This comprehensive handbook provides an overview of space technology and a holistic understanding of the system-of-systems that is a modern spacecraft.

With a foreword by Elon Musk, CEO and CTO of SpaceX, and contributions from globally leading agency experts from NASA, ESA, JAXA, and CNES, as well as European and North American academics and industrialists, this handbook, as well as giving an interdisciplinary overview, offers, through individual self-contained chapters, more detailed understanding of specific fields, ranging through:

· Launch systems, structures, power, thermal, communications, propulsion, and software, to

· entry, descent and landing, ground segment, robotics, and data systems, to

· technology management, legal and regulatory issues, and project management.

This handbook is an equally invaluable asset to those on a career path towards the space industry as it is to those already within the industry.

Autorentext

Malcolm Macdonald is Associate Director of the Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Strathclyde. He studied for his PhD at the University of Glasgow from 20002002, prior to gaining a research assistant post until December 2004. From 20052008 he worked at SciSys UK Ltd. on a range of European Space Agency projects and missions, including ADM-Aeolus and LISA-Pathfinder, progressing to become a senior member of technical staff.

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Malcolm has diverse research interests, with activities spanning space and aerospace technology, including mission and system design, astrodynamics, and swarm and disaggregated system engineering. He also has interests in technology foresight, horizon scanning and roadmapping, and is a fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

Viorel Badescu is affiliated with the Candida Oancea Institute and a Professor in the Department of Engineering Thermodynamics at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest. His mainstream scientific contributions consist of about 250 papers and several books related to statistical physics, thermodynamics, the physics of semiconductors, the various aspects of terrestrial and space solar energy applications and other energy-related issues. Also, he has theorized on present-day Mars meteorology and Mars terraforming and on several macro-engineering projects. He has received four awards, including the Romanian Academy Prize for Physics in 1979. He is member of the Romanian Academy

Zusammenfassung
This book is the most unique, definitive handbook of space technology to provide an up-to-date, comprehensive overview of space technology and an understanding of the end-to-end space mission. In addition to the very latest developments in every area of this very broad subject, the authors describe in lines of progressive thoughts all aspects related to space technology, enabling the reader to gain a holistic and interdisciplinary overview or, through the use of self-contained chapters, a more detailed understanding of a specific field. Following a brief historical perspective, the applications of space technology are reviewed prior to an overview of the fundamentals of space exploration, including mission architectures, the space environment and astrodynamics. The processes and methodologies behind the design, development, delivery, operation and use of space systems technology are thereafter described on a system by system basis. In addition to reviewing conventional technologies, such as biological life-support systems and entry, required for autonomous Earth orbiting spacecraft, descent and landing systems are reviewed, while also recognising the importance of software as a space technology

Inhalt

Introduction.- Applications of Space Technology.- Fundamentals of Space Exploration.- Fundamentals of Space Exploration.- Launch Systems.- Structure, Mechanisms and Deployables.- Power.- Propulsion.- Altitude Determination, Guidance and Navigation Control.- Thermal and Radiation.- Telemetry, Tracking and Command.- Command and Data Handling.- Spacecraft Computer Systems.- Software.- Biological Life Support.- Descent and Landing Systems.- Mission Operations.- Payload Design and Sizing.- Spacecraft Manufacturing, Testing & Reliability.- Cost.- Legal and Regulatory Requirements.- Project and Quality Management.- Mission and System Design.- Appendices.