Best of
Space

1978

Murmurs of Earth: The Voyager Interstellar Record


Carl Sagan - 1978
    Affixed to each Voyager craft was a gold-coated copped phonograph record as a message to possible extra-terrestrial civilizations that might encounter the spacecraft in some distant space and time. Each record contained 118 photographs of our planet; almost 90 minutes of the world's greatest music; an evolutionary audio essay on "The Sounds of Earth"; and greetings in almost sixty human languages (and one whale language). This book is an account, written by those chiefly responsible for the contents of the Voyager Record, of why they did it, how they selected the repertoire, and precisely what the record contains.

Burnham's Celestial Handbook: An Observer's Guide to the Universe Beyond the Solar System, Volume 1: Andromeda Through Cetus


Robert Burnham Jr. - 1978
    The information presented includes: definitions, names, historical background, coordinates, classifications, physical descriptions, maps, charts, sketches, and observing guides. All told in an engaging manner.The series became an instant success with amateur astronomers, and remained so for decades. While it is now dated, it is still a popular source of information.Volume One lists the constellations from Andromeda to Cetus.

System Dynamics


Katsuhiko Ogata - 1978
    Appropriate for undergraduate courses on System Dynamics offered in Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering departments.Introduces the modeling of dynamic systems and response analysis of these systems, with an introduction to the analysis and design of control systems.

The Best of Jules Verne: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, Around the World in Eighty Days, Journey to the Center of the Earth, and The Mysterious Island


Jules Verne - 1978
      In Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, a monster wreaks havoc in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The US government sends a French marine biologist, his servant, and a Canadian harpoonist to take care of the problem. But instead of a mythic beast, the team finds the submarine Nautilus and its fearsome helmsman, Captain Nemo.  Around the World in Eighty Days follows Phileas Fogg and his eccentric manservant, Passepartout, on an epic quest to circumnavigate the globe. Pursued by a Scotland Yard detective, derailed by a herd of bison, and attacked by Sioux Indians, the travelers use every mode of transportation possible to race from one exotic exploit to the next. From the sands of Egypt to the icy waters of the Pacific, Fogg and Passepartout never lose sight of their goal—even when they stop to rescue a beautiful damsel in distress.  Journey to the Center of the Earth is a cornerstone of science fiction and one of the greatest stories ever told. A dirty slip of parchment paper falls from the pages of an ancient manuscript. Deciphered by the indefatigable Otto Liedenbrock, professor of geology, and his reluctant nephew, Axel, the parchment’s coded message asserts that a volcano in Iceland contains a passageway to the center of the earth. Two days later, the adventurers embark on a journey so fantastic it will alter the very meaning of history.   In The Mysterious Island, a hot air balloon hijacked by captured Union army soldiers is blown far, far away from its point of departure in Richmond, Virginia. When the craft crash-lands on an island in the South Pacific, the prisoners must contend with wild animals, pirates, and an active volcano—in a fight for their very survival.   This ebook has been professionally proofread to ensure accuracy and readability on all devices.

Moonport: A History of Apollo Launch Facilities and Operations


Charles D. Benson - 1978