Introduction to Space: The Science of Spaceflight (Orbit, a Foundation Series)

Rating:
Summary: Showcases all aspects of spaceflight
Review: In a fully updated and revised third edition, Thomas Damon's Introduction To Space: The Science Of Spaceflight is an information packed compendium showcasing all aspects of spaceflight, including propulsion, orbits, high resolution images of Earth from space, satellites, debris in orbit, MIR, the International Space Station, space shuttles, working in space, exploration of the Solar System and beyond, disturbances in the space environment, and more. Profusely illustrated with color as well as black-and-what photography, charts, and graphs, Introduction To Space is an informative, superbly presented, and detailed history enhanced with both common units and metric unit descriptions of all quantities; a glossary; and an index. Highly recommended for school and community library space science and history collections.

Rating:
Summary: Decent Introduction To Space
Review: Thomas Damon's "Introduction to Space" is a good place to start for people who are generally unfamiliar with any of the basic principles of space flight. It is comprehensible any to interested person, and is generally geared toward a high school or early collegiate reader. The text is good at simplifying the math involved and in separating it from the text, making comprehension much easier for people who are not mathematically inclined.

The book introduces most every aspect of space flight from the history of the US and Soviet space programs, to living in space. There are specific chapters that discuss orbits (although sparing the reader the math of an orbital mechanics book), space stations, the shuttle, space stations, astronomy, remote sensing, satellites, and even the potential for extraterrestrial colonization.

I was required to read this book for a class, but think this book is really only suitable for a high school or early undergraduate course. (It would be ideal for a high school physics unit on space.) I have a fairly good conceptual background in spacecraft operations, and because of that found the book a tad boring, although it occasionally did teach me something I had not previously known. The book is clearly written, and seems factually quite good. I recommend it for anyone who needs a basic introduction to spaceflight, and who has no previous background in that area.