It's ONLY Rocket Science
An Introduction in Plain English
Format:Paperback
Publisher:Springer-Verlag New York Inc.
Published:21st Mar '08
Should be back in stock very soon
For over fifty years satellites have circled the Earth and spacecraft have been used to explore our solar system. Every day ordinary people around the world use satellites for satellite television, GPS navigation, weather forecasts and other technologies. Many people are curious about how something gets into space - and stays there - and what the terms used in the media actually mean. Also, with the advent of space tourism, some people are starting to wonder if they too could go into space and what it would be like.
Here, the author explains the basics of what is involved, from the initial idea to the completion of the mission.
The beauty of this text, written by an engineer who is also an accomplished science writer, is that it covers the subject comprehensively, and yet is almost entirely descriptive and non-mathematical.
It deals with all aspects of spaceflight, from how to leave the Earth (including the design of the rocket, mission planning, navigation and communication), to life in space and the effects of weightlessness.
The book also includes sections describing how an amateur can track satellites and understand their trajectories, and on the future of spaceflight, touching on what is, and what is not, possible given present and expected future technologies.
From the reviews:
"This is a book I’ve really mixed feelings about – it does what it sets out to do very well. And it does what it says on the tin. It’s a plain English introduction to rocket science. … I would highly recommend it if you want to absorb all the basic facts about rocketry and space travel." (Brian Clegg, PopularScience, June, 2008)
"Lucy Rogers’ book It’s Only Rocket Science: An Introduction in Plain English tries to demystify what is a notoriously complicated subject. … I have a feeling that students and young aerospace professionals will find this book useful. When they don’t quite understand what their lecturers are trying to tell them, Rogers will be there to help them out." (Piers Bizony, BBC Sky at Night, September, 2008)
"The term ‘rocket science’ implies that one needs a very sophisticated level of technological and scientific knowledge to understand the principles of this field. However, Rogers (Isle of Wight, UK) attempts to explain these seemingly complex phenomena in relatively simple terms, i.e., without reference to mathematics. … Rogers does a good job in explaining … topics in accessible language. The chapters include line drawings and half-tone and color photographs; technical appendixes and a glossary augment the text. Summing Up: Recommended. General readers." (J. Z. Kiss, CHOICE, Vol. 46 (01), September, 2008)
ISBN: 9780387753775
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
350 pages