It's ONLY Rocket Science

by Dr Lucy Rogers

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.

Written for:
Everyone with an interest in spaceflight, from the mildly curious to the
wildly enthusiastic.

Keywords:
* understanding spaceflight
* spaceflight
* space exploration book
* space tourism
* space travel
* rockets
* design
* satellites
* orbits