It's Only Rocket Science
by Rogers, LucyEdition: 1st
Format: Paperback
Pub. Date: 2008-03-28
Publisher(s): Springer Verlag
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Summary
"Well, it's not rocket science, is it?" How many times have you heard people use that expression when they mean something pretty simple? There are other areas of science and technology that are arguably more challenging than rocket science, but no other (perhaps apart from brain surgery) has entered mainstream English vocabulary as a byword for 'difficult'.
Author Biography
Dr Lucy Rogers is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a member of the British Association of Science Writers. She is an engineer, and is currently working on the Launch Escape System propulsion unit for StarChaser, the UK's commercial space access company. She has published articles in The Guardian national newspaper, and on BBC Online.
Table of Contents
| Introduction | p. 1 |
| Space | p. 2 |
| Solar Wind and the Van Allen Radiation Belts | p. 2 |
| Gravity | p. 5 |
| Propulsion | p. 7 |
| Orbits | p. 12 |
| Inclination | p. 12 |
| Eccentricity | p. 13 |
| Space Debris | p. 14 |
| Magnitude | p. 15 |
| Space Law | p. 16 |
| General Information | p. 17 |
| Rockets and Spacecraft | p. 19 |
| Pre-spaceflight | p. 19 |
| Rocket Basics | p. 26 |
| Multistaging | p. 26 |
| Launch Pad to Orbit | p. 29 |
| Launch Vehicles | p. 30 |
| Sounding Rockets | p. 33 |
| Attitude Control and Movement | p. 34 |
| Gravity Gradients and Tidal Forces | p. 34 |
| Spin Stabilization | p. 37 |
| Three Axis Stabilization | p. 37 |
| Magnetic Torquers | p. 39 |
| Spacecraft | p. 40 |
| Communication and Navigation Spacecraft | p. 40 |
| Fly-by Spacecraft | p. 40 |
| Orbiter Spacecraft | p. 41 |
| Atmospheric Spacecraft | p. 41 |
| Lander and Rover Spacecraft | p. 42 |
| Observatory Spacecraft | p. 42 |
| Penetrator Spacecraft and Impactors | p. 43 |
| Manned Spaceflight | p. 43 |
| Power Systems | p. 44 |
| Primary Energy Source | p. 44 |
| Secondary Power Source | p. 48 |
| Power Control and Distribution System | p. 50 |
| Thermal Control Systems | p. 50 |
| Thermal Protection for Re-entry Vehicles | p. 51 |
| Space Missions | p. 55 |
| Launch System | p. 57 |
| Launch Sites | p. 57 |
| Launch Windows | p. 60 |
| Landing Sites | p. 62 |
| Earth Landing Sites | p. 62 |
| Landing on Other Bodies in the Solar System | p. 67 |
| Emergency Systems | p. 74 |
| Launch Escape System | p. 74 |
| Shuttle Emergency Egress System | p. 75 |
| Shuttle Launch Abort | p. 75 |
| In-flight Crew Escape System | p. 77 |
| Mission Operations | p. 78 |
| Testing and Pre-launch | p. 78 |
| Launch | p. 78 |
| End of Life | p. 79 |
| Reliability | p. 80 |
| Movement in Three Dimensions | p. 83 |
| Orbits | p. 84 |
| Orbit Shape | p. 85 |
| Types of Orbit | p. 88 |
| Lagrangian Points | p. 93 |
| Lagrangian Point 1 (L1) | p. 93 |
| Lagrangian Point 2 (L2) | p. 94 |
| Lagrangian Point 3 (L3) | p. 95 |
| Lagrangian Points 4 and 5 (L4 and L5) | p. 95 |
| Getting into Orbit | p. 96 |
| Changing Orbits | p. 96 |
| Perturbations | p. 97 |
| Station-keeping | p. 97 |
| Changing the Altitude or Shape of an Orbit | p. 98 |
| Low Thrust Trajectory | p. 101 |
| Orbit Inclination Changes or Out-of-Plane Orbit Changes | p. 102 |
| Rendezvous and Intercept | p. 103 |
| Interplanetary and Interstellar Trajectories | p. 104 |
| Gravity Assist, Fly-by or Sling Shot | p. 105 |
| Ground Tracks | p. 108 |
| Propulsion Systems | p. 115 |
| Chemical Rocket Propulsion | p. 116 |
| Solid Propellants or Rocket Motors | p. 116 |
| Liquid Propellants or Rocket Engines | p. 120 |
| Gelled Propellants | p. 126 |
| Hybrid Propellants | p. 126 |
| Cold Gas Propellants | p. 127 |
| Electric Propulsion | p. 127 |
| Electrothermal Systems | p. 128 |
| Electrostatic Engines or Ion Drives | p. 128 |
| Electromagnetic or Magnetoplasma Engines | p. 130 |
| Nuclear Propulsion | p. 131 |
| Nuclear Electric Rocket | p. 131 |
| Solar Thermal Propulsion (STP) | p. 131 |
| Other Forms of Propulsion | p. 132 |
| Navigation in Three Dimensions | p. 133 |
| Coordinate Systems | p. 134 |
| Locating Spacecraft | p. 139 |
| Inertial Navigation | p. 140 |
| Magnetometers | p. 142 |
| External References | p. 143 |
| Earth-based Navigation and Tracking Systems | p. 148 |
| Lunar and Interplanetary Systems | p. 148 |
| Time Dilation and Relativistic Effects | p. 149 |
| Communication | p. 151 |
| Tracking, Telemetry and Command | p. 151 |
| Radiowave Communication | p. 152 |
| Ground Stations | p. 152 |
| Spacecraft Systems | p. 154 |
| Antennas, Transmitters and Receivers | p. 154 |
| Radio Blackout | p. 158 |
| Radar | p. 162 |
| Parcels to Space | p. 163 |
| Parcels from Space | p. 164 |
| Human Communications | p. 165 |
| Radio and Video Links | p. 167 |
| Humans in Space | p. 169 |
| Launch and Re-entry | p. 169 |
| Acceleration | p. 169 |
| Vibration and Sound | p. 173 |
| Environmental Control and Life Support | p. 174 |
| Air Quality | p. 174 |
| Pressure | p. 175 |
| Temperature | p. 177 |
| Fire Suppression | p. 179 |
| Water | p. 180 |
| Radiation | p. 181 |
| Meteoroid Strike and Space Debris | p. 184 |
| Living in Space | p. 185 |
| Freefall Effects | p. 185 |
| Space Sickness | p. 188 |
| Toilet | p. 189 |
| Ablutions | p. 194 |
| Clothing | p. 195 |
| Sleep | p. 199 |
| Psychological Effects | p. 200 |
| Food | p. 201 |
| Return to Earth | p. 207 |
| Observing Satellites | p. 209 |
| Catalogues of Objects in Space | p. 212 |
| International Identification Number | p. 213 |
| Space Catalogue | p. 213 |
| Natural Bodies | p. 214 |
| Tracking Spacefaring Objects | p. 216 |
| Optical | p. 217 |
| Infrared Tracking | p. 221 |
| Radio | p. 221 |
| Radar | p. 222 |
| Deep Space | p. 223 |
| Tracking from Space | p. 225 |
| Amateur Tracking | p. 226 |
| Optical | p. 226 |
| Radio | p. 232 |
| Radar | p. 235 |
| Where to Go | p. 237 |
| The Sun | p. 237 |
| Planets and Their Satellites | p. 240 |
| Mercury | p. 240 |
| Venus | p. 245 |
| Earth | p. 247 |
| Mars | p. 251 |
| Jupiter | p. 255 |
| Saturn | p. 258 |
| Uranus | p. 261 |
| Neptune | p. 263 |
| Dwarf Planets | p. 264 |
| Pluto | p. 265 |
| Ceres | p. 266 |
| Eris (2003 UB313) | p. 266 |
| Small Solar System Bodies | p. 267 |
| Asteroids | p. 267 |
| Comets | p. 269 |
| The Future | p. 273 |
| Commercial Space Flight | p. 274 |
| Space Tourism | p. 276 |
| Future Propulsion Systems | p. 279 |
| Solar Sailing | p. 279 |
| Beam Sailing | p. 284 |
| Tethers | p. 292 |
| Space Elevators | p. 296 |
| Space Fountain | p. 297 |
| Sky Hooks | p. 298 |
| Nuclear | p. 298 |
| Magnetic Satellite Launch System or Magnetic Mass Drivers | p. 300 |
| The Distant Future | p. 301 |
| Orbital Elements | p. 303 |
| Inclination (i) | p. 303 |
| Longitude of the Ascending Node ([Omega]) | p. 304 |
| Argument of Periapsis or Perigee ([omega]) | p. 305 |
| Eccentricity (e) | p. 305 |
| Semi-major Axis (a) | p. 306 |
| Anomaly at Epoch (v) | p. 306 |
| Time of Periapsis or Perigee Passage (T) | p. 306 |
| Coordinate Systems | p. 307 |
| Geocentric Coordinate Systems | p. 307 |
| Heliocentric Coordinate Systems | p. 307 |
| Perifocal Coordinate System | p. 307 |
| Web Site Addresses | p. 309 |
| Practical Information for Observing Satellites | p. 311 |
| Two-Line Element (TLE) Sets | p. 312 |
| Positional Observations | p. 314 |
| Flash Period Observations | p. 316 |
| Types of Reflection | p. 316 |
| Synodic Effect | p. 316 |
| Measurement of Flash Period | p. 317 |
| Brightness Measurement | p. 318 |
| Glossary | p. 319 |
| Bibliography | p. 327 |
| Index | p. 329 |
| Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved. |
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