Best of
Space

2000

Failure is Not an Option: Mission Control From Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond


Gene Kranz - 2000
    As a flight director in NASA’s Mission Control, Kranz witnessed firsthand the making of history. He participated in the space program from the early days of the Mercury program to the last Apollo mission, and beyond. He endured the disastrous first years when rockets blew up and the United States seemed to fall further behind the Soviet Union in the space race. He helped to launch Alan Shepard and John Glenn, then assumed the flight director’s role in the Gemini program, which he guided to fruition. With his teammates, he accepted the challenge to carry out President John F. Kennedy’s commitment to land a man on the Moon before the end of the 1960s. Kranz recounts these thrilling historic events and offers new information about the famous flights. What appeared as nearly flawless missions to the Moon were, in fact, a series of hair-raising near misses. When the space technology failed, as it sometimes did, the controllers’ only recourse was to rely on their skills and those of their teammates. He reveals behind-the-scenes details to demonstrate the leadership, discipline, trust, and teamwork that made the space program a success. A fascinating firsthand account by a veteran mission controller of one of America’s greatest achievements, Failure is Not an Option reflects on what has happened to the space program and offers his own bold suggestions about what we ought to be doing in space now.

Heris Serrano


Elizabeth Moon - 2000
    To pay the bills, she became Captain of a rich old lady's interstellar luxury yacht, adding insult to injury. But Cecelia, the rich old lady, had more brains than most admirals Heris had known, and before it was all over, Heris would have a chance to rejoin her beloved space navy -- if she could manage to stop an invading armada.

The Sky Is Not the Limit: Adventures of an Urban Astrophysicist


Neil deGrasse Tyson - 2000
    A unique chronicle of a young man who at one time was both nerd and jock, Tyson’s memoir could well inspire other similarly curious youngsters to pursue their dreams.Like many athletic kids he played baseball, won medals in track and swimming, and was captain of his high school wrestling team. But at the same time he was setting up a telescope on winter nights, taking an advanced astronomy course at the Hayden Planetarium, and spending a summer vacation at an astronomy camp in the Mojave Desert.Eventually, his scientific curiosity prevailed, and he went on to graduate in physics from Harvard and to earn a Ph.D. in astrophysics from Columbia. There followed postdoctoral research at Princeton. In 1996, he became the director of the Hayden Planetarium, where some twenty-five years earlier he had been awed by the spectacular vista in the sky theater.Tyson pays tribute to the key teachers and mentors who recognized his precocious interests and abilities, and helped him succeed. He intersperses personal reminiscences with thoughts on scientific literacy, careful science vs. media hype, the possibility that a meteor could someday hit the Earth, dealing with society’s racial stereotypes, what science can and cannot say about the existence of God, and many other interesting insights about science, society, and the nature of the universe.Now available in paperback with a new preface and other additions, this engaging memoir will enlighten and inspire an appreciation of astronomy and the wonders of our universe.

Rare Earth: Why Complex Life Is Uncommon in the Universe


Peter D. Ward - 2000
    In doing so, the authors synthesize information from astronomy, biology, and paleontology, and apply it to what we know about the rise of life on Earth and to what could possibly happen elsewhere in the universe. Everyone who has been thrilled by the recent discoveries of extrasolar planets and the indications of life on Mars and the Jovian moon Europa will be fascinated by Rare Earth, and its implications for those who look to the heavens for companionship.

The Amazing Pop-Up Geography Book


Kate Petty - 2000
    Between the covers of this book are pop-up mountains and volcanoes, lift-the-flap continents and countries, swirling storms, jittering earthquakes, and much, much more. There is even a pop-up globe for kids to twirl as they learn hundreds of fascinating facts about our special planet. Kate Petty and Jennie Maizels have created a unique series of books that take the terror out of difficult topics through an irresistible combination of quips, hints, exuberant illustrations, and ingenious paper mechanics.

The Life and Death of Planet Earth: How the New Science of Astrobiology Charts the Ultimate Fate of Our World


Peter D. Ward - 2000
    --Publishers WeeklyScience has worked hard to piece together the story of the evolution of our world up to this point, but only recently have we developed the understanding and the tools to describe the entire life cycle of our planet. Peter D. Ward and Donald Brownlee, a geologist and an astronomer respectively, are in the vanguard of the new field of astrobiology. Combining their knowledge of how the critical sustaining systems of our planet evolve through time with their understanding of how stars and solar systems grow and change throughout their own life cycles, the authors tell the story of the second half of Earth's life. In this masterful melding of groundbreaking research and captivating, eloquent science writing, Ward and Brownlee provide a comprehensive portrait of Earth's life cycle that allows us to understand and appreciate how the planet sustains itself today, and offers us a glimpse of our place in the cosmic order.

Pan Am: An Aviation Legend


Barnaby Conrad III - 2000
    Filled with stunning photographs, this book evokes the golden age of air travel, when boarding a Pan Am Clipper bound for Pago Pago or Macao meant an adventurous journey in unprecedented style. Historical narrative in Pan Am blends seamlessly with images of everything from cabin interiors and in-flight shots of Pan Am's famous "Clipper" aircraft to colorful ads, art deco brochures and cutaway drawings of luxurious airplanes. Barnaby Conrad also brings to life the saga of company founder Juan Trippe and those who helped create Pan Am's image as "the world's most experienced airline".After Pan American's first commercial flight, from Key West to Havana in 1927, airline visionary Trippe teamed up with aviation legend Charles Lindbergh to pioneer routes into the Caribbean and South America. Enlisting early aircraft builders Sikorsky, Martin, and Boeing, Pan Am developed planes that would finally conquer the vast Pacific and Atlantic oceans, breaking down the boundaries that had separated peoples and cultures. "Some day", wrote Clare Boothe Luce in 1941, "a Clipper flight will be remembered as the most romantic voyage in history". This book gets to the heart of Clare Boothe Luce's observation, offering a pictorial history of American enterprise that will delight general readers, aviation fans, and even art deco aficionados.In Pan Am, we see cheering crowds greet Trippe and Lindbergh as they visit Caribbean islands and South American outposts. Actors, authors, musicians and other celebrities wave to the camera as they stepout of Pan Am airplanes and onto the tarmac. Pan Am crews performed heroically - and their planes reliably - during World War II.Although Pan American World Airways ceased flying in 1991, its photographic history stirs the imagination of the air traveler just as images of the Orient Express and the Titanic intrigue railroad and ocean-liner buffs. With more than 240 illustrations and a vivid text, Pan Am honors Pan American's golden era in an unforgettable manner.

Apollo 8: The NASA Mission Reports


Robert Godwin - 2000
    It was the boldest step yet taken in the quest to fulfill President John Kennedy’s goal of landing a man on the moon by the end of the decade.To accomplish the task the world’s biggest and most complex machine was built by a syndicate of America’s leading aerospace manufacturers. The Apollo-Saturn V was a goliath and the flight of Apollo 8 proved it was an incredible vehicle.Capable of throwing over 100,000 pounds to the moon it was at that time the most complex machine ever devised by the hand of man.Apollo 8: The NASA Mission Reports finally puts in one place six of the most important documents from this triumphant odyssey, The Press Kit, The Pre-mission Report & Objectives, The Supplemental Technical Report, The Post Flight Summary, the Post Flight Mission Operation Report and the Crew Debriefing.These six documents show the staggering proportions of the undertaking required to send men into lunar orbit. It is a testament to the ingenuity of the American people and the bold courage of three men.Includes: CD-ROM with Captain Lovell Interview, plus hundreds of pictures!

Rocket and Spacecraft Propulsion: Principles, Practice and New Developments


Martin J.L. Turner - 2000
    The first successful launch vehicles were developed in the 1960s from concepts dating back to the 1930s.This practical book written from the perspective of the space scientist deals with the latest applications and propulsion concepts at a level readable by space scientists and students without a formal engineering background.There are seven main topics: Principles of rocket propulsion and base vehicle dynamics; Thermal motors and the thermodynamics of thrust; Liquid propellant motors; Solid propellant motors; Launch vehicles, station keeping and attitude control, interplanetary transfer vehicles and dynamics; New developments: advanced thermal motors; electric propulsion and dynamics of electrically propelled vehicles; Future developments, fission and fusion powered propulsion.

Visual Encyclopedia of Science


David Burnie - 2000
    It features fun fact boxes and quick-reference sections so science homework can be done in a snap.

Disasters and Accidents in Manned Spaceflight


David J. Shayler - 2000
    Divided into six parts, the text opens with the fateful, tragic mission of the Challenger crew in 1986. This is followed by a review of the risks that accompany every space trip and the unique environment in which the space explorer lives and works. The next four sections cover the four parts of any space flight (training, launch, in-flight and recovery) and present major historical incidents in each case. The final section looks at the next forty years beyond the Earth's atmosphere, beginning with the International Space Station and moving on to the difficulties inherent in a manned exploration of Mars.

Teacher in Space: Christa McAuliffe and the Challenger Legacy


Colin Burgess - 2000
    Innovative and devoted to her profession, Christa brought to her own life and to her students the joy and excitement of learning, exploration, and accomplishment. Her integrity and love of life endeared her to people both before and during her NASA training. Honest, direct, and outspoken, she did not hesitate to speak out on behalf of the constituency she felt she had been selected to represent: American public schoolteachers and the children in their classrooms.It is important to know that Christa's dreams did not die with her. Following the disaster many foundations, institutions, and learning centers were set up to honor the Challenger crew. Craters on the moon and even asteroids have been named in their memory. Teacher in Space explores and celebrates Christa's life and legacy and suggests that her goals of involving and educating children are being fulfilled even today.

Seapower And Space: From The Dawn Of The Missile Age To Net Centric Warfare


Norman Friedman - 2000
    This book chronicles these developments, describing the systems themselves and concluding with an analysis of future possibilities.

Challenge to Apollo: The Soviet Union and the Space Race, 1945-1974


Asif A. Siddiqi - 2000
    Taking advantage of the Soviet archives, which were opened in the 1990s, Siddiqi has written a groundbreaking work that examines why the Soviet Union fell behind in the space race of the 1960s after changing the course of human history with the first artificial satellite launch, Sputnik, in 1957.

Our Cosmic Future: Humanity's Fate in the Universe


Nikos Prantzos - 2000
    Nikos Prantzos, distinguished astrophysicist and popular science writer, focuses not on what will be done, but on what could be done in light of our current knowledge and the speculations of eminent scientists. While he employs many concepts from physics, Prantzos also provides historical accounts of such ideas as terraforming, asteroid mining, interstellar travel, astroengineering, and eschatology, discussing their philosophical and social implications. Moreover, he uses the work of well known science and science-fiction writers--including Verne, Wells, Clarke, Tsiolkovsky, and Dyson--to illustrate many possibilities and concepts. Our Cosmic Future offers compelling answers to such intriguing questions as: Should we return to the Moon and eventually colonize Mars and other planets in our solar system? Why haven't we encountered an extraterrestrial civilization up to this time in our history? How can we avoid various cosmic threats, such as asteroid collisions and supernova explosions? Could we escape the remote, yet certain, death of the Sun? What will eventually happen to stars, our Galaxy, distant galaxies, and the Universe itself? With its artful blend of historical, scientific accounts and themes from classic works of science fiction, Our Cosmic Future is a spellbinding work that will enchant all readers interested in space travel and colonization, cosmology, and humankind's future prospects in the Cosmos.

Astronaut


Mercer Mayer - 2000
    On board pages.