This review examines the historical background, rationale behind, and events leading to, the construction and commissioning of the ISS. The authors describe the orbital assembly of the ISS on a flight-by-flight basis, listing all the experiments planned in the various laboratory modules and explain their objectives. They also provide an account of the long-term stresses and strains of building the ISS on the US/Russia relationship, especially after 1997. By offering a comprehensive mix of operational work, microgravity science and future plans, the book should satisfy both the space...

This text presents numerous illustrations of the observed variability of cataclysmic variable stars. It provides a clear explanation and thorough up-to-date overview of this phenomena at a level accessible to the advanced amateur or undergraduate student.

This is the only book on Neptune written by individuals directly involved with the Voyager Mission and its scientific findings. It shows clearly the planning, excitement and major advances in our knowledge of Neptune and its system associated with the highly successful Voyager Mission. In doing so, it recreates some of the excitement and wonder felt by those on the science and engineering teams as they witnessed the spectacular data being returned by Voyager. Richly illustrated with unique images and other data returned by the Voyager Mission, this book disperses some of the myths created by...

Here, Dave Shayler examines the hurdles faced by space crews as they prepare and embark on space missions. 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,...

Prior to the space age, little was known about Jupiter. Focusing on the Galileo mission, this book tracks the remarkable spacecraft gestation, the ordeal of its long haul out to Jupiter, and its 5 year long exploration of the Jovian system. The book features material taken from press conferences, technical papers, and essays written by engineers and scientists involved in the NASA Galileo mission. From the reviews: ..".Unlike his colleagues in this genre Harland provides more than just a serial history...The book is abundantly footnoted and richly illustrated with hundreds of images...I...

The Earth in Context: A Guide to the Solar System tells a tale of scientific discovery, with two interwoven strands - one tracing the development of understanding the Earth's geological history, and the other placing this in the context of processes at work on the other planets of the solar system. Although planetology is assigned half of the text, the primary focus of the book is the Earth. It is discussed in two parts, the first summing up our knowledge of the Earth as it is today and the other considering it as it was long ago.

This book is the first known work in the west dedicated to revealing the full story of the Vostok space missions, and the first fledgling steps off our planet. In Leaving the Planet authors Rex Hall and Dave Shayler review this Soviet demonstration of technological progress. The text examines both the developmental and operational aspects of the missions, which at the time were clouded in secrecy. This fascinating and important text features a significant amount of new material on the spacecraft, as well as the history, design and development of the launch vehicle. It also includes the full...

In Gemini - Steps to the Moon, author David Shayler unfolds the story of the origin and development of the programme and the spacecraft from the perspective of the engineers, flight controllers and astronauts involved. It includes chapters on flight tests, Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) and rendezvous and docking.

A developmental history of the first American manned spaceflight programme and its associated infrastructure, including accounts of space launch vehicles. The book highlights the differences in Redstone/Atlas technology, drawing similar comparisons between ballistic capsules and alternative types of spacecraft. The book also covers astronaut selection and training, as well as tracking systems, flight control, basic principles of spaceflight and detailed accounts of individual flights.

Following NASA's very recent discovery of vast amounts of water just beneath the Martian surface, Jeffrey Kargel presents a brand new treatment of Martian geologic and climatic history. A fresh perspective on the ideas of oceans and glaciation and young water runoff features - at best poorly represented in current books - will capture every reader's imagination and enthusiasm for the Red Planet.