How spacecraft fly : spaceflight without formulae /

This work is a basic introduction to spacecraft (mainly satellite) engineering without the use of any equations. After providing a history of space, Swinerd (spacecraft designer; Univ. of Southampton, UK) addresses the basics of orbital mechanics and includes some sophisticated discussions of orbital problems. Next, he discusses the design and behavior of rockets and the environment of space. Three chapters focus on the design of spacecraft and satellites and include a discussion of spacecraft communications. Swinerd ends the book with two chapters on the future of space: "Space in the 21st Century" and "Space: The Final Frontier." The material in this volume should be accessible to any undergraduate who has taken introductory courses in math and physics. However, even though there are no equations in the book, knowledge of analytic geometry and conic sections is probably essential for a thorough understanding of much of the material. This work is so fundamental and relevant to the modern world that it will be important for all libraries serving undergraduates. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers, lower- and upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and two-year technical program students. A. M. Strauss Vanderbilt University