The dictionary of space technology /

Angelo (Florida Institute of Technology) has improved on his long-outdated original (CH, Oct'82), even though this new edition has fewer essays. Briefer definitions allow room for many more, and the number and quality of figures has also increased dramatically, although they could often use better captions and labeling. A guide to using the book and pronunciation for some words are also needed. Although many of the words are used only in technical arenas, the definitions are straightforward. Despite the title, many terms are not technological, although they are associated with space ("comet," "Moon"), while others seem unnecessary ("Internet," "multi-," "orthogonal," "ounce"), or are aerospace/aeronautics terms ("aeolian," "canard," "Patriot"). Some terms are political ("Cold War," "mutual assured destruction"), but few acknowledge the Soviet/Russian space program ("Baikonur Cosmodrome," "cosmonaut," "Mir"). Impending events (the international space station, permanent habitation of Mars and the Moon) are touched on, but others such as deep space travel and human visits to the gas giants are avoided. Science fiction technologies (such as solar wind propulsion or Dyson spheres) are also ignored, even as Bernal spheres are discussed under "space settlement." General readers; lower-division undergraduates. C. S. Dunham Fairfield University

There have been many developments in space technology since the first edition of this work was published back in 1981. The Challenger disaster, the Hubble Space Telescope, the Mars Pathfinder mission, and numerous other achievements and failures are all covered by this new edition. Similar to the first edition, the 3,000 alphabetical entries range in length from a single sentence to several pages, with most of the longer entries devoted to various missions or destinations. Although space programs from all nations are included, the emphasis is clearly on the U. S. Entries are written for the general adult reader or student and do not rely heavily on mathematics for their explanations. The author is unashamedly a space enthusiast, and the writing sometimes reflects this position by promoting space exploration. Black-and-white diagrams and a few photos accompany some of the entries. Considering the availability of excellent public domain images related to space exploration, the quality of the illustrations in this work is disappointing. Appendixes list units of measure, conversion factors, and Web sites related to space exploration. Despite its poor illustrations, this work will be a useful tool for anyone interested in space exploration. A good companion on the reference shelf is Who's Who in Space (3d ed., Macmillan, 1999), which has astronaut biographies. Recommended for high-school, public, and academic libraries.