Product Description
The first spacecraft to explore the secrets of the Sun, Jupiter, Saturn, and the void beyond Pluto, the Pioneer space probes have been the trailblazers of the space age, truly going where no man has gone before.

Emblazoned with the nude figures of a man and a woman, etched representations of our human form, the Pioneer generation of probes were aptly named. Launched into the inky depths of space, they were more than mere machines, they were humanity’s first emissaries into deep space. And the pictorial inscriptions that adorned the crafts embodied the hopes and dreams of everyone involved in the Pioneer program. They were our humble attempt to communicate with the extraterrestrial intelligent life we imagined the probes might encounter … they were our message in a bottle.

Perhaps the most efficient, reliable, and cost effective program to come out of NASA, the Pioneer missions are a shining example of how a small and talented group of people can, against all odds, pull something off that has never been done before. Indeed, more than thirty years after its launch in 1972, Pioneer 10 is still cruising into interstellar space, sending back data as it courses through the galaxy while Pioneer 6, in solar orbit, is more than 35 years old and humankind’s oldest functioning spacecraft. But despite their enduring contributions, the Pioneer project remains a footnote in space history, little more than a humble prologue to its inheritors.

The Depths of Space recounts the long overdue history of Pioneer both as a scientific and technological achievement and as the story of the exceptional people who made the program possible. This tight narrative captures the black-coffee buzz of full-throttle, deadline-driven production, the sharp, intense thrill of discovery, the pang of anxiety that accompanies looming danger and ultimate loss, and the satisfaction and pride of creating an enduring legacy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Mission Impossible
Mark Woolverton does a superb job of presenting the story of Pioneer Space Probes to the outer Planets.Pioneer 10 & 11 were "improbable" missions, starting late late and working after a 2-year voyage in the unknown regions of space travel.Woolverton accurately presents a description of how an unusually competant NASA Program Manager, working very closely with the Experiment Scientists, all in a hostile political environment, pulled off an exceptionally precarious "Mission Impossible".

To Boldly Go Where No Probe Has Gone Before...
'The Depths Of Space' is a story of two little spacecraft and a NASA research center that could. This book is not a dryly written documentary, but an engaging tale that encourages the reader to keep turning pages, to find out what will happen next. Like the story of Apollo 13, we all know the outcome. But it's the journey to get there that matters, and Mark Wolverton delivers.

In the early days of space exploration, all the NASA centers were focused on the "do-or-die" space race. Except the Ames Research Center. Ask anyone at the time and they would say that Ames might come up with an interesting idea in material shape, vehicle design, or even a heat shield, but nothing more exciting than that. Ames was quite happy not to be in the limelight, as it was "not given to flights of fancy involving outlandish ideas such as space flight." To Ames, space flight was viewed as a fad of the day, with no long-term future. There would always be a need for better airplanes, which was the focus of Ames.

Then Ames found itself reorganized, with a new branch called the Vehicle Environment Division (VED), dedicated to support NASA's space flight goals. Albert Eggers, an idea man, was put in charge, and put forth a challenge to his engineers at the VED: to design, build, and launch a series of solar probes. Eggers' deputy assistant, and a very capable engineer in his own right, Charles Frederick "Charlie" Hall was given the task to oversee this project.

Meanwhile, the Army and Air Force were attempting to get probes to the Moon before the Soviets succeeded. Their project was called Pioneer, and they were instrumental in launching Pioneers 0 through 5. The first five of these six spacecraft went out in a blaze of failed glory, but each one getting further than its predecessor. Pioneer 0's Thor rocket booster blew up 77 seconds after launch. Pioneer 1 launched two weeks later, edging itself out of Earth's atmosphere to touch the inner Van Allen radiation belt, then burned up on re-entry two days later. Pioneer 2 made it up a thousand miles before it met with an untimely death, the victim of pre-mature burnout of one stage of its launch rocket and the failure of the booster rocket to even fire. Pioneer 3 made it 63,000 miles above Earth's surface, discovering the second Van Allen belt, before falling back and burning up. Pioneer 4 made it the closest to its goal, escaping Earth's gravity and passing within 37,000 miles of the Moon before it was lost in space. After this the Russians landed spacecraft on the Moon. Pioneer 5's mandate was to be the first spacecraft to be intentionally launched into solar orbit, which it succeeded at. 3 months later it would pass too far from Earth for any of its signals to be picked up again.

After this the Pioneer project was handed over to Charlie Hall and Ames. From the ground up, they designed, built, launched, and operated the Pioneer 6 through 9 spacecraft, all solar probe explorers, designed solely to measure the Sun's activity. Thus began Ames' move from being a purely research-oriented institute to a contender in space exploration.

Wolverton follows this substory with the main focus of the book: the design, construction, launch, and operations of the Pioneer 10 and 11 spacecraft. These were to be the first manmade probes to explore the reaches of space beyond the orbit of Mars. Having been involved in missions such as Hubble, FUSE, and MESSENGER, I can say from experience that Wolverton captured the atmosphere of what went on behind the closed doors of the Pioneer project (which really hasn't changed all that much 30-40 years later with contemporary missions). From the scientists proposing experiments (both in working with engineers and management to the interplays in dealing with each other), to the work of the design and development teams, to mission operations and the realities imposed on operating spacecraft, you are put in the very rooms with these people as they argue, cajole, and support one another in order to make these spacecraft a success.

Again, as with the Apollo 13 story, Wolverton captures the tension in the air as the science and operations teams watch with trepidation as their little spacecraft penetrate the asteroid belt, skirt the radiation fields of Jupiter, and in the case of Pioneer 11, dance outside of Saturn's rings (in prep for the two follow-on JPL missions called Voyager).

While no longer operating (Pioneer 11's signal was lost in 1995, Pioneer 10 was last heard from in 2003), these two little emissaries of our world continue to this day heading out deeper into space, on course to transition from the outer boundaries of our solar system into interstellar space. Each probe carries with it a 6x9 gold anodized aluminum plaque with etchings of our solar system and two generic "naked people", should on some off chance the probes be discovered by an extraterrestrial intelligence. However remotely unlikely that is to occur. Space, you see, is really REALLY big, and the probes in it are infinitesimally small, a mere few tens of feet long. Traveling at 2.6 astronomical units (AU) per year (where 1 AU is the mean Earth-Sun distance), it will be over 26,000 years before Pioneer 10 passes within 6 light-years of Proxima Centauri, and over another 6,000 years before it passes within 4 light-years of the star Ross 248.

Mark Wolverton pulls together all the above, and more, into an excellent, non-technical historical story that should be a "must read" for every space exploration aficionado. All it really needs now is a soundtrack.

An excellent book for the curious non-engineer
"The Depths of Space" by Mark Wolverton includes all the details for those of us who weren't born or were too young to know when these remarkable spacecraft began their journeys.Mr. Wolverton's tale shows the politics and competition between NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Ames Research Center in the early days of spaceflight primarily through the stories of Pioneers 10 and 11, though without neglecting the other flights of the Pioneer series.For those interested in the history of NASA and spaceflight, this book is an excellent place to start.The Pioneer series of flights racked up a long list of "firsts", not to mention blazing the trail for JPL's Voyagers in the 1970's and 1980's.Pioneers 10 and 11 got there first, scouting ahead for the much more celebrated Voyagers a decade later.Mr. Wolverton's book is a solid first step in remembering the often overlooked and forgotten Pioneers.

Wonderful book on an interesting topic
The Pioneer missions were important milestones in the exploration of space. The book is a nice, concise and well-written history of the Pioneer program, from the early and unsuccessful probes flown by the military in the immediate post-Sputnik era to the trail-blazing missions to Jupiter, Saturn and Venus. All of the book was interesting, but I thought that the story of how Ames Research Center got involved in deep space exploration, the maneuvering to get access to the Deep Space Network, and the continued gathering of data from Pioneers 10 and 11 long after their primary missions ended to be particularly interesting and never before told. I wish that the book had been a little longer, with some more detail about the spacecraft and their scientific findings. Also the meager selection of small black and white photos is inadequate. But those are minor points and this book is a must-have if the subject interests you.

Nice book, emphasizing the human factor
This is a great book on NASA's Pioneer project (not only the well-known - though already half-forgotten - Pioneer 10 and 11 missions to Jupiter and Saturn, but the whole series, including the highly successful 1978 mission to Venus). Very well written and researched, by a very talented young author, who's definitely in love with his subject. As the foreword of astronomer James van Allen states correctly, this book is first of all `a tale of human achievement', i.e. the emphasis of this book is very much on the project as such and on the people that made it possible (and how they did it). Wolverton does pay substantial attention to technical issues and to the scientific results of the various missions, it's true, but I would have preferred him going into more detail on all these things, providing more data and explaining more of the scientific achievements. To my tastes, he spends too much time discussing `the human factor' and the adventure side of it. But then again, this is the book's explicit `mission'. It just wasn't exactly what I expected, although I enjoyed it very much (especially the story about the controversy around the famous plaque with the naked couple on it, and on the old DEC PDP 11-14 `mini-`computer that was still being used in 2000 to communicate with Pioneer 10). So, this book is highly recommended and a Must for space buffs. It's also a very beautiful book, solid and robust. It's a bit of a pity that the - not too many - photographs and pictures are all in black-and-white. You can look into the book (all of the pages, and with color pictures!!!) on the publisher's website. ... Read more

Product Description

The first edition of The Sun From Space, completed in 1999, focused on the early accomplishments of three solar spacecraft, SOHO, Ulysses and Yohkoh, primarily during a minimum in the Sun's 11-year cycle of magnetic activity. This comprehensive Second Edition includes the main findings of these three spacecraft over an entire activity cycle, including two minima and a maximum, and discusses the significant results of six further solar missions. It contains the relevant discoveries of the past decade, integrated into chapters completely rewritten for the purposes of this book. This provides a fresh perspective on the major topics of solar enquiry, written in an enjoyable, easily understood text accessible to all readers, from the interested layperson to the student or professional.

After describing the scientific objectives of the nine solar missions and a historical perspective on studies of the Sun and heliosphere, the author presents key advances in our understanding of the solar interior, the heating of the million-degree outer atmosphere of the Sun, known as the solar corona, the origin and nature of the solar winds, the cause, prediction and propagation of explosive solar flares and coronal mass ejections, and all aspects of space-weather interactions of the Sun with the Earth, with unprotected astronauts on the Moon or Mars, and with spacecraft in outer space.

The author is known also for his famous books "Astrophysical Formulae", "Sun, Earth and Sky", and the prize-winning "Wanderers in Space", he has succeeded once again in addressing a complex scientific topic in a very approachable way. Hence, this generously illustrated book, whilst primarily addressing students, will also be of interest to a broader readership covering all levels from the amateur to the expert.

Customer Reviews (2)

good info., poorly written
Decent information for beginners to the field of solar physics.
However, in a couple ways this book is a fine example of how NOT
to write a science book.Lang states numbers and units in a very distracting way: for instance, "1.5 thousand meters" and on a diagram of the Sun, 15 M(degree sign) for the central temperature.

On page 73 we read, about the Sun's oscillations: "That interval is similar to the separation between the most intense contractions during child birth, at least during the birth of my children."

OK, did we really need to know that in an _astrophysics_ text?

Solar astronomy for the educated layman
Kenneth Lang, the well-known author of Astrophysical Formulae, wrote this excellently-illustrated introductory book about the Sun's atmosphere.The level of the book is appropriate for an "educated layman" who is interested in the field of solar astrophysics.I read it as background for the incipient STEREO mission.It concentrates on the new knowledge from three recent space missions:SOHO, Ulysses, and Yohkoh; but it also includes data from many other spacecraft, ground (and underground) observatories, and historical data.

The book is organized well.It has sections on the three space missions, the space environment, helioseismology, the corona, the solar wind, solar activity, and the Sun-Earth connection.Each chapter concludes with a chronology of important scientific discoveries in the field.The book also includes side boxes containing key concepts in understanding the physics described in the text.Apparently these were included so the text might be used for a undergraduate course; but the academic level of these side boxes is so inconsistent I do not think this book alone could be used as a text.The book concludes with a set of Internet addresses (it is a pity that the movies that have been made of solar phenomena cannot be incorporated into a printed book) and an extensive list of references to original papers.

The book's strength is its illustrations, which cover almost every observable aspect of the Sun.Many of these are taken from seminal papers in the field, and the author is careful to give credit where credit is due.If the book has a weakness, it is this scrupulousness in attributing discoveries to scientists:the author sometimes presents the discoveries in piecemeal fashion.He thus sometimes fails to present an entire coherent picture of a phenomenon, while presenting parts of the picture many times.He also has an annoying idiosyncrasy of writing out powers of ten and units (e.g., "50,000 to 1.2 million meters per second") rather than using an appropriate abbreviation (50 - 1200 km/s); I often found myself converting his writing in my head to get a feel for the numbers.

In general, the book is an excellent introduction to this field and I recommend it for that purpose.It is not adequate preparation for someone wishing to enter the field of solar physics, but it is not a coffee-table paperweight either.It gives the reader the ability to understand what solar scientists are talking about, and what the target science is for the various missions in NASA's Sun-Earth Connection enterprise. ... Read more

Product Description

Many readers will doubtless be astonished to learn that animals were being fired aloft in U.S. and Soviet research rockets in the late 1940s. In fact most people not only believe that the Russian space dog Laika was the first canine to be launched into space, but also that the high-profile, precursory Mercury flights of chimps Ham and Enos were the only primate flights conducted by the United States. In fact, both countries had sent literally dozens of animals aloft for many years prior to these events and continued to do so for many years after. Other latter-day space nations, such as France and China, would also begin to use animals in their own space research.

Animals in Space will explain why dogs, primates, mice and other rodents were chosen and tested, at a time when dedicated scientists from both space nations were determined to establish the survivability of human subjects on both ballistic and orbital space flights. It will also recount the way this happened; the secrecy involved and the methods employed, and offer an objective analysis of how the role of animals as spaceflight test subjects not only evolved, but subsequently changed over the years in response to a public outcry led by animal activists. It will explore the ways in which animal high-altitude and space flight research impacted on space flight biomedicine and technology, and how the results - both successful and disappointing - allowed human beings to then undertake that same hazardous journey with far greater understanding and confidence.

This book is intended as a detailed yet highly readable and balanced account of the history of animal space flights, and the resultant application of hard-won research to space technology and astrobiology.  It will undoubtedly become the ultimate authority on animal space flights.

Customer Reviews (2)

Perfect bedtime book
This book caught my eye at the library, so I took it home.It's strange how some things never cross one's mind... did you know that fruit flies were actually our first fellow creatures to go for a ride into space?Cool book.Thanks to the authors for putting the time into this - an enjoyable read!

A "Must-Have" Reference Book
This book belongs in the library of anyone interested in Space Memorabilia or anyone who wants an understanding of how man finally reached space.
There is a fantastic wealth of information as regards the US portion of the Race but, to some degree, anyone knowledgeable in the US program has come across at least some of this before. What is really mind blowing, at least to this reader, is the wealth of information regarding the Russian portion of the Race. Most of us have heard of Belka and Strelka, the dogs sent by the Russians into space prior to Gagarin's first flight. What we don't know is that they were only two of about 100 dogs who were actively involved in the Program.
The book is filled with photos, charts and tables that make for handy reverence and ease of use.
I would strongly recommend adding this book to any space reference library - or just for a good afternoon's read. You are sure to both learn and enjoy.
Michael Orenstein ... Read more

Product Description
In WALKING IN SPACE: DEVELOPMENT OF SPACE WALKING TECHNIQUES, David Shayler provides a comprehensive overview and analysis of EVA techniques, for the first time outside NASA publications. The author draws on original documentation, personal interviews of astronauts with experience of EVAs, and accounts by those involved in suit design, EVA planning, and operations. Moving on from the pioneering of EVA techniques during the Gemini program, the author describes the basic requirements in terms of the equipment that every spacewalker needs, the development of training techniques - currently all completed on Earth - the surface explorations of the Moon by the Apollo astronauts and the numerous activities performed by Shuttle astronauts and those aboard the Salyut and Mir Space Stations, such as satellite servicing, equipment upgrading and repair missions. He also describes the development of techniques for ensuring crew safety during EVAs and looks ahead to future EVAs from the International Space Station and the development of new technology, including robotic assistance. ... Read more

Product Description
Awareness of the environment was stimulated by the 'Earthrise' pictures taken by the first Apollo crew to orbit the Moon. By sending spacecraft to other planets we've gained insights into the early history of our own planet. Comparative planetology is a science that has been facilitated by the Space Age.

Comparative planetology highlights both similarities and differences. Processes tend to manifest themselves in different ways. Usually the term 'vulcanism' conveys an impression of red hot lava erupting from a fissure, or streaming down the flank of a volcano.This may have been the case on Venus and Mars , but on some of the Moons of Jupiter and Saturn the lava is cryogenic fluid.

There are geysers of sulphurous gases on Jupiter's moon Io and at the far edge of the solar system on Neptune's moon Triton, there are Nitrogen geysers. Our concept of vulcanism has been broadened by comparative planetology.

The Earth in Context: A Guide to the Solar System tells a tale of scientific discovery, with two interwoven strands - one tracing the development of understanding the Earth's geological history, and the other placing this in the context of processes at work on the other planets of the solar system. Although planetology is assigned half of the text, the primary focus of the book is the Earth. It is discussed in two parts, the first summing up our knowledge of the Earth as it is today and the other considering it as it was long ago. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Our Home In The Solar System
The advent of the space age in 1957 has led to a quantum leap in mankind's knowledge of the Earth and its neighbors in the Solar System.After writing the most comprehensive book about the geologic work of the Apollo astronauts on the Moon ("Exploring the Moon", David Harland has turned to the exploration of the Solar System, and more specifically, the place of the Earth within it.The acceptance by the scientific community in the 1960's of the idea of "plate tectonics" as the mechanism to explain the large-scale geological evolution of the Earth has led to interest in determining the evolutionary process of the other bodies in the Solar System to fill out the picture and to tie all of this to the development of the conditions necessary for the sustenance of life on Earth.All of this is covered in this book.
One of the most important features of this book is an historical survey of the growth of the body of knowledge of the other bodies in the Solar System, starting with the invention of the telescope in the 17th century, and how this has evolved with improvements in observational technology down to our own time.
The author then leads us to the important question regarding the possible uniqueness of life on Earth, and why, if it is unique, this should be the case, especially considering that Earth's neighbors, Mars and Venus are similar to Earth in many ways and yet have evolved in radically different directions which are inimical to the sustenance of life as we know it (of course, the discovery of living organisms in hydrothermal vents where there is no oxygen at the bottom of the ocean is forcing scientists to broaden their views of what life-friendly environments are really like).For example, only the Earth, among the four terrestrial planets has a large, natural satellite. Why is this? If the Moon didn't exist there would be no life on Earth because the presence of the Moon keeps the Earth's orbit stable and prevents the obliquity of the spin axis from changing.All this leads to a stable thermal environment, vital for life to exist.Similarly, it is now believed that the water present on Earth was brought to the planet from comets originating in the outer Solar System.Another important question is why the Earth has plate tectonics whereas Mars certainly doesn't and Venus probably doesn't.Thus, we see that in order to understand our own planet, it is vital to understand the process that work on all the others and to know what is happening even at the outermost reaches of the Solar System.This book surveys all these matters, giving the layman a comprehensive picture of the current state of knowledge.
The book has an extensive glossary, but I would primarily recommend it to someone who has at least some college-level background in physics, engineering or other physical science in order to fully appreciate it. ... Read more

Product Description
This title shows readers how to research and create their own science projects with examples building in complexity.Each title provides an overview of the scientific method with tips as to how a student can best create a science project. Each experiment includes planning, preparation, skill level, materials needed, cost and details of the project with a list of print and digital resources for background research. This title addresses the analysis and interpretation of experiments and the importance of safety. All experiments highlight the importance of scientific inquiry and the scientific method. ... Read more

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This colloquium gathered for the first time astronomy and space scientists together with scientific editors, publishers and software producers involved in DTP publishing. Introductory talks set up the context; contributed papers shared experience and presented challenges to be met, needs to be satisfied and problems to be solved. Special sessions were held to homogenize procedures and standards in electronic publishing as well as assess the potentialities of this new technology in intelligent information retrieval. ... Read more

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Product Description
Since the lift-off of Sputnik in 1957, over 8,000 satellites and spacecraft have been launched from over thirty countries, costing hundreds of billions of dollars. While only about 350 people have made the incredible journey beyond our atmosphere, we all benefit in countless ways from the missions. An authoriative and accessible source that collects information on man's quest to explore the Universe, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Space, provides a global perspective of our occupation and use of space, whether for scientific, industrial, commercial, technical, or military purposes. The authors set the stage by describing the space environment, orbits and ground tracks, launchers and launch sites. Subsequently, they discuss the main space applications (telecommunications, navigation and Earth observation, military), plus science missions, planetary exploration, and space stations.Extensively illustrated with more than 300 illustrations, maps, and graphs, The Cambridge Encyclopedia of Space will be an invaluable resource for everyone interested in our use of space, and the perfect reference for those working in the space arena. Fernand Verger is Professor Emeritus of Geography at L'Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris. Isabelle Sourbés-Verger is a researcher at the National Center for Scientific Research and the Foundation for Strategic Research, Paris.Raymond Ghirardi is a cartographic engineer at the CNRS and has worked on many geopolitical projects. Xavier Pasco is a researcher at the Foundation for Strategic Research and Associate Professor at the Universite de Marne la Vallee.Pasco is also a Fellow at the Space Policy Institute at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Dated but Fascinating Reading
The title says it all.The illustrations are very detailed.This Cambridge book is good addition for the Aerospace Historian's library.

A serious reference work, not for browsers
This book raises space encyclopedias to a new level.Many previous books of this typehave been collections of images interspersed with some lightweight text.Not this one.The French authors of this work go into considerable technical detail about the many topics they cover, including the celestial mechanics of artificial satellites, their orbits and ground tracks, and the trajectories of interplanetary probes.The authors focus primarily on scientific and applications missions, with relatively little attention to manned space programs.The world's launch vehicles and launch sites are covered thoroughly, as are earth observation satellites. The excellent charts and diagrams are detailed and comprehensive; the photographic images are well chosen and well reproduced.

Unlike many space-related books published in the United States, this encyclopedia does not focus on American space achievements. Itsbalanced perspective on world space programs may be a useful corrective.

Mysteries of science and the workings of national politics
The collaborative work of Fernand Verger (Professor Emeritus of Geography at L'Ecole Normale Superieure, Paris), Isabelle Sourbes-Verger (National Center for Scientific Research and the Foundation for Strategic Research, Paris), and Raymond Ghirardi (Cartographic Engineer, CNRS), and Xavier Pasco (Associate Professor, Universite de Marne la Vallee, Pasco), The Cambridge Encyclopedia Of Space is a globally-themed, wonderfully illustrated resource compendium of man's perspective and occupation of space. Ranging from the vast variety of satellites (including telecommunication, navigation, and military ones), to the workings of the space shuttle, to budgets and space activity around the world, The Cambridge Encyclopedia Of Space superbly covers both the mysteries of science and the workings of national politics to present a combined wealth of information for ideal for nonspecialist general readers of all backgrounds. Simply put, no school or community library Astronomy & Space Science collection can be considered complete without the inclusion of The Cambridge Encyclopedia Of Space. ... Read more

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Human civilization has evolved to the point at which we can consider tapping space resources and expanding beyond Earth’s atmosphere. The Introduction surveys possible motivations for large-scale human emigration to space. Since our early ancestors began to move out of Africa, humans have constantly expanded their range. Today, the pattern of human settlement extends from pole to pole. Humans regularly visit the upper troposphere and ocean floor and technology has enabled a few to even reside above the atmosphere in space stations.

For the next few millennia at least (barring breakthroughs), the human frontier will include the solar system and the nearest stars. Will it better to settle the Moon, Mars, or a nearby asteroid and what environments can we expect to find in the vicinity of nearby stars are questions that need to be answered if mankind is to migrate into space.

Customer Reviews (4)

Mis-titled and disappointing
Despite the claims of the title and sub title, this book does not cover how we can explore space using in situ resources, nor what "green roads" to space would actually mean. In contrast, this book is broad ranging catalog of spacecraft propulsion technologies, fairly lightly drawn, with some comments on space colonies, mining and starflight thrown in.

This was a very light read.If you want more depth in any particular technology, another book specializing in that technology would probably be better.

The Future in Space
There is a huge amount of science-fiction-like books dealing with aspects of Humankind's future. What is certainly difficult, greatly difficult in some cases, is to describe what the future may look like based on knowledge of the past and awareness of the present. The authors of "Living Off the Land in Space: Green Roads to the Cosmos" are two scientists and one artist, well recognized internationally, who committed themselves to popularizing very, very important aspects of our future:not the future many centuries ahead, which is quite unpredictable on a true scientific basis, but the future that appears reasonable, and desirable, starting from the present and imitating - very probably - what happened along the history of Humankind. Another key feature of the book is represented by the "fusion" of Science, Technology, and Art. Many authors of reliable books describing the future are used to make a considerable harvest from many different scientific areas, but neglect the artistic aspect of the human thought.
This book has a very good logical sequence of the chapters, which includes virtually the most important items at the time of the manuscript completion. Who is really interested in reading a book regarding the evergreen human desire for space exploration and space expansion - the final frontier - not based on fantasy, but on solid cultural basis, can find an excellent overview in this 250-page book.

Rome - Italy, May 20, 2008

Vulpetti Giovanni, PhD.
International Academy of Astronautics, Paris - France

Living off the land in space
This is a good book for those interested in the behinds the scenes of space exploration. This book gave enough technical information for background. The authors brought in their experience and first hand knowledge of this on going effort as well as the path forward. This has some of the stuff sci-fi books are based on.

Wade through the tech-talk to visit the garden of possibility!
Living off the Land in Space.It conjures biodomes, algae-growing, 'clean' fuels, and a 1970s Original Star Trek view of the infinately hospitable worlds out in the black yonder for us to exploit - er, I meant explore...

Really, how often did you see Kirk in an enviro-suit and oxygen mask whilst cannodling on the surface of Virgos V?

Now, back to the book -

To my slight disappointment, however, there is much more technological discussion, and much less fantastical futuristic musings.Oh well.

Strangely, despite my lack of techie impulses, once I resigned myself to a bit of a slog through the 'hard' side, I did find myself intrigued by the reasoned discussion of various propulsion systems (chem-fuel, ramjets, magnetic-electric tethers, solar sails, ion! drives and more), an explication of the really really really unimaginably vast distances of SPACE (as in roughly 7,000 years - years! worth of travel (at our best modern rates) to reach Alpha Centauri - our nearest stellar neighbor), and a strange little inserted list explaining the levels that ideas, theories, and prototypes all go through before floating off towards our planetary neighbors, handily illustrated by even more interesting types of hardware that most people don't know we're developing.

The book (freely admitted both at beginning and end) is a bit dated, which is both good and bad.Good, because that means that our current levels of space interest are high enough to make this book outdated by the time it hits the presses; bad in that even the casual reader can smile sadly when he comments on the Japanese mission probe "which will return with asteroid samples in June of 2007"... or not.

Lastly, the neo-hippy vibe of the title does not carry through the book.The exact idea - utilizing resources from space or from our various destinations - is the focus of the book.But - the reason for that focus seems more economic than environmental.There are myriad explanations throughout on the relative efficiency of newer (or less explored) travel options, but not many comments on the lessened environmental impact.And, in a staggering sense of cross-purpose, please note the many casual suggestions about mining the moon and Mars - although not, he does allow, if there is native life.

This juxtaposition was the only real sour note in the book, which was ultimately an entertaining romp through the technologies and theories which will get us into space. ... Read more

Product Description
This guide is based on contemporary information from astronomers around the world, and space probes around the galaxy. It contains illustrations of exploding stars and how black holes are formed, star maps so the reader can navigate the night sky, and recommended internet links. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A most educational resource for budding astronomers
The collaborative effort of Lisa Miles and Alastair Smith under the editorship of Judy Tatchell, The Usborne Internet-Linked Book Of Astronomy & Space is an exciting look into the wonders of the galaxy for young readers. Each page is filled with facts about heavenly bodies, spectacular full-color illustrations, and thematically appropriate reference website addresses on the World Wide Web that young people can access in order to learn more about the objects and mysteries of the cosmos. A most educational and enjoyable resource for budding astronomers, The Usborne Internet-Linked Book Of Astronomy & Space is ideal for personal, school, and community library collections. ... Read more

Product Description

This book is about using an 80mm refractor / 90mm Maksutov (such as a Helios 80 or Meade ETX90) as more than a "quick look" instrument, but rather something capable of use as an introduction to scientific observations. Emphasis is on measurement and discovery activities rather than on casual observing. There are two objectives to these activities: to re-enact the process of discovery and to provide amateur observers with the knowledge and skill that will help them make genuine contributions to the field of astronomy.

It is often said that users of small telescopes can conduct worthwhile scientific work, but ‘how’ is seldom explained except in the context of observations carried out by the most advanced amateur astronomers. This book provides the necessary introduction – derived from the author’s many year of experience in teaching the subject – that will be the starting point for serious work.

Users will find many activities and projects suitable for an 80mm refractor or 90mm reflector or Maksutov that have not been published elsewhere.

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Customer Reviews (1)

Glorious Presentation of the Subject
The inside of the book matches the breathtaking cover - a closeup of one quadrant of Saturn with the rings, seemingly hanging in space.It is over-sized, filled with illustrations, photographs and charts that work in harmony with the exquisite prose.

Trefil reveals his subjects through the use of two scales - the first being a chronological one and the second scale one of size (from largest to small)We begin with mankind's attempts to understand the heavens and our increasing knowledge of the cosmos.In order we are presented with superb coverages of galaxies, the Solar Sytems and finally Earth.After that he asks provocatively, "Are We Alone" and devotes an entire to the subject, introducting readers to the famous Drake formula used in determining the chance of extraterrestrial civilizations.

A discussion of time is followed by more intriguing chapters on the future of astronomy and mankind's role in space.A unique contribution that traces matter from the Big Bang to the quantum level preceds a final chapter on "Unsolved Problems".This is a book for the ages, one that I purchased years ago at the Smithsonian and have read, browsed and studied for years. ... Read more

Product Description
This book provides a comprehensive treatment of dynamics of space systems, starting with the fundamentals and covering topics from basic kinematics and dynamics to more advanced celestial mechanics. All material is presented in a consistent manner, and the reader is guided through the various derivations and proofs in a tutorial way. Cookbook formulas are avoided; instead, the reader is led to understand the principles underlying the equations at issue, and shown how to apply them to various dynamical systems. The book is divided into two parts. Part I covers analytical treatment of topics such as basic dynamic principles up to advanced energy concepts. Special attention is paid to the use of rotating reference frames that often occur in aerospace systems. Part II covers basic celestial mechanics, treating the two-body problem, restricted three-body problem, gravity field modeling, perturbation methods, spacecraft formation flying, and orbit transfers. MATLAB[registered], Mathematica[registered] and C-Code toolboxes are provided for the rigid body kinematics routines discussed in chapter 3, and the basic orbital 2-body orbital mechanics routines discussed in chapter 9.A solutions manual is also available for professors. MATLAB[registered] is a registered trademark of The Math Works, Inc.; Mathematica[registered] is a registered trademark of Wolfram Research, Inc. ... Read more