Understanding Space : An Introduction to Astronautics

Rating:
Summary: Review by Astro PhD
Review: Excellent introduction book with some of the best illustrations to help you visualize the concepts. It is written at the high-school senior/college freshman level, so don't expect it to teach you anything as a grad student in Astro. But, for the price, it's a pretty good desk reference even for the grad student.

It gets my highest recommendation for a basic introduction to the topic (expecially for the high-school senior).

Rating:
Summary: Great introduction to many issues with space.
Review: I am Aerospace Engineering student and found the book to be a very good introduction to many questions regarding space and space travel. While this book does not go into specifics, it is easy to read and understand (high school level).

Rating:
Summary: Excellent in-depth explanation of astronautic principles
Review: I was unaware of this book until I needed it for a college course in Orbital Dynamics. This book is the most accessible that I've seen on the subject. It supplies an in-depth, yet understandable explanation, of spaceflight principles covering orbital mechanics, rocket propulsion, guidance, and reentry. The math is at a high-school senior or college freshman level but a motivated individual should be able to master most of the material. Make sure to work the chapter problems if you want a thorough understanding of the subject. If you want to REALLY understand the basic principles of spaceflight, this is THE book!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent in-depth explanation of astronautic principles
Review: I was unaware of this book until I needed it for a college course in Orbital Dynamics. This book is the most accessible that I've seen on the subject. It supplies an in-depth, yet understandable explanation, of spaceflight principles covering orbital mechanics, rocket propulsion, guidance, and reentry. The math is at a high-school senior or college freshman level but a motivated individual should be able to master most of the material. Make sure to work the chapter problems if you want a thorough understanding of the subject. If you want to REALLY understand the basic principles of spaceflight, this is THE book!

Rating:
Summary: An excellent primer for the serious space enthusiast
Review: The reader will need more than a passing familiarity with algebraic concepts, but this book is written in textbook format -- what the heck, it IS a textbook! If anyone ever planned to launch a satellite from their own backyard, this is the book that will guide them. Want to be an engineer-physicist? Want to be an astronaut? This is the book for you