The International Handbook of Space Technology

This book is the most unique, definitive handbook of space technology to provide an up-to-date, comprehensive overview of space technology and an understanding of the end-to-end space mission. In addition to the very latest developments in every area of this very broad subject, the authors describe in lines of progressive thoughts all aspects related to space technology, enabling the reader to gain a holistic and interdisciplinary overview or, through the use of self-contained chapters, a more detailed understanding of a specific field. Following a brief historical perspective, the applications of space technology are reviewed prior to an overview of the fundamentals of space exploration, including mission architectures, the space environment and astrodynamics. The processes and methodologies behind the design, development, delivery, operation and use of space systems technology are thereafter described on a system by system basis. In addition to reviewing conventional technologies, such as biological life-support systems and entry, required for autonomous Earth orbiting spacecraft, descent and landing systems are reviewed, while also recognising the importance of software as a space technology.

Finally, reviews of actual spacecraft mission and system designs are presented, pulling together the various space technologies into the system-of-systems which is a modern spacecraft.

Malcolm Macdonald is the Associate Director of the Advanced Space Concepts Laboratory at the University of Strathclyde. He is the only European Associate Editor of the Journal of Guidance, Control and Dynamics, an AIAA journal, an editorial board member of Recent Patents on Space Technology and previously an editorial advisor to the Journal BIS. He is also a member of the space committee of the Royal Aeronautical Society. His current research covers frontier research into visionary space systems, include the development of mission applications with advanced technologies and concepts, covering astrodynamics, mission analysis and technology requirements development, with hardware interests centred on Unmanned Autonomous Systems (UAS), covering micro /and nano-spacecraft, including CubeSats, and aircraft.

Macdonald has a diverse technical background, ranging across the complete spacecraft system and mission lifecycle. He has an on-going and extensive track-record of working with the European Space Agency on the technology requirements of far future science and exploration missions. He was previously a technical lead on the LISA-Pathfinder Disturbance Free Attitude Control Software, having also worked on the ADM-Aeolus control software. His work is reported in approximately 20 peer-reviewed journal papers and in many conference proceedings.

Viorel Badescu is affiliated with the Candida Oancea Institute and a Professor in the Department of Engineering Thermodynamics at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest. His mainstream scientific contributions consist of about 200 papers and several books related to statistical physics, thermodynamics, the physics of semiconductors, the various aspects of terrestrial and space solar energy applications and other energy-related issues. Also, he has theorized on present-day Mars meteorology and Mars terraforming and on several macro-engineering projects. He has received four awards, including the Romanian Academy Prize for Physics in 1979.