of sub-systems to a depth that should permit the reader to carry out a conceptual design.

This book describes the state of the art as it exists for spacecraft design.

Average customer rating:

A Classic...
VERY INSPIRING!
An adventurous life
MY FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME
West with the NIght

West with the Night
Beryl Markham
Manufacturer: North Point Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0865471185

Amazon.com

One of the most beautifully crafted books I have ever read, with some of the most poetic prose passages I could imagine, such as the following, resonating with a stately and timeless quality so absent in our modern life:

There are all kinds of silences and each of them means a different thing. There is the silence that comes with morning in a forest, and this is different from the silence of a sleeping city. There is silence after a rainstorm, and before a rainstorm, and these are not the same. There is the silence of emptiness, the silence of fear, the silence of doubt. There is a certain silence that can emanate from a lifeless object as from a chair lately used, or from a piano with old dust upon its keys, or from anything that has answered to the need of a man, for pleasure or for work. This kind of silence can speak. Its voice may be melancholy, but it is not always so; for the chair may have been left by a laughing child or the last notes of the piano may have been raucous and gay. Whatever the mood or the circumstance, the essence of its quality may linger in the silence that follows. It is a soundless echo.

Born in England in 1902, Markham was taken by her father to East Africa in 1906. She spent her childhood playing with native Maruni children and apprenticing with her father as a trainer and breeder of racehorses. In the 1930s, she became an African bush pilot, and in September 1936, became the first person to fly solo across the Atlantic from east to west.

Book Description

West with the Night is the story of Beryl Markham--aviator, racehorse trainer, beauty--and her life in the Kenya of the 1920s and '30s.

Customer Reviews:

A Classic..........2007-07-27

Quite simply one of the best books I've ever read. West with the Night transports readers to a real life era of adventure (the 1930's in particular) in an Eastern Africa that scarcely resembles the region today. Markham's beautifully described tales of her adventures as a bush pilot make this one of those books that is hard to put down at the end of the day. As for her writing style, Ernest Hemingway's comment that she "Can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves writers" sums it up. I highly recommend this novel.

VERY INSPIRING!.......2007-07-05

This is one of the best books I have ever read! The writing is superb and colorful. The author takes you on a journey through Africa. Also, I found this book to be very spiritual. Beryl Markham was an accomplished pilot and very courageous and ahead of her times. I savored every word!

An adventurous life.......2007-07-02

Wonderfully written story of Beryl Markham's life growing up in Kenya East Africa and her career as an aviator. You can almost picture Markham sitting on the veranda at the Muthaiga Country Club telling tales of high adventure. It has been questioned whether she actually wrote the book or whether it was written by her third husband Raoul Schumacher. Either way it is a great story of a fascinating woman. Well worth the read.

MY FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME.......2007-06-30

AFTER READING THIS BOOK THE FIRST TIME, IT WAS SO GOOD I READ IT AGAIN 5 WEEKS LATER. THIS IS MY FAVORITE BOOK OF ALL TIME. I READ MORE THAN A BOOK A WEEK PLUS SEVERAL EVERY WEEK ON CD. I HAVE NEVER FOUND ONE TO COMPARE TO THIS.
GREAT

West with the NIght.......2007-05-18

Wonderful story of an amazing woman at an amazing time. If you loved the movie Out of Africa, you will love this book!

Microsoft Flight Simulator as a Training Aid: A Guide for Pilots, Instructors, and Virtual Aviators

Average customer rating:

Somewhat helpful
Written for flight instructors
Great book for flight instructors....
Helped me with my training!
A good place to start

Microsoft Flight Simulator as a Training Aid: A Guide for Pilots, Instructors, and Virtual Aviators
Bruce Williams
Manufacturer: Aviation Supplies & Academics, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1560276703

Book Description

PC-based simulations, though touted by many in the aviation community as excellent flight training aids, are not being used to their full potential. This guide and the accompanying CD illustrate how to get the most out of Microsoft® Flight Simulator with general suggestions, specific advice, and practical tools. Student pilots can use the comprehensive information to review specific concepts and prepare themselves for formal flight instruction, while certified pilots can upgrade their navigation skills, learn about advanced aircraft and procedures, and complement their real-world flying with additional hours in the virtual skies. The materials are equally suitable for flight instructors looking for new tools to use in ground school classes and pre- and post-flight briefings and virtual aviation hobbyists will welcome the in-depth information on flying in the real world.

Customer Reviews:

Somewhat helpful.......2007-09-05

The first few chapters offer more background then actual gaming tips. I would have liked to see more material on flying commercial airliners on flight simulator. This book concentrates on small planes.

Written for flight instructors.......2007-08-23

The book is good about telling you what you can learn from using flight simulator. It does seem to focus on the flight instructor side. I haven't flown the practice missions yet, so I can't comment on those.

Great book for flight instructors...........2007-07-04

...and student pilots using MS Flight Simulator for help in their flight training. As a private pilot I still find FS an amazing program and found the book useful as a guide to use it for training purposes. As another reviewer noted, the CD included is worth the price by itself.

Brian
Long Island, NY

Helped me with my training!.......2007-05-29

This is such a great resource for my training, in fact i used it together with the flight simulator and another book, The In-Flight Diversion Handbook by john nghiwete, to help me with my pilot training which i did in Florida. i recommend it to all my friends.

A good place to start.......2007-05-12

Lots of good solid information, well written and thought out; I would recommend it highly.

Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications, 2nd. ed. (The Space Technology Library)

Average customer rating:

excellent book
One of the most widely cited texts in the field - for a reason
Aerospace Engineering Student
New and Improved 2nd Edition

Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications, 2nd. ed. (The Space Technology Library)
David A Vallado
Manufacturer: Microcosm, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1881883124

Book Description

The second edition features several exciting changes to this exceptional book. 30 pages longer than the original, there are ground illumination calculations, Moon rise and set data, a listing of relevant Internet sites. Moreover there are improved and expanded discussions of coordinate systems, orbit determination and differential correction, along with FREE Software available in Fortran, Pascal and C!

Summary

The increased power of microcomputers has changed the study of perturbations perhaps more than any other subfield of astrodynamics, but students and practitioners still need a compendium of well-documented algorithms to use that power. Vallado's book is just such a compendium, integrating two-body dynamics with perturbation methods and real-world applications while consolidating recent literature about coordinates and fundamental concepts. It attempts to use new programming capabilities to exploit the keys for the future-- standardizing, documenting, modularity, efficiency, and maintainability.

Ample algorithms, numbered and handily summarized at the beginning of the book, and extensive derivations have been included to save time often spent recreating something that has already been proven. The author cites many references and alternative methods to expand understanding of the topics discussed

Customer Reviews:

excellent book.......2006-06-02

This book is really excellent book among all books about astrodynamics, they give us the details about how to solve problems step by step. i like Algorithm part.

One of the most widely cited texts in the field - for a reason.......2006-05-10

This is one of the most thorough, well-written, accessible texts on astrodynamics that I've seen. The coverage of spherical harmonics (zonal, sectorial and tesseral) in Chapter 8 is very well done and welcomed. Beginners (or those who need a refresher) will also appreciate the very accessible coverage of Kalman filtering in Chapter 10.

The text provides 70 algorithms in addition to the wealth of mathematical derivations throughout the text.

The publisher's web site does not provide the updated table of contents for the 2nd Edition (as of 9 May 2006). I have provided this below. I wish that I had the time to provide the section headings within each chapter. However, if you are familiar with the subject area, you will be able to see from the chapter titles that this text is quite thorough.

Loaded with well-executed illustrations and clear, descriptive text, I doubt that anything in this text will leave you with questions or confusion. You can't go wrong with purchasing this text.

Table of Contents for 2nd Edition

1. Equations of Motion
2. Kepler's Equation and Kepler's Problem
3. Coordinate and Time Systems
4. Observations
5. Celestial Phenomena
6. Orbital Maneuvering
7. Initial Orbit Determination
8. Special Perturbation Techniques
9. General Perturbation Techniques
10. Orbit Determination and Estimation
11. Mission Analysis

Appendix A. Dictionary of Symbols
Appendix B. Modeling the Atmosphere
Appendix C. Mathematical Fundamentals
Appendix D. Constants and Expansions

Aerospace Engineering Student.......2004-02-21

As a student taking a graduate-level course in astrodynamics, this book has been a fantastic resource. It has (for the most part), the same material as Prussing & Conway, but it really develops the topics much more. The algorithms Dave Vallado outlines in his book have helped me tremendously in my research. I have found this book to be the most comprehensive astrodynamics book I have ever come across - a definate must have for anyone studying astrodynamics!

New and Improved 2nd Edition.......2003-02-27

I liked the original edition of this book very much, and I like the second edition even better. It is a unique format in that Vallado presents algorithms of all the major routines such as Lambert's Problem (several methods), Kepler's Problem (again, several methods), time conversion, date conversion, orbital element to ECI, and many, many other transformations. Although I no longer work in the field actively, I bought the second edition and would highly recommend it to anyone as an introduction and/or a reference to astrodynamics.

Vector Mechanics for Engineers, Dynamics

Average customer rating:

Worthless
Run away
Disappointed
Good Book
?

Vector Mechanics for Engineers, Dynamics
Ferdinand P. Beer , Jr., E. Russell Johnston , William E. Clausen , George H. Staab , Ferdinand Beer , William Clausen , and George Staab
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0072930799

Book Description

For the past forty years Beer and Johnston have been the uncontested leaders in the teaching of undergraduate engineering mechanics. Over the years their textbooks have introduced significant theoretical and pedagogical innovations in statics, dynamics, and mechanics of materials education. At the same time, their careful presentation of content, unmatched levels of accuracy, and attention to detail have made their texts the standard for excellence. The new Seventh Edition of Vector Mechanics for Engineers: Dynamics continues this tradition.

Customer Reviews:

Worthless.......2007-09-04

I was unfortunate enough to use this book. If you are an undergrad run away. Yes if you study the book excessively it might help but it has crummy examples and getting specific information without reading the whole chapter 2-3 times is like pulling teeth.

Run away.......2006-05-11

I found this book difficult to read and the example problems did not help with the homework problems. I went to return this book after taking Dynamics to find out that an 8th edition is being released and the book store would only offer my $7.25 for a book I paid well over $100.00. The fact that an 8th edition is being release so soon tells me that this book is flawed and being rewritten.

Disappointed.......2006-02-15

While the theory is somehow digestible, the problems are way too difficult and out of the real world. TO THE AUTHORS: When you imagine a mechanical system to be analyzed, try to make it real, not weird. Set as unknown the parameters that cannot be measured not those that can. Please, don't distort the engineering thinking of our students. (By the way: Fig. B.1 on page 1297 shows a crankshaft not a camshaft! Your solutions to problems 16.107 and 16.108 in the Instructor's Manual do not include the normal acceleration of the clamp. Energy Conservation when applied to Prob. 16.108 gives a term in omega^2).

Good Book.......2005-10-16

I used this book for the course of Dynamics in Civil Engineering. It was the textbook of my class. The examples are basic, and show you how to use the basic principles of dynamics to solve the more challeging problems at the end of each chapter. I enjoyed a lot this book, and I recommend it to everyone.

?.......2005-01-07

It amazes me how someone could not find this text incredibly useful? It provides elaborate in-chapter examples, numerous practice examples, and a description on how to attack a given problem at the end of the chapter. I am a Senior and I can honestly say that this is the best text I have used.....

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