Recapturing an era when America’s leading space explorers readily accepted risk and made momentous decisions on the fly, this recollection looks back on the history of NASA. Recognizing that the Apollo missions received the glory they deserved, this study claims that it was the program’s predecessor, the Gemini program, that pushed the envelope and made a trip to the moon feasible. Emphasizing the vital elements of operating in space, this record highlights how the Gemini program taught the precise maneuvering, flawless rendezvous and docking efforts, and exceptional landings that were required from orbital flight to ensure success. Reliving a crucial period in astronautical history, this evocation sheds light on the monumental challenges posed by the "hard vacuum of space.”
In spite of the Challenger and Columbia disasters, the US Space Shuttle, which entered service in 1981, remains the most successful spacecraft ever developed. Conceived and designed as a reusable spacecraft to provide cheap access to low Earth orbit, and to supersede expendable launch vehicles, serving as the National Space Transportation System, it now coexists with a new range of commercial rockets. David Harland’s definitive work on the Space Shuttle explains the scientific contribution the Space Shuttle has made to the international space programme, detailing missions to Mir, Hubble and more recently its role in the assembly of the International Space Station. This substantial revision to existing chapters and extension of ‘The Space Shuttle’, following the loss of Columbia, will include a comprehensive account of the run-up to resumption of operations and conclude with a chapter beyond the Shuttle, looking at possible future concepts for a partly or totally reusable space vehicle which are being considered to replace the Shuttle.
This book tells the story of Apollo 11 and dispels the myth that NASA faked the moon landings. The story is brought to life by exploiting the flight plan, mission report, in-flight transcripts (including conversations among the crew in the spacecraft that were not transmitted) and post-flight debriefing. It features scans recently produced by NASA of the original Hasselblad film. The final chapters discuss what was learned of the moon rocks, and reviews the follow-on missions. The author’s impressive expertise and knowledge of the Moon landings shines through and seamlessly unites the myriad details of the mission.
This book provides an overview of the origins of the Apollo program and descriptions of the ground facilities, launch vehicles and spacecraft that were developed in the quest to reach – and return from - the surface of the moon. It will serve as an invaluable single-volume sourcebook for space enthusiasts, space historians, journalists, and others. The text includes a comprehensive collection of tables listing facts and figures for each mission.
Stung by the pioneering space successes of the Soviet Union - in particular, Gagarin being the first man in space, the United States gathered the best of its engineers and set itself the goal of reaching the Moon within a decade. In an expanding 2nd edition of How Apollo Flew to the Moon, David Woods tells the exciting story of how the resulting Apollo flights were conducted by following a virtual flight to the Moon and its exploration of the surface. From launch to splashdown, he hitches a ride in the incredible spaceships that took men to another world, exploring each step of the journey and detailing the enormous range of disciplines, techniques, and procedures the Apollo crews had to master. While describing the tremendous technological accomplishment involved, he adds the human dimension by calling on the testimony of the people who were there at the time. He provides a wealth of fascinating and accessible material: the role of the powerful Saturn V, the reasoning behind trajectories, the day-to-day concerns of human and spacecraft health between two worlds, the exploration of the lunar surface and the sheer daring involved in traveling to the Moon and the mid-twentieth century. Given the tremendous success of the original edition of How Apollo Flew to the Moon, the second edition will have a new chapter on surface activities, inspired by reader's comment on Amazon.com. There will also be additional detail in the existing chapters to incorporate all the feedback from the original edition, and will include larger illustrations.
* Details how a succession of Salyut space stations led to the development of Mir. * Depicts Mir’s assembly piece by piece, in space, between 1982 and 1996. * Describes how Mir became an international research laboratory. * Advises how Mir technology went on to form the ‘core modules’ of the ISS. * The definitive account of Mir throughout its life through to de-orbiting in March 2001.
For the first time, in one volume, Ben Evans with David Harland will not only tell the story of the hugely successful Voyager missions, but also that of the men and women who have devoted their entire working lives to them. Illustrated with stunning images, some in color, they describe the missions from their conception, through their spectacular encounters with the outer planets and on to their ultimate and, as yet, unknown destination among the stars in the so-called Voyager Interstellar Mission
Saturn is back in the news! The Cassini/Huygens spacecraft, a joint venture by NASA and the European Space Agency, is on its way to Saturn, where it will arrive in July 2004. During 2005 it will explore beneath the clouds of Titan, Saturn's largest moon and potential home for extraterrestrial life. Written by an established space historian and experienced author, Mission To Saturn - Cassini and the Huygens Probe is an up-to-date and timely review of our knowledge of Saturn and its enigmatic moon, Titan, on which the Huygens probe will land to search for prebiotic chemistry or even life. It explains how the mission was planned, how it will operate and, as the spacecraft nears its target, puts into context the discoveries that are sure to follow from this once-in-a-lifetime mission.
*Brings the story of the Cassini-Huygens mission and their joint exploration of the Saturnian system right up to date. *Combines a review of previous knowledge of Saturn, its rings and moons, including Titan, with new spacecraft results in one handy volume. *Provides the latest and most spectacular images, which will never have appeared before in book form. *Gives a context to enable the reader to more easily appreciate the stream of discoveries that will be made by the Cassini-Huygens mission. *Tells the exciting story of the Huygens spacecraft’s journey to the surface of Titan.
Provides a comprehensive account of the recent ‘Spirit’ and ‘Opportunity’ Mars Exploration Rover missions. Relates how NASA/ESA have sought evidence of life on Mars, with the prevailing mood sometimes being optimistic and sometimes pessimistic. Details an account of the rationale for the tests for life carried out by the Viking missions in 1976, with an account of the debate over their results. A concise primer for readers wishing to ‘bone up’ when NASA next sends a lander explicitly to seek life on Mars. Discusses the nature of life on Mars in terms of the most primitive forms of life on Earth, and reviews the implications of there being life on both planets.
Distinguished space historian Harland tells an inspiring tale of scientific discovery with two interwoven strands tracing the earths geological history and the Earth in relation to the solar system. 100 illustrations.
In Robotic Exploration of the Solar System, Paolo Ulivi and David Harland provide a comprehensive account of the design and management of deep-space missions, the spacecraft involved – some flown, others not – their instruments, and their scientific results. This fourth volume in the series covers the period 2004 to the present day and features: coverage of the Rosetta and Curiosity missions up to the end of 2013 coverage of Mars missions since 2005, including the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, Phoenix and Fobos-Grunt, plus a description of plans for future robotic exploration of the Red Planet coverage of all planetary missions launched between 2004 and 2013, including the Deep Impact cometary mission, the MESSENGER Mercury orbiter, the New Horizons Pluto flyby and the Juno Jupiter orbiter the first complete description of the Chinese Chang’e 2 asteroid flyby mission ever published extensive coverage of future missions, including the European BepiColombo Mercury orbiter and international plans to revisit the most interesting moons of Jupiter and Saturn.
As the most obvious man-made object in the night sky, clearly visible to the naked eye, the International Space Station is of interest to almost everyone. Richly illustrated with around 100 figures this is the first book to describe the technical aspects of its design and construction and details of its day-to-day operation. The text relates the orbital assembly on a flight-by-flight basis, listing all the experiments in NASA's laboratory and explains their objectives. By offering a comprehensive mix of operational work, microgravity, science and future plans, it will satisfy both the space enthusiast, eager for a detailed review of the missions, and the specialist wishing to learn more about this science programme.
This book tells the story of the four missions to maintain Hubble's successful operation. Between 1997 and 2009 these repaired, serviced and upgraded the instruments on the telescope to maintain its state-of-the-art capabilities. It draws on first hand interviews with those closely involved in the project. The spacewalking skills and experiences gained from maintaining and upgrading Hubble had direct application to the construction of the International Space Station and help with its maintenance. These skills can be applied to future human and robotic satellite servicing and maintenance activities as well, not only in Earth orbit but at locations deeper in space. A companion to this book, The Hubble Space Telescope: From Concept to Success, relates the events of the Telescope’s launch in 1990 and its rough start, after a 20-year struggle to place a large optical telescope in orbit. Originally intended to operate for fifteen years, Hubble has just passed its 25th anniversary, and there is every expectation that it will survive for thirty years. Despite its early problems, the Hubble Space Telescope has become a lasting legacy of the Space Shuttle program, and indeed is a national treasure.
The Space Exploration annuals provide a yearly update on recent space launches, missions and results, to be published every September. The annual covers space exploration from a variety of angles, looking back at past missions, reviewing those currently under way and detailing those planned for the future, and encompassing both manned and unmanned spaceflight. The annual is written at an accessible level for both young and older space enthusiasts to provide a regular, balanced review of all the world’s major space programmes, past, present and future. There is a special additional section in this year’s annual entitled, ‘Return to the Moon’.
The very first book on space systems failures written from an engineering perspective. Focuses on the causes of the failures and discusses how the engineering knowledge base has been enhanced by the lessons learned. Discusses non-fatal anomalies which do not affect the ultimate success of a mission, but which are failures nevertheless. Describes engineering aspects of the spacecraft, making this a valuable complementary reference work to conventional engineering texts.
In July 1969 the ‘amiable strangers’ that made up the crew of the historic Apollo 11 flight successfully achieved the first manned lunar landing. Several months later, three close friends set off on an even more challenging mission. Free of the burden of making history, the Apollo 12 astronauts were determined to really enjoy their experience while taking care of business. This is the story of their mission, told largely in their own words. Their exploits and accomplishments showed how conservative the inaugural mission had been. With its two moonwalks, deployment of the first geophysical station on the Moon, and geological sampling, Apollo 12 did what many had hoped would be achieved by the first men to land on the Moon. The Apollo 12 mission also spectacularly demonstrated the precision landing capability required for success in future lunar surface explorations. In addition to official documents, published prior to and after the mission, APOLLO 12 – ON THE OCEAN OF STORMS draws on the flight transcript and post-mission debriefing to recreate the drama.
In 'Paving the Way for Apollo 11' David Harland explains the lure of the Moon to classical philosophers, astronomers, and geologists, and how NASA set out to investigate the Moon in preparation for a manned lunar landing mission. It focuses particularly on the Lunar Orbiter and Surveyor missions.
In this comprehensive overview of Man’s relationship with his planet’s nearest neighbor, David Harland opens with a review of the robotic probes, namely the Rangers which returned television before crashing into the Moon, the Surveyors which 'soft landed' in order to investigate the nature of the surface, and the Lunar Orbiters which mapped prospective Apollo landing sites. He then outlines the historic landing by Apollo 11 and the final three missions of comprehensive geological investigations. He concludes with a review of the robotic spacecraft that made remote-sensing observations of the Moon. This Commemorative Edition includes a foreword by one of the original astronauts as well as an extra section reviewing the prospect of renewed exploration there. New graphics and images are also included.
In Milestones of Space, Michael Neufeld and select curators of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum present a gorgeous illustrated celebration of the groundbreaking spacecraft that gave humanity its first steps into the cosmos.
Focusing on the Galileo Mission, the story will relate this remarkable spacecraft's protracted gestation and the ordeal of its long haul out to Jupiter and its ultimate triumph: 5 years exploration within the Jovian system. The story spans a full quarter of a century, drawing on the press conferences, technical papers and essays of engineers and scientists involved in the mission which provide a real sense of participation as the discoveries poured in - it will bring the mission of the Galileo spacecraft to life and provide a more engaging account than would simply be achieved by recounting scientific results. The book will conclude with a snapshot "look ahead" into the Cassini flyby of Jupiter in December 2000 shortly after publication - the book released to coincide with this media event.
Resulting from the authors’ deep research into these two pre-Shuttle astronaut groups, many intriguing and untold stories behind the selection process are revealed in the book. The often extraordinary backgrounds and personal ambitions of these skilled pilots, chosen to continue NASA’s exploration and knowledge of the space frontier, are also examined. In April 1966 NASA selected 19 pilot astronauts whose training was specifically targeted to the Apollo lunar landing missions and the Earth-orbiting Skylab space station. Three years later, following the sudden cancellation of the USAF’s highly classified Manned Orbiting Laboratory (MOL) project, seven military astronauts were also co-opted into NASA’s space program. This book represents the final chapter by the authors in the story of American astronaut selections prior to the era of the Space Shuttle. Through personal interviews and original NASA documentation, readers will also gain a true insight into a remarkable age of space travel as it unfolded in the late 1960s, and the men who flew those historic missions.
Looks forward to the completion of the ISS, possibility of return to the moon, manned flights to Mars, and the prospect of safety and rescue far beyond. Describes the role of Mission Control and recovery forces in ensuring the support from the ground to the crew in space. Provides a unique range of historic archive of material on the Russian programme. Presents a review of the Columbia accident, its investigation and various proposed rescue scenarios. Details escape systems devised for rocket research aircraft, early manned spacecraft, abort and recovery options from Earth orbit, and from lunar distance. Demonstrates that crew safety has been a factor in planning and mounting on all manned spaceflights.
How could the newly authorized space shuttle help in the U.S. quest to build a large research station in Earth orbit? As a means of transporting goods, the shuttle could help supply the parts to the station. But how would the two entitles be physically linked? Docking technologies had to constantly evolve as the designs of the early space stations changed. It was hoped the shuttle would make missions to the Russian Salyut and American Skylab stations, but thesewere postponed until the Mir station became available, while plans for getting a new U. S. space station underway were stalled. In Linking the Space Shuttle and Space Stations, the author delves into the rich history of the Space Shuttle and its connection to these early space stations, culminating in the nine missions to dock the shuttle toMir. By 1998, after nearly three decades of planning and operations, shuttle missions to Mir had resulted in: • A proven system to link up the space shuttle to a space station• Equipment and hands-on experience in handling tons of materials• An infrastructure to support space station assembly and resupply Each of these played a pivotal role in developing the skills and procedures crucial to the creation of the later, much larger and far more complex International Space Station, as described in the companionvolume Assembling and Supplying the ISS: The Space Shuttle Fulfills Its Mission.
The highly successful Hubble Space Telescope was meant to change our view and understanding of the universe. Within weeks of its launch in 1990, however, the space community was shocked to find out that the primary mirror of the telescope was flawed. It was only the skills of scientists and engineers on the ground and the daring talents of astronauts sent to service the telescope in December 1993 that saved the mission. For over two decades NASA had developed the capabilities to service a payload in orbit. This involved numerous studies and the creation of a ground-based infrastructure to support the challenging missions. Unique tools and EVA hardware supported the skills developed in crew training that then enabled astronauts to complete a demanding series of spacewalks. Drawing upon first hand interviews with those closely involved in the project over thirty years ago this story explains the development of the servicing mission concept and the hurdles that had to be overcome to not only launch the telescope but also to mount the first servicing mission – a mission that restored the telescope to full working order three years after its launch, saved the reputation of NASA, and truly opened a new age in understanding of our place in space. This is not just a tale of space age technology, astronauts and astronomy. It is also a story of an audacious scientific vision, and the human ingenuity and determination to overcome all obstacles to make it possible. Hubble Space Telescope: From Concept to Success is a story of an international partnership, dedicated teamwork and a perfect blend of human and robotic space operations that will inspire people of all ages. The subsequent servicing missions that enabled the telescope to continue its scientific program beyond its 25th year in orbit are described in a companion volume Enhancing Hubble’s Vision: Servicing a National Treasure.
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