Astrodynamics, Rockets, Satellites, and Space Travel; An Introduction to Space Science

xvii, [1], 545, [1] pages. Illustrations. Formulae. Miscellaneous Problems and Applications. Appendices. Bibliographies. Indexes. Cover has slight wear and soiling. Minor corner bumping. The author was with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. The United States Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) is the corporate research laboratory for the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps. It conducts basic scientific research, applied research, technological development and prototyping. The laboratory's specialties include plasma physics, space physics, materials science, and tactical electronic warfare. NRL is one of the first US Government scientific R&D laboratories, having opened in 1923 at the instigation of Thomas Edison, and is currently under the Office of Naval Research. NRL's research expenditures are approximately $1 billion per year. This book is meant to be a primer on space science, but it differs from the usual introduction to the subject. The aim of the present book is to make the subject simpler rather than to treat the subject simply; the material in this book is not all elementary. The author has taken great care to make the subject easily understandable to the student/reader. Physics is the basis of all physical and life sciences, Space science is in reality the application of physical principles. The delays and difficulties which are experienced in space research are often of a temporary engineering natures and do not necessarily reflect a lack of basic scientific knowledge or ability.