Space Science and Technology

AIR AND SHIP-BASED SPACE LAUNCH VEHICLES

Introduction In 1957, the Soviet Union placed the first man-made object in orbit around the earth. Since then, numerous launch vehicles have been developed to improve the performance, reliability, and cost of placing objects in orbit. By one estimate, roughly 75 active space launch vehicles either have established flight records or are planning an inaugural […]

APOLLO 17 AND THE MOON

Apollo 17 was not the last flight of humans to the Moon. This writer was not the last human being to step on the lunar surface. More lunar exploration and even lunar settlement will occur, baring the future stagnation or disappearance of our civilization. Exploration and scientific investigations in the earth sciences are rarely complete, […]

ARIANE ROCKET PROGRAM

This article describes the circumstances that led Europe to go ahead with the Ariane Program in 1973 and subsequently to decide on a series of follow-up versions, up to and including Ariane 5. The article also describes the main management principles adopted that have varied little in 20 years and includes brief details of the […]

ARTIFICIAL GRAVITY

Definition Artificial gravity (AG) is not gravity at all. It is not a field force or a ”force at a distance.” Neither does its strength obey the inverse square law of attraction that determines the orbital motion of planets. However, in terms of its action on any mass, it is indistinguishable from ”real gravity.” Instead […]

ASTROBIOLOGY

Astrobiology is a relatively new term that embraces the multidisciplinary study of the living Universe. It is the investigation of the origin, evolution, distribution, and destiny of life in the Universe. Astrobiology addresses some of the most profound questions of humankind: How did life begin? Are there other planets like Earth? What is our future […]

ASTEROIDS

Asteroids are small members of the solar system in heliocentric orbits concentrated between Jupiter and Mars. Since most of them have orbits that are roughly similar to those of the planets (low inclination and eccentricity), they have sometimes been called minor planets, although this term is no longer in common use. More important is the […]

ASTRONAUTS AND THE PEOPLE WHO SELECTED THEM: A COMPENDIUM

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center (JSC), located in Houston, Texas, has been responsible for conducting the astronaut recruiting and selection process. This includes • establishing the astronaut staffing and selection requirements. • issuing and releasing public announcements advertising the qualification requirements. • appointing qualified members for rating panels […]

ASTRONOMY- INFRARED

Introduction This article describes the astrophysical questions that can be addressed at infrared wavelengths, the advantages of pursuing infrared astronomy from space, the enabling technologies, and the missions that have been flown and are planned to exploit the unique potential of this wavelength range. The infrared band covers three decades—from ~1 mmto ~1000 mm—that encompass […]

BIOLOGICAL RESPONSES AND ADAPTATION TO SPACEFLIGHT: LIVING IN SPACE—AN INTERNATIONAL ENTERPRISE

Introduction Attempting to predict human responses to space travel, physicians and researchers of the 1950s speculated that microgravity and spaceflight itself would present significant challenges-if not barriers—to the human body (1,6). They hypothesized that the combined stresses of launch acceleration, weightlessness, radiation, and heavy deceleration upon reentry would be incapacitating. At the very least, they […]

BIOMEDICAL SUPPORT OF PILOTED SPACEFLIGHT

Recent progress in the conquest of space and in piloted cosmonautics is the result of developments in space technology and hardware and, to a significant extent, has also depended on the solution of complex biomedical problems and other achievements in space biology and space medicine. During the period under discussion, the duration of space flight […]

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