Rocketing Into the Future
The History and Technology of Rocket Planes
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Beschreibung
Rocketing into the Future journeys into the exciting world of rocket planes, examining the exotic concepts and actual flying vehicles that have been devised over the last one hundred years. Lavishly illustrated with over 150 photographs, it recounts the history of rocket planes from the early pioneers who attached simple rockets on to their wooden glider airplanes to the modern world of high-tech research vehicles.The book then looks at the possibilities for the future. The technological and economic challenges of the Space Shuttle proved insurmountable, and thus the program was unable to fulfill its promise of low-cost access to space. However, the burgeoning market of suborbital space tourism may yet give the necessary boost to the development of a truly reusable spaceplane.
This book describes the technology, history, and future of rocket planes. Michel van Pelt journies into this exciting world, examining the exotic concepts and actual flying vehicles that have been devised over the last hundred years. He recounts the history of rocket airplanes, from the early pioneers who attached simple rockets onto their wooden glider airplanes to the modern world of high-tech research vehicles. The author visits museums where rare examples of early rocket planes are kept and modern laboratories where future spaceplanes are being developed. He explains the technology in an easily understandable way, describing the various types of rocket airplanes and looking at the possibilities for the future.
Michel van Pelt considers future spaceplanes, presenting various modern concepts and developments. He describes the development from cutting edge research via demonstrator vehicles to operational use. He also evaluates the replacement of the Space Shuttle with a seemingly old-fashioned capsule system, the parallel developments in suborbital spaceplanes such as SpaceShipOne and SpaceShipTwo, piloted versus automatic flight, and related developments in airliners and military aircraft.
Presents the technical as well as economic challenges related to spaceplane development Looks at rocket planes in fiction and popular culture and discusses how realistic these have been in terms of design, size, performance, and maneuverability in space Describes in an engaging and clear way how rockets and aircraft work while pointing out the most important features of today's advanced rocket planes
Autor*in
Michel van Pelt
Themen in »Rocketing Into the Future«
Aeronautics aircraft developments Automated versus piloted flight Future rocket technology Innovative space technology Rocket engines Russian Buran shuttle Science fiction spaceships explained Space exploration Space shuttle Space transportation Spacecraft engineering X-15 Spiral X-20 DynaSoar
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From the reviews:
“Whatever level of interest you have in rocket-powered human aviation (and hence spaceflight), this book covers it. For someone getting into the subject for the first time there is more than enough detail … . the book gives the basics of aeronautics and rocketry, which are well-explained with some helpful line diagrams. … British Interplanetary Society members are no doubt familiar with Skylon; if you are not you will be once you have read this book!” (Malcolm Smith, Astronomy Now, July, 2013)
“This book covers the history of rocket planes from earliest endeavors to the present designs of suborbital rocket planes marketed for space tourism purposes. … The book is well written, well organized, and well illustrated. A useful resource for people interested in both aviation history and the history of space technology. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.” (A. M. Strauss, Choice, Vol. 50 (4), December, 2012)()