Space science Books

Book SynopsisNow in paperback, the life story of a world-famous astronaut who was a trailblazer for women and is a role model today. Eileen Collins was an aviation pioneer her entire career, from her crowning achievements as the first woman to command an American space mission as well as the first to pilot the space shuttle to her early years as one of the Air Force’s first female pilots. She was in the first class of women to earn pilot’s wings at Vance Air Force Base and was their first female instructor pilot. She was only the second woman pilot admitted to the Air Force’s elite Test Pilot Program at Edwards Air Force Base. NASA had such confidence in her skills as a leader and pilot that she was entrusted to command the first shuttle mission after the Columbia disaster, returning the US to spaceflight after a two-year hiatus. Since retiring from the Air Force and NASA, she has served on numerous corporate boards and is an inspirational speaker about space exploration and leadership. Eileen Collins is among the most recognized and admired women in the world, yet this is the first time she has told her story in a book. It is a story not only of achievement and overcoming obstacles but of profound personal transformation. The shy, quiet child of an alcoholic father and struggling single mother, who grew up in modest circumstances and was an unremarkable student, she had few prospects when she graduated from high school, but she changed her life to pursue her secret dream of becoming an astronaut. She shares her leadership and life lessons throughout the book with the aim of inspiring and passing on her legacy to a new generation.Trade Review"One of the essential astronaut autobiographies."—National Space Society"Well worth waiting for . . . She became famous for breaking the glass ceilings of the book’s title by being the first woman to be a shuttle pilot and a commander, but her accounts of the missions themselves are fascinating as well."—Space Review“Given the chance, I would long ponder trading places with Eileen Collins. Her book with Jonathan Ward is a grand collection of simple, yet sensational moments she experienced—in Outer Space!—and in much that led to her getting there. What a read!"—Tom Hanks“I wrote the song ‘Beyond the Sky’ and sang it at Cape Canaveral for Eileen Collins’s maiden command voyage: ‘Once there was a girl with a dream in her heart, wild as the wind was her hope.’ This woman with the dream has turned into a serious heroine of the centuries who has taken her place among other men and women in the startling adventure of circling the Earth and leaving it behind. You will love her book: it is exciting, personal, detailed, a good thriller, suspenseful as a Stephen King mystery, and full of hope—that rare quality we all search for. Yeehaw, Commander Collins! What a life you have led and what a tale you have told! Brava!”—Judy Collins, singer, songwriter, author"Eileen Collins is a living legend and an inspiration to young people all over the world. We both began our journeys in Elmira, NY, with dreams of doing something extraordinary. Nurturing a dream is rarely ever easy, and Eileen certainly didn’t have a clear path to pursuing hers. Despite being met with challenges at every step, she was tenacious in chasing her ambition of becoming an astronaut—one who would go on to make history as the first female pilot and commander of an American space shuttle. When you come across a story of such determination, it is a reminder that once you set your mind to something, even the sky is not the limit.”—Tommy Hilfiger“I hope that a young explorer who reads Eileen’s book will be inspired to become the first human on Mars. Eileen proves that there is no limit to what we can do if we stay true to our goals and keep moving forward.”—Buzz Aldrin“Eileen is living proof to youngsters and young ladies that you can do anything you want to do with your life.”—Wally Funk, Mercury 13 pilot“Eileen Collins and I trained for the shuttle together, flew jets together, and waited together for that first chance to rocket into space. In Through the Glass Ceiling, Eileen tells the inspiring story of how she rose through hard work and determination to become a rare exemplar of the ‘right stuff,’ leading her crews to success in orbit and commanding the first shuttle launch after the Columbia disaster. Read, be amazed, then get this book into the hands of young explorers.”—Thomas D. Jones, astronaut and author of Skywalking“Reading Eileen’s story will not only help you get to know this extraordinary woman (mother, wife, survivor, USAF colonel, mathematician, professor, astronaut), but I bet it will help you think about facing life’s challenges with a greater sense of strength and determination. She is an inspiration.”—Gwynne Shotwell, president and COO, SpaceX “This book is endlessly inspiring!Eileen Collins is a trailblazer not only of space but of life. Her story of overcoming adversity to achieve her dream of flying in space will make your spirit soar.”—Andrew Chaikin, author of A Man on the Moon: The Voyages of the Apollo Astronauts“In the dark days in the aftermath of the Columbia tragedy, we looked no further than Eileen Collins to lead us down the long road with the Return to Flight crew to help NASA and the nation believe in ourselves again and resume the human quest to explore. This new book, with the help of master storyteller Jonathan Ward, captures Eileen’s thoughtful reflections and compelling story, which serves to inspire us all to reach our greatest potential.” —Sean O’Keefe, NASA Administrator, 2001–2005“As the commander of first space shuttle flight after the loss of Columbia, Eileen Collins lived, worked, and led her crew through a critical phase of history. How she got there is a story as interesting as the events themselves, one that is as inspirational as any in the pantheon of American aerospace heroes. This book takes you inside the life and times of one of NASA’s—America’s—best.”—Michael Griffin, NASA Administrator, 2005–2009“Exciting, motivating, and inspirational are only a few words to describe this story of Eileen Collins and her incredible journey to space. Her tenacity, resilience and persistence come through with each chapter.”—Charlie Bolden, Major General, USMC, Retired, former astronaut, former NASA Administrator, 2009–2017“Eileen Collins has finally written the book people have been asking for. Growing up on welfare in a fractured family, Eileen's chance to live her own life took form in her long-held love of airplanes; her deep love of flying comes across on every page. Despite numerous obstacles in her path, she turned setbacks into advantages. We're with her in the pilot’s seat from page one. This inspiring book takes you into the challenges, the risks, the rewards—the heart of what it took to be first.”—Francis French, space historian; former Director of Events, Sally Ride Science"Eileen Collins is an unsung American hero. Her memoir should be ‘must reading’ for all young girls and boys in school, and indeed for every aspiring student at all levels. She has been a pioneer in everything she tried. The fact that NASA named Eileen as pilot on her first space shuttle flight tells you everything about the trust and confidence she inspires. I have had the honor of working with Eileen in her post-astronaut activities on several boards as well as the White House’s National Space Council. That same trust and confidence, combined with just being a natural leader who cares for people, are evident everywhere.”—General Lester L. Lyles, United States Air Force, retired, former Air Force Vice Chief of Staff, and Chairman NASA Advisory Council

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Book SynopsisThe astronomer’s observing chair as both image and object, and the story it tells about a particular kind of science and a particular view of history.The astronomer’s chair is a leitmotif in the history of astronomy, appearing in hundreds of drawings, prints, and photographs from a variety of sources. Nineteenth-century stargazers in particular seemed eager to display their observing chairs—task-specific, often mechanically adjustable observatory furniture designed for use in conjunction with telescopes. But what message did they mean to send with these images? In The Astronomer’s Chair, Omar W. Nasim considers these specialized chairs as both image and object, offering an original framework for linking visual and material cultures. Observing chairs, Nasim ingeniously argues, showcased and embodied forms of scientific labor, personae, and bodily practice that appealed to bourgeois sensibilities.  Viewing image and object as con

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Book SynopsisThe remarkable story of how humankind discovered gravitational waves, chronicled with unparalleled historical and scientific vision.In 2016, the LIGO and Virgo Collaborations made headlines when they announced the detection of gravitational waves—a century after Albert Einstein first predicted their existence with his general theory of relativity. With unprecedented perspective as physicists at the forefront of this discovery, Mario Díaz, Gabriela González, and Jorge Pullin provide a comprehensive and accessible account of the quest to find gravitational waves, their controversial history, and the efforts that culminated with their detection and a Nobel Prize in Physics.The Sounds of the Cosmos vividly narrates contributions from the ancient Greeks through Einstein, in addition to the breakthroughs of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, including the discovery of the Hulse-Taylor binary star system (the first of its kind ever

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsAcknowledgmentsIntroduction Chapter 1. US Industry, the Cold War, and the Development of Satellite CommunicationsChapter 2. The Kennedy Administration and the Communications Satellite Act of 1962Chapter 3. Global Satellite Communications and the 1963 International Telecommunication Union Space Radio ConferenceChapter 4. Organizing the First Global Satellite Communications SystemConclusionNotesIndex

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Book Synopsis'An astronomical Sherlock Holmes' WASHINGTON POST'Visionary' STEPHEN GREENBLATT'Compelling . . . The book is not so much a claim for one object as an argument for a more open-minded approach to science - a combination of humility and wonder' NEW STATESMAN</font>Harvard's top astronomer takes us inside the mind-blowing story of the first interstellar visitor to our solar system In late 2017, scientists at a Hawaiian observatory glimpsed a strange object soaring through our inner solar system. Astrophysicist Avi Loeb conclusively showed it was not an asteroid; it was moving too fast along a strange orbit, and leaving no trail of gas or debris in its wake. There was only one conceivable explanation: the object was a piece of advanced technology created by a distant alien civilization. In Extraterrestrial, Loeb takes readers inside the thrilling story of the first interstellar visitor to be spotted in our solar system. He outlines his theory and its profound implications: for science, for religion, and for the future of our planet. A mind-bending journey through the furthest reaches of science, space-time, and the human imagination, Extraterrestrial challenges readers to aim for the stars-and to think critically about what's out there, no matter how strange it seems.Trade ReviewI have a lot of time for Loeb. He has a joy in conjecture and an omnivorous spirit of inquiry that are more reminiscent of 20th-century thinkers such as Freeman Dyson or Carl Sagan than most of his peers. His readiness to stake his reputation on such an unconventional hypothesis is a mark of uncommon bravery . . . [Carl] Sagan would have liked this book -- Oliver Moody * The Times *Compelling . . . The book is not so much a claim for one object as an argument for a more open-minded approach to science - a combination of humility and wonder * New Statesman *An astronomical Sherlock Holmes . . . You don't have to share his conviction to be impressed by the breadth of his argument * Washington Post *In this passionately argued, visionary book, astrophysicist Avi Loeb urges us to abandon the arrogant fantasy that we are the only sentient life form in the universe. The clues are fascinating, and still more are Loeb's arguments for what they might reveal to us about our own brilliant, blinkered, and quite possibly doomed civilization -- STEPHEN GREENBLATT, Pulitzer prize-winning author of THE SWERVEA serious scientist makes a serious argument for the hypothesis that our solar system was visited by an object from an extraterrestrial civilization. Is the hypothesis right? Who knows. But let's try to find out! -- ERIC MASKIN, Nobel laureate in EconomicsIt's good to be sceptical of audacious ideas. But it's also important to be open to audacious possibilities. Loeb's sumptuously written book will provoke you to think about the possibility of intelligent life elsewhere in the universe in new and stimulating ways -- SEAN CARROLLAn exciting and eloquent case that we might have seen a sign of intelligent life near Earth - and that we should search further. World-renowned scientist and innovative thinker, Avi Loeb opens your mind to some of the most important questions facing us as humans: scientific curiosity is key to our future success -- ANNE WOJCICKI, CEO and co-founder, 23andMeA provocative and thrilling account of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence . . . Professor Loeb asks us to think big and to expect the unexpected -- ALAN LIGHTMAN, author of EINSTEIN'S DREAMSOne of the more imaginative and articulate scientists around . . . half memoir, half soaring monologue * New Yorker *A persuasive scientific argument about 'Oumuamua's otherworldly origins, and delves into why his peers have been so hostile to the idea of life outside of Earth * New York Magazine *In publishing his theory, Loeb has certainly risked (and suffered) ridicule . . . Still, it's thrilling to imagine the possibilities * New Yorker *Have aliens ever been to our solar system? A quick trawl of the internet will reveal any number of people who think that they have, but when the suggestion comes from a distinguished Harvard astrophysicist, maybe it's time to sit up and take notice -- 4-star review * Mail on Sunday *He may or may not be right about 'Oumuamua. But that hardly seems to make much difference to what is ultimately the main thesis of his book . . . Mr Loeb is surely correct that scientists studying the vastness of the cosmos should entertain risky ideas more often, for the universe is undoubtedly more wild and unexpected than any extremes conjured by the human imagination. * The Economist *Fascinating and very accessible . . . certainly very well worth a read * Church of England Newspaper *

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Book SynopsisIt is now known that we live in a galaxy with more planets than stars. The Milky Way alone encompasses 30 trillion potential home planets. Scientists, Trefil and Summers, bring readers on a marvellous experimental voyage through the possibilities of life - unlike anything we have experienced so far - that could exist on planets outside our own solar system.Life could be out there in many forms: on frozen worlds, living in liquid oceans beneath ice and communicating (and even battling) with bubbles; on super-dense planets, where they would have evolved body types capable of dealing with extreme gravity; on tidally locked planets with one side turned eternally toward a star and, even, on "rogue worlds" which have no star at all. Yet this is no fictional flight of fancy: the authors take what we know about exoplanets and life on our own world and use that data to hypothesise about how, where and which sorts of life might develop. IMAGINED LIFE is a must-have for anyone wanting to learn how the realities of our universe may turn out to be far stranger than fiction.

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Book SynopsisDesigning a habitat for the lunar surface? You will need to know more than structural engineering. There are the effects of meteoroids, radiation, and low gravity. Then there are the psychological and psychosocial aspects of living in close quarters, in a dangerous environment, far away from home. All these must be considered when the habitat is sized, materials specified, and structure designed.This book provides an overview of various concepts for lunar habitats and structural designs and characterizes the lunar environment - the technical and the nontechnical. The designs take into consideration psychological comfort, structural strength against seismic and thermal activity, as well as internal pressurization and 1/6 g. Also discussed are micrometeoroid modeling, risk and redundancy as well as probability and reliability, with an introduction to analytical tools that can be useful in modeling uncertainties.Trade Review“The book covers concepts and designs of structures and habitats on the Moon in detail … . Studying the book will give the reader a deep insight into all the technical, physiological and psychological problems and lets him establish the odds for the realization of a successful global 'Moon Village' vison. … The detailed references and registers, including all relevant interviews and quotations at the end of each chapter provide pointers to a whole universe of additional information.” (Joachim J. Kehr, Journal of Space Operations & Communicator, Vol. 15 (3), April, 2018)Table of ContentsAcknowledgements.- Dedication.- About the Author- Preface.- Chapter 1: Thoughts on the Moon.- Chapter 2: Overview and context.- Chapter 3: The lunar environment.- Chapter 4: Structures.- Chapter 5: Habitat studies.- Chapter 6: Lunar-based astronomy.- Chapter 7: Materials and ISRU.- Chapter 8: Structural design of a lunar habitat.- Chapter 9: Thermal design.- Chapter 10: Preliminary probability theory.- Chapter 11: Reliability and damage.- Chapter 12: Airplanes, redundancy and lunar habitats.- Chapter 13: Advanced methodologies.- Chapter 14: Concluding thoughts.- Index.

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Book SynopsisA general history of international space relations and an insider perspective on future trends.

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Book SynopsisHe explores the growth of a political economy of technology in both the Soviet Union and the United States.Trade ReviewExhaustively researched, brilliantly conceived, and beautifully written. New York Times Book Review A lucid and comprehensive political history of the American, European, and Russian space programs. New Scientist Once every decade or so, a book comes along that stands by itself as a remarkable contribution to the literature of a field. Such a work is Walter A. McDougall's ... the Heavens and the Earth. Technology and Culture [A] boldly conceived, elegantly written, and unfailingly provocative history of the new age of space. Science This highly acclaimed study approaches the space race as a problem in comparative public policy. The Astronomical Society of the Pacific [An] immensely readable and elegant book. Bulletin of the Atomic ScientistsTable of ContentsIllustrationsAbbreviations used in TextPreface to the Johns Hopkins EditionPrefaceIntroductionPart I. The Genesis of Sputnik1. The HUman Seed and Social Soil: Rocketry and Revolution2. Political Rains and First Fruit: The Cold War and SputnikConclusionPart II. Modern Arms and Free Men: America Before Sputnik3. Bashful Behemoth: Technology, the State, and the Birth of Deterrence4. While Waiting for Technology: The ICBM and the First American Space Program5. The Satellite DecisionConclusionPart III. Vanguard and Rearguard: Eisenhower and the Setting of American Space Policy6. "A New Era of History" and a Media Riot7. The Birth of NASA8. A Space Strategy for the United States9. Sparrow in the Falcon's Nest10. The Shape of Things to ComeConclusionPart IV: Parabolic Ballad: Khrushchev and the Setting of Soviet Space Policy11. Party Line12. The Missle Bluff13. Hammers or Sickles in Space?14. Space Age Communism: The Khrushchevian SynthesisConclusionPart V: Kennedy, Johnson, and the Technocratic Temptation15. Destination Moon16. Hooded Falcons: Space Technology and Assured Destruction17. Benign Hypocrisy: American Space Diplomacy18. Big Operator: James Webb's Space Age America19. Second ThoughtsConclusionPart VI. The Heavens and the Earth: The First Twenty-five Years20. Voyages to Tsiolkovskia21. The Quest for a G.O.D.22. A Fire in the SunAppendixAbbreviations used in NotesNotesIndex

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Book SynopsisAlan Stern and David Grinspoon take us behind the scenes of the science, politics, egos and public expectations that fueled the greatest space mission of our time: New Horizons’ mission to Pluto.

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Book SynopsisLaika began her life as a stray dog on the streets of Moscow and died in 1957 aboard the Soviet satellite Sputnik II. Initially the USSR reported that Laika, the first animal to orbit the earth, had survived in space for seven days, providing valuable data that would make future manned space flight possible. People believed that Laika died a painless death as her oxygen ran out. Only in recent decades has the real story become public: Laika died after only a few hours in orbit when her capsule overheated. Laika’s Window positions Laika as a long overdue hero for leading the way to human space exploration. Kurt Caswell examines Laika’s life and death and the speculation surrounding both. Profiling the scientists behind Sputnik II, he studies the political climate driven by the Cold War and the Space Race that expedited the satellite’s development. Through this intimate portrait of Laika, we begin to understand what the dog experienced in the days and hours before the launch, what she likely experienced during her last moments, and what her flight means to history and to humanity. While a few of the other space dog flights rival Laika’s in endurance and technological advancements, Caswell argues that Laika’s flight serves as a tipping point in space exploration “beyond which the dream of exploring nearby and distant planets opened into a kind of fever from which humanity has never recovered.” Examining the depth of human empathy—what we are willing to risk and sacrifice in the name of scientific achievement and our exploration of the cosmos, and how politics and marketing can influence it—Laika’s Windowis also about our search to overcome loneliness and the role animals play in our drive to look far beyond the earth for answers.Trade Review"Sputnik 2 was a 'tipping point' for space exploration, but Laika’s treatment was undeniably cruel. The book is meant as a testament to her experience." — Scientific American"There’s something here for readers with a wide range of interests, from space history buffs to humanities majors." — National Space Society“Caswell celebrates humankind’s need to reach the stars and the little dog who helped make it possible.” — Booklist"A powerful book about the first animal to orbit the earth. Caswell traces Laika’s short life in space, the speculation surrounding her death, the impact of her journey on human exploration, and the political implications of the experiment.” — BOMB Magazine“Laika's Window is a compassionate exploration of the first animal to orbit the Earth, a little dog named Laika, who was deliberately sent to her death.” — Shelf Awareness"A remarkable and haunting story....a moving tribute to the mutually beneficial bond between man and dog." — Publishers WeeklyKurt Caswell’s detailed, deeply felt biography, Laika’s Window, covers not just the most famous dog of the century but also her context. Brevity "a wide-ranging book with the famous Laika at the center." — The Key Reporter, Phi Beta Kappa Society"This book is a rich bricolage of fact and metanarrative... Caswell doesn’t let the reader off the hook with a simplistic and unknowing dog’s final view of the world. Rather, through this beautiful, thoughtful exploration of the 'Muttnick' refugee from Moscow’s cold streets and her journey to the edge of space, we’re offered an opportunity to take the measure of our own humanity." — Lone Star Literary"Caswell, captures this mysterious, sad and haunting tale from the early days of the Space Age." — Oregon Public Radio“Kurt Caswell’s empathetic history of the Soviet space dog Laika, the first animal to orbit Earth, is engaging, well researched, and provocative. Scientists gaze through the space capsule’s small window at the dog before liftoff; later the pioneering dog gazes through the same window, watching the planet Earth pass silently below. What is interspecies cooperation? the author asks. What does it mean to explore? Where are we headed?” — Barry Lopez, author of Arctic Dreams: Imagination and Desire in a Northern Landscape"Caswell positions Laika as an animal astronaut rather than a lab animal and showcases the bond between Laika and the Soviet space scientists, redefining the story of Laika and the space dogs, the pioneers of all our space endeavors.” — Chris Dubbs, author of Animals in Space: From Research Rockets to the Space Shuttle"Brilliant, original, and heartbreaking, Laika’s Window takes us on a journey into the fascinating history of animals and humans in space travel and, beyond that, into the nature of our own loneliness as creatures, both here on earth and out in the vastness of the cosmos. Caswell’s tender consideration of Laika and her life is infectious, and I found myself just as invested in this little being that had been shot into space so many years ago. I won’t forget this powerful book, which brings us one step closer to making sense of our place in the universe.” — Taylor Larsen, author of Stranger, Father, Beloved“Laika’s Window is a magnificent account of one of the world’s most famously tragic dogs. Combining meticulous scholarship of the Cold War era, profound sociopolitical analysis, unerring literary skill, and—the book’s great surprise—some of the most heartrending, haunting reflections ever written on the relations between canines and humans, Kurt Caswell’s masterwork shot an arrow through my dog-loving heart yet left me nothing but grateful for the experience. This is a mesmerizing tale by a writer as sensitive and heartful as he is brilliant.”— David James Duncan, author of The Brothers K and The River Why“In the story of Laika the space dog, Kurt Caswell vividly shows how that famous flight was, in Muir’s words, ‘hitched to everything else in the universe,’ including the ethical treatment of animals, the Cold War, and the vastness of space exploration.” — David Gessner, author of All the Wild That Remains: Edward Abbey, Wallace Stegner, and the American West“Poignant, lyrical, and sometimes heartbreaking, Laika’s Window excavates a vital moment in human history with equal parts compassion and intelligence. Caswell’s impressive research and deft prose make it impossible to resist falling head-over-heels for the affable and unwitting Mutnik who forever changed our place in the solar system.” — Kathryn Miles, author of Quakeland: On the Road to America’s Next Devastating Earthquake

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Book SynopsisNeutron stars are gold mines for the study of nuclear systems under extreme conditions of density and isospin asymmetry. Spanning many orders of magnitude in density and pressure, neutron stars display exotic phases that cannot be realised under normal laboratory conditions. Whereas the most common perception of a neutron star is that of a uniform system of neutrons packed to densities that may exceed that of normal nuclei, the reality is far more complex and much more interesting. To illustrate this more exciting reality, the editors of this book contacted leaders in the field of neutron-star physics with expertise ranging from nuclear structure to stellar dynamics. They asked each expert to communicate the successes of the past and the challenges of the future in a way that will continue to foster dialogue and promote collaborations between the astrophysics and the nuclear physics communities.

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Book SynopsisAn astrophysicist presents an in-depth yet accessible tour of the universe for lay readers, while conveying the excitement of astronomy.How is a galaxy billions of lightyears away connected to us? Is our home nothing more than a tiny speck of blue in an ocean of night? In this exciting tour of a universe far larger than we can imagine, cosmologist Paul M. Sutter emphasizes how amazing it is that we are part of such a huge, complex, and mysterious place. Through metaphors and uncomplicated language, Sutter breathes life into the science of astrophysics, unveiling how particles, forces, and fields interplay to create the greatest of cosmic dramas. Touched with the author's characteristic breezy, conversational style--which has made him a breakout hit on venues such as The Weather Channel, the Science Channel, and his own popular Ask a Spaceman! podcast--he conveys the fun and wonder of delving deeply into the physical processes of the natural universe. He weaves together the past and future histories of our universe with grounded descriptions of essential modern-day physics as well as speculations based on the latest research in cosmology. Topics include our place in the Milky Way galaxy; the cosmic web--a vast web-like pattern in which galaxies are arranged; the origins of our universe in the big bang; the mysteries of dark matter and dark energy; how science has dramatically changed our relationship to the cosmos; conjectures about the future of reality as we know it; and more.For anyone who has ever stared at the starry night sky and wondered how we humans on Earth fit into the big picture, this book is an essential roadmap.Trade Review""This excellent resource celebrates the wonders of space. Sutter's brisk, often humorous writing and gift for clear explanations make this the perfect choice for readers looking to understand the universe on scales both human and cosmic.”—Publishers Weekly STARRED Review“Never before has the story of the universe been so accessible. Paul M. Sutter's Your Place in the Universe brings the cosmos down to earth and shows that you don't have to be an astrophysicist to enjoy the wonder of it all.” —Tariq Malik, managing editor, Space.com“Sutter always does a fantastic job of explaining the most complicated concepts and discoveries in an easily understandable way. He's the perfect guide to help you find your place in the universe.” —Fraser Cain, publisher of Universe Today“Imagine sitting around a campfire with an astrophysicist who doesn't just recount the history of cosmology, but also answers your questions. He puts them in context, and he is always understandable and never condescending. This is a wonderful read for those who are curious about big ideas—it's definitely not your daddy's intro astronomy book.” —Seth Shostak, senior astronomer, SETI Institute“What a marvelous book! Sutter delights in hosing down the gory details of our inscrutable, existential place in the universe. Using pithy humor, inspired analogies, and a turbo turn of phrase, he deftly deconstructs the inner workings of everything from dark energy and black holes to stellar evolution and ultimate cosmological fate. His articulate, unorthodox style will have you smiling blithely all the way to the heat death of the universe.” —Jeff Kanipe, author of The Cosmic Connection: How Astronomical Events Impact Life on Earth

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Book SynopsisWhen Ronald Reagan was elected in 1980, limits on NASA funding and the lack of direction under the Nixon and Carter administrations had left the U.S. space program at a crossroads. In contrast to his predecessors, Reagan saw outer space as humanity’s final frontier and as an opportunity for global leadership. His optimism and belief in American exceptionalism guided a decade of U.S. activities in space, including bringing the space shuttle into operation, dealing with the 1986 Challenger accident and its aftermath, committing to a permanently crewed space station, encouraging private sector space efforts, and fostering international space partnerships with both U.S. allies and with the Soviet Union. Drawing from a trove of declassified primary source materials and oral history interviews, John M. Logsdon provides the first comprehensive account of Reagan’s civilian and commercial space policies during his eight years in the White House. Even as a fiscal conservative who was hesitant to increase NASA’s budget, Reagan’s enthusiasm for the space program made him perhaps the most pro-space president in American history.Trade Review“John Logsdon’s Ronald Reagan and the Space Frontier is a foundational work that should be consulted by anyone who wishes to delve deeply into NASA history and civil space policy in the 1980s. … it will be an essential work for professional historians and political scientists interested in late 20th-century presidential space decision-making.” (Michael J. Neufeld, Quest, Vol. 27 (1), 2020)“This volume is a tutorial on the leadership and legacy of Reagan’s space interests, details that should be instructive to all those in the space community eager to fathom today’s presidential pronouncements about America’s space agenda.this new book from Logsdon adds to the author’s legacy of space policy observations.” (Leonard David, Leonard David's Inside Outer Space, leonarddavid.com, May 29, 2019)Table of Contents

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Book SynopsisA detailed history of the American Space Shuttle Program from an award-winning NASA insider!

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Book SynopsisIn the era of technological advancement astronomers want to build the most powerful telescope ever, to see back to before the first stars and galaxies formed.Table of ContentsIntroduction - Discovery of Radio Waves; Astronomy in SA; The basics of radio astronomy; KAT-7 and MeerKAT; An African SKA; Challenges; An African telescope array; Benefits; SKA science and technology.

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Book SynopsisThis book details current international collaborations in space exploration and outlines a path for inclusion of private sector space missions.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents an overview of NASAs past operations and provides detailed accounts of some current missions and how they will form the future of space exploration.

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Book SynopsisHuman spaceflight at NASA began in the 1960s with the Mercury and Gemini programs leading up to the Apollo moon landings. After the last lunar landing, Apollo 17, in 1972, NASA shifted its attention to low earth orbit operations with human spaceflight efforts that included the Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs through the remainder of the 20th century. Exploration of our solar system has brought great knowledge to our Nations scientific and engineering community over the past several decades. As we expand our visions to explore new, more challenging destinations, we must also expand our technology base to support these new missions. NASAs Space Technology Mission Directorate is tasked with developing these technologies for future mission infusion and continues to seek answers to many existing technology gaps.

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Book SynopsisThe Earths Beginning are lectures which were delivered in the Royal Institution of Great Britain. It considers the majestic subject of the evolution of the solar system of which our earth forms a part. The nebular theory discloses the beginning of this earth itself. It shows how the foundations of this solid earth have been laid, and how it is that we have land to tread on and air to breathe. But the subject has a scope far wider than merely in its relation to our earth.

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Book SynopsisNASA is undertaking a trio of closely related programs to continue human space exploration beyond low-Earth orbit. All three programs (SLS, Orion, and supporting ground systems) are working toward a launch readiness date of June 2020 for the first mission as reported in chapters 1 and 2. Chapter 3 reports on the development of a structural health monitoring (SHM) system for Space Launch System (SLS) vehicles based on acoustic emission (AE) or AE-like signals. Such a system will enhance SLS reliability by identifying the damage locations and type of damage when the damage is initiated. This SHM system would also lead to reduced maintenance costs by enabling ground support equipment to inspect only SLS elements or parts that are likely to be damaged. Preserving key U.S. national security and economic interests depends on the continued and widespread use of space-based systems. Satellites are as essential to military and intelligence operations as fighters, warships, and combat vehicles. Major portions of the global economy now rely on space systems; they facilitate modern banking, communications, agriculture, transportation, as well as a host of other commercial and civil activities as discussed in chapter 4. Chapter 5 provides background on the International Space Station (ISS), its governing international agreements, its planned service life, the ongoing commercialization of U.S. ISS access, and current commercial use of the ISS. Chapter 6 provides information on the James Webb Space Telescope, the cost cap, and the independent review. Congress may choose to approve, reject, or modify the FY2020 President's budget request for National Security Space (NSS), which includes $14.1 billion for space launches, satellites, and other activities as reviewed in chapter 7. Congress has encouraged the growth of commercial space activities by requiring federal agencies to use private launch services and establishing offices to oversee commercial activity. As discussed in chapter 8 expanded commercial space activity has brought increasing attention to the use of U.S. airspace.Table of ContentsPreface; NASA: Actions Needed to Improve the Management of Human Spaceflight Programs; NASA Human Space Exploration: Persistent Delays and Cost Growth Reinforce Concerns over Management of Programs; Acoustic Emission-Based Health Monitoring of Space Launch System Structures; Challenges to the United States in Space; The International Space Station (ISS) and the Administrations Proposal to End Direct NASA Funding by 2025; The James Webb Space Telescope; FY2020 National Security Space Budget Request: An Overview; Impact of Commercial Space Launch Activities on Aviation; Index.

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Book SynopsisThis book considers the effects of space conditions on materials, and especially on the electrical and optical properties as well as the structure and fracture of materials for space technology. The chapters are divided into three sections: 1. Electrophysical phenomena in radiation-charged dielectrics; 2. Simulation of the effects of space on materials and spacecraft equipment; 3. Space technology.

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Book SynopsisThe International Space Station (ISS) program began in 1993, with Russia joining the United States, Europe, Japan, and Canada. Crews have occupied ISS on a 4-6 month rotating basis since November 2000. The U.S. Space Shuttle, which first flew in April 1981, has been the major vehicle taking crews and cargo back and forth to ISS, but the shuttle system has encountered difficulties since the Columbia disaster in 2003. Russian Soyuz spacecraft are also used to take crews to and from ISS, and Russian Progress spacecraft deliver cargo, but cannot return anything to Earth, since they are not designed to survive re-entry into the Earth''s atmosphere. A Soyuz is always attached to the station as a lifeboat in case of an emergency. President Bush, prompted in part by the Columbia tragedy, made a major space policy address on January 14, 2004, directing NASA to focus its activities on returning humans to the Moon and someday sending them to Mars. Included in this "Vision for Space Exploration" is a plan to retire the space shuttle in 2010. The President said the United States would fulfil its commitments to its space station partners, and the shuttle Discovery made the first post-Columbia flight to the ISS in July 2006. Shuttle flights have continued and completion of the space station is scheduled before the shuttle is retired in 2010. Meanwhile NASA has begun development of a new crew launch vehicle, named Ares, and a crew exploration vehicle, named Orion. NASA programs were funded for FY2008 in Division B of the Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 110-161). The Space Operations program, which includes the space shuttle and the ISS, was funded at $6.734 billion. For FY2009 NASA requested $5.775 billion for these programs, but in the process revised its budgeting to move its overhead costs to a new account called Cross-Agency Support. Under the new system, the FY2008 Space Operations program would have received $5.526 billion, about $250 million less than the FY2009 request. A FY2009 NASA authorisation bill (H.R. 6063) was introduced May 15, 2008. Among the provisions in the one-year authorisation bill is a "Sense of the Congress" urging co-operation in the Moon/Mars activities with other nations pursuing human space flight.

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Book SynopsisThis book provides information on the planned National Polar-orbiting Operational Environmental Satellite System (NPOESS) program which is expected to be a state-of-the-art, environment-monitoring satellite system which will replace two existing polar-orbiting environmental satellite systems. The NPOESS program is considered critical to the United States'' ability to maintain the continuity of data required for weather forecasting (including severe weather events such as hurricanes) and global climate monitoring through the year 2026. Furthermore, this book evaluates the NPOESS program office''s progress in restructuring the acquisition, evaluates their progress in establishing an effective management structure, and assesses the reliability of the life cycle cost estimate and proposed schedule. This book also identifies the status and key risks facing the program''s major segments and evaluates the adequacy of the program''s efforts to mitigate these risks.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores the significant challenges in sustaining and upgrading The Global Positioning System (GPS). The GPS provides positioning, navigation, and timing data to users world-wide, and has become essential to U.S. national security and a key tool in an expanding array of public service and commercial applications at home and abroad. GPS is integrated into nearly every facet of U.S. military operations, and the number of civil users is increasing. Other countries are now developing their own independent global navigation satellite systems that could offer capabilities that are comparable, if not superior to GPS. The U.S. government, which plans to invest more than $5.8 billion from 2009 through 2013 in the GPS space and ground control segments currently under development, provides GPS service free of charge. The Department of Defense (DoD) develops and operates GPS, and an interdepartmental committee manages the U.S. space-based positioning, navigation and timing infrastructure, which includes GPS. This book looks at the global economic and national security importance of GPS, the ongoing GPS modernisation effort and the international efforts to develop new systems.

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Book SynopsisWith the ongoing miniaturisation of components, the utility of smaller satellites is increasing. Many believe in the near future that small satellites will be able to perform all functions that larger satellites currently perform today. It has been suggested that these satellites will be less expensive, thus offer a lower risk to the consumer in case they fail before their mission design life. This book looks at the ability to build and operate smaller satellites with current technology to perform covert Space Control and Space Situational Awareness missions near geostationary orbit. The investigation determined if space qualified Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) components and current technology could be used to build covert smaller satellites. The largest satellite was sized to be undetectable from earth based sensors. Subsequent CubeSat sizes were selected to determine how small a satellite could be built with COTS components and current technology to perform the assigned missions. A comparative analysis was then performed to determine how these satellites could be cost effectively launched to orbit. A cost estimate was performed to determine the entire life cycle cost for each satellite size excluding launch and integration segments. Using that information, the best satellite size was determined.

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Book SynopsisAstrobiology is the study of the origin, evolution, distribution, and future of life in the universe. This book offers an analysis undertaken from the perspective of science education, to discuss the nature of the particular challenges faced by those seeking to facilitate public education in the field of astrobiology. The authors also address the question of the formation of a protocell and its function at the system level. It will further deal with the environmental pressures likely present on the early Earth, as they would have influenced the lifetime of unstable or reactive components needed for the start of life. In addition, the method of the transition from prebiotic organic microsystems to the primordial communities of prokaryotes is explored. The authors also explain some aspects related to aqueous interfacial processes in the context of prebiotic chemistry under the point of view of our current experimental results. Moreover, there is considerable interest in astrobiology in investigating icy worlds and the microbial forms that thrive in extreme environments, especially under those cold conditions that can provide a model for some extraterrestrial environments. This book reviews the general trends concerning the biodiversity and ecology of psychrophilic microorganisms and their molecular mechanisms of adaptation and evolution, as well as summarise the latest results on this topic in samples from icy environments. Other chapters summarise the morphological signatures of flowing water, the astrobiological potential of the dunes, and the theoretical modelling background of the presence of liquid water on Mars today.

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Book SynopsisThe successful launches of SpaceShipOne raised the possibility of an emerging U.S. commercial space tourism industry that would make human space travel available to the public. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which has responsibility for safety and industry promotion, licenses operations of commercial space launches and launch sites. To allow the industry to grow, Congress prohibited FAA from regulating crew and passenger safety before 2012, except in response to high-risk events. This book evaluates FAA''s safety oversight of commercial space launches, response to emerging issues, and challenges in regulating and promoting space tourism and responding to competitive issues affecting the industry. This book also highlights the federal role in commercial space launches and the government''s response to emerging industry trends, both domestically and internationally. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.

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Book SynopsisThis book presents a wide spectrum of in-depth analysis detailing the U.S. space program including policy, the space stations, the shuttles and space exploration. The "space age" began on October 4th 1957, when the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world''s first artificial satellite. Some U.S. policymakers, concerned about the USSR''s ability to launch a satellite, thought Sputnik might be an indication that the U.S. was trailing behind the USSR in science and technology. The Cold War also led some to perceive the Sputnik launch as a possible precursor to nuclear attack. In response to the "Sputnik moment", the U.S. government undertook several policy actions, including the establishment of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the enhancement of research funding, and reformation of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education policy. Also following the "Sputnik moment", a set of fundamental factors gave "importance, urgency, and inevitability to the advancement of space technology". These four factors, discussed in this book, include the compelling need to explore and discover, national defence, prestige and confidence in the U.S. scientific, technological, industrial and military systems and scientific observation and experimentation to add to our knowledge and understanding of the Earth, solar system, and universe.

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Book SynopsisThis book explores and assesses the future of NASA which is at a critical juncture. The agency is in the midst of phasing out the Space Shuttle program and beginning another major undertaking, the Constellation program - which will create the next generation of spacecraft for human spaceflight and is expected to cost upward of $230 billion. This massive effort, unparalleled since the transition from the Apollo program to the Shuttle program, presents the agency with myriad complex and interdependent challenges. NASA is taking on this endeavour against a backdrop of growing national government fiscal imbalance and budget deficits that continue to strain all federal agencies'' resources. While NASA''s budget represents less than 2 percent of the federal government''s fiscal discretionary budget, the agency is increasingly being asked to expand its portfolio to support important scientific missions including the study of climate change. Therefore, it is exceedingly important that these resources be managed as effectively and efficiently as possible. This book consists of public documents which have been located, gathered, combined, reformatted, and enhanced with a subject index, selectively edited and bound to provide easy access.

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