The Complete Book of Spaceflight: From Apollo 1 to Zero Gravity by David Darling (PDF)

Description

A commanding encyclopedia of the history and principles of spaceflight-from earliest conceptions to faster-than-light galaxy-hoppingHere is the first truly comprehensive guide to space exploration and propulsion, from the first musings of the Greeks to current scientific speculation about interstellar travel using “”warp drives”” and wormholes. Space buffs will delight in its in-depth coverage of all key manned and unmanned missions and space vehicles-past, present, and projected-and its clear explanations of the technologies involved.Over the course of more than 2,000 extensively cross-referenced entries, astronomer David Darling also provides fascinating insights into the cultural development of spaceflight. In vivid accounts of the major characters and historical events involved, he provides fascinating tales of early innovators, the cross-pollination that has long existed between science fiction and science fact, and the sometimes obscure links between geopolitics, warfare, and advances in rocketry.

User’s Reviews

Editorial Reviews: Review This one-volume encyclopedia divides its coverage of space flight into three areas: biographies of astronauts, rocket scientists, etc.; histories of manned and unmanned space missions; and the science and technology related to space flight. Darling, who has a Ph.D. in astronomy, has written several books on extraterrestrial life and cosmology. Although this volume offers a single source for comprehensive space flight information, its added value may be limited, as many libraries likely already own biographical resources (such as Michael Cassutt’s Who’s Who in Space), space-mission histories (such as Tim Furniss’s The History of Space Vehicles), and science and technology references (such as the McGraw Hill Encyclopedia of Science & Technology). In addition, readers will find the cross references lacking. Many entries, such as “”MECO,”” are entered under their acronym or initials, but there is no cross reference from the fun form, in this case “”Main Engine Cut Off.”” In addition, entries for scientific terms are often inadequate. For example, “”weightlessness”” is a mere one paragraph, though one would expect much fuller treatment of such a major aspect of space flight. Despite these flaws, Darling’s is the most current work available on this subject, and the detail it provides on satellite missions is notable. Wherever it doesn’t duplicate existing references, this book is recommended for large academic and public libraries. ?Jeffrey Beall, Univ. of Colorado Lib., Denver (“”Library Journal””, January 15, 2003) From the Back Cover A commanding encyclopedia of the history and principles of spaceflight–from its humble beginnings to its likely future””Our reason for spaceflight is just this: we are human, and to be human is to be inquisitive. At heart, we are explorers with a universe of billions of new worlds before us.””– from the IntroductionThe Complete Book of Spaceflight compiles more than 3,000 extensively cross-referenced entries, spanning every historic milestone and technological achievement in the quest to conquer space. In this all-inclusive reference, astronomer David Darling provides fascinating insights into the cultural development of spaceflight, including its history, science, and technology; the people involved; spaceflight’s role in popular culture; and much more. The Complete Book of Spaceflight includes:* All key missions, manned and unmanned* Notable fictional portrayals of space journeys* Biographies of astronauts, rocket engineers, and others involved in space exploration* Current concepts for future interplanetary and interstellar missions* Extended, highlighted articles on major topics from Project Mercury to Mir About the Author DAVID DARLING, Ph.D., is the author of Life Everywhere; The Extraterrestrial Encyclopedia; Deep Time; Equations of Eternity (a New York Times Notable Book); Soul Search; and Zen Physics. He received his doctorate in astronomy from the University of Manchester, England, and now lives with his family in rural Minnesota. More information on spaceflight may be found at www. daviddarling.info. Read more

Reviews from Amazon users which were colected at the time this book was published on the website:

⭐this is an very informative book and very interesting it has a lot of information of human spaceflight and unmanned spaceflight. aslo covers the people in the space program as well i highly recommend this for any one that is interested in facts about rockets people involved with rockets and also has facts and figures it gives a comprehensive look at theseamazing vehicles and missions!

⭐The Complete Book of Spaceflight by David Darling is exactly that, an encyclopedia of space exploration, from Apollo to zero gravity. I have to be honest though; I didn’t read this book cover to cover. It’s got 3,000 detailed listings in alphabetical order, so it’s not exactly light reading material – imagine reading an encyclopedia. I have; however, been using it as a reference book for several months, and it’s in that capacity that it really shines.Darling clearly had the non-technical reader in mind when he wrote up his descriptions, as he steers well clear of jargon (in a jargon-laden industry), and I appreciate that he kept some descriptions very short. For spaceflight terms the book functions as a dictionary, and the explanations are kept to a few sentences. For other topics, the book functions more like an encyclopedia; in some cases several pages are dedicated to a single topic (Gemini Program, spacesuits, etc).If Darling were standing in front of me, and asked me… “well, what do you think? Is it complete?” I’d have to say yes. It’s complete. Everything that has anything to do with spaceflight is in there. I’ve found it useful to consult entries before writing up some of my own stories; especially if it’s been several years since I last wrote about a subject (although some space agencies have great press material, many of the aerospace firms provide descriptions of their own programs drenched in marketing-speak).Taking its cue from its encyclopedic parent, The Complete Book of Spaceflight is liberally sprinkled with photographs, sidebars and tables of information. Unfortunately, the pages are all black-and-white, so you don’t get to see any of the images in colour. I wish the publisher could have splurged on full-colour printing – this would let the book spend equal time on your desk and coffee table (maybe they’ll consider it for a future edition?).The other problem, and this is no fault of the author, is that the business of space exploration is still unfolding. Events in the last few months would have already rewritten chunks of the book (Columbia, Rosetta), so it would be cool to see some kind of Internet site with updates.I think you’d be happy to have The Complete Book of Spaceflight sitting on your desk or in your bookshelf, standing by to help you navigate some of the more obscure space news journals.

⭐Excellent, comprehensive, informative and well researched. I love it.

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