Rocket and Spacecraft Propulsion: Principles, Practice and New Developments

Space exploration and research depends fundamentally on the use of rockets to launch probes and manned vehicles beyond the earths atmosphere. 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.