The Cambridge Dictionary of Space Technology is a comprehensive source of reference on the most important aspects of this fast-developing field, from basic concepts to advanced applications. With some 2,300 entries--700 more than the first edition, it lists fundamental terms that will remain in common usage for the foreseeable future and includes a selection of historical and highly specific entries to add context and depth. The Dictionary features entries on all the major areas relating to space technology, making this a reference of wide-ranging scope. While the emphasis is on defining the meaning of a word or phrase as it is used in the professional space community, each entry also contributes to a deeper understanding of the overall subject, both for the practicing specialist and interested layman. To assist the reader in research on a given topic, related entries are highlighted in the text and other important entries are cross-referenced. An additional key feature is a classified list of entries grouped under 13 subject headings. The Cambridge Dictionary of Space Technology will be indispensable to anyone with an interest in space activity. Mark Williamson is an independent space technology consultant working in the space industry and space insurance communities. A seasoned physicist and engineer, he has over 20 years of experience in satellite communications engineering, technical management, and space consultancy. Williamson has written about 250 published magazine and journal articles. He is also author of The Communications Satellite and editorial director of Earth Space Review magazine.
Written by a space technology consultant, this dictionary is intended for both the specialist and interested layperson. Emphasis is on defining words or phrases rather than providing background information. The approximately 2,300 alphabetically arranged entries are concise and well written, averaging from one sentence to a paragraph in length.
All aspects of space technology are covered. There are terms applying to spacecraft technology (aerobraking, heat sink), communications (background noise, decryption), propulsion (apogee engine, pyrotechnic valve), manned and unmanned spaceflight (Apollo, cosmonaut, Mars Pathfinder), space centers and organizations (Cape Canaveral, Intersputnik), and more. There are no biographies of individuals important to space technology, such as astronauts, physicists, or engineers.
Numerous cross-references guide the user from one entry to another. A few black-and-white line drawings and photographs supplement the text. A "Classified List of Dictionary Entries" groups entries under general headings. There are no references or bibliography. Because there is very little white space between entries and both entry headings and cross-references are printed in the same typeface, it can be hard to distinguish where one entry ends and another begins.
The Cambridge Dictionary of Space Technology is a revised and expanded edition of a dictionary first published by the Institute of Physics Publishing in 1990. It is particularly recommended for special or academic libraries. Because of the Cambridge title's design and fairly technical language, public and high-school libraries might do better with Facts On File's Dictionary of Space Technology (1999). RBB
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
