Showing titles in Aeronautics & Astronautics

Did you know that there is a molecule that may be a key to increasing human lifespans? Learn about this interesting research and more scientific advances powering the future of technology, interstellar exploration, and the human body.

Spaceflight is one of the greatest human achievements of the 20th century. The Soviets launched Sputnik, the first satellite, in 1957; less than 12 years later, the American Apollo astronauts landed on the moon.

From ambitious scientists rising above the clouds to analyse the air to war generals floating across enemy lines, Richard Holmes takes to the air in this heart-lifting history of pioneer balloonists. Falling Upwards asks why they risked their lives and how their flights revealed the secrets of our planet. The stories range from early ballooning rivals to the long-distance voyages of American entrepreneurs; from the legendary balloon escape from the Prussian siege of Paris to dauntless James Glaisher, who, in the 1860s, flew seven miles above the earth - without oxygen.

Does life exist on Mars? The question has captivated humans for centuries, but today it has taken on new urgency. NASA plans to send astronauts to Mars orbit by the 2030s. SpaceX wants to go by 2024, while Mars One wants to land a permanent settlement there in 2032. As we gear up for missions like these, we have a responsibility to think deeply about what kinds of life may already inhabit the planet - and whether we have the right to invite ourselves in.

"The Accelerating Universe is not only an informative book about modern cosmology. It is rich storytelling and, above all, a celebration of the human mind in its quest for beauty in all things." (Alan Lightman, author of Einstein's Dreams)

Get up close and personal with science as Andrew Kessler narrates his hilarious journey inside NASA’s Phoenix Mars mission - a historic enterprise manned by a motley crew of rocket scientists. The Phoenix Mars mission was the first man-made probe ever sent to the Martian arctic.

Apollo 11 was the first spaceflight to land humans on the Moon, conducted by NASA from July 16 to 24, 1969. Commander Neil Armstrong and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin landed the Lunar Module Eagle on July 20th at 20:17 UTC. Armstrong became the first person to step onto the surface about six hours later, at 02:56 UTC on July 21st. Aldrin joined him 19 minutes afterward, and together they spent about two and a half hours exploring the site they had named Tranquility Base upon landing. They collected 47 pounds of lunar material to bring back to Earth before re-entering the Lunar Module.

This book is the eighth volume of “The Living in Space Series”. Each volume focuses on one particular technology of living in space. This book covers the Astronauts, Cosmonauts, and other individuals who were responsible for some of the biggest space adventures to date. In this book, we will profile those persons who have been the star players in man’s exploration of space, and who have made major space contributions over the years.

Imaginez un instant cette scène irréelle : des milliers, des millions peut-être, de voitures se trouvant soudainement enveloppées dans un halo de sécurité, les coussins gonflables se déployant avec une précision chirurgicale. Les rues, auparavant des artères de béton et d'asphalte, furent transformées en océans de coussins gonflables, où les véhicules devinrent les sommets de montagnes mouvantes, émergeant de vagues blanches et cotonneuses. C'était comme si la Terre elle-même se gonflait de précaution, se protégeant contre une menace invisible venue des confins de l'espace.

Florida's Space Coast tells the compelling story of America's half century in space exploration from the successful launch of the first two-stage rocket in 1950 through the space shuttle missions of 2000. Told from the unique viewpoint of the people who built the Spaceport, this book shows how the space program transformed the east central Florida coast from a traditional citrus production and tourist area to one of the most influential high-tech centers in the nation.

Bridging the gap between the history of technology and its geographical and cultural contexts, this book offers an unprecedented reevaluation of the impact of the space program on its surrounding landscape, introducing a new framework for interpreting the agency's legacy.

'You must be a spy!' the Russian exclaimed. I laughed and raised my glass. True stories filled with humor, cultural mistakes and experiences; how in the early days of the Russian Federation, one man built a personal diplomacy with people who had never before even met an American—or spoke English. Familiarity brings understanding--and trust--but not everything goes smoothly.

Life in Space explores the many aspects and outcomes of NASAs research in life sciences, a little-understood endeavor that has often been overlooked in histories of the space agency. Maura Mackowski details NASAs work in this field from spectacular promises made during the Reagan era to the major new directions set by George W. Bush's Vision for Space Exploration.

The TR-3B, or Black Manta, or Astra is one of the most fascinating potentially top secret aircraft ever created by the United States military. The big reason for this is that this craft is supposed to use anti-gravity technology. This technology is discussed a lot in this book. Also, what other evidence is there for the existence of this craft? There are lots of unknowns here but there are also enough pictures of this aircraft that you can’t just discount sightings as being something else which the observers misinterpreted.

Throughout history, when threatened by wildfires our only defense was to pray for rain and run—until aircraft changed the way we fight fires. Beginning with the Canadian "H-Boats" in 1924, aircraft have become indispensable in detecting and extinguishing wildfires. Fire Eaters tells the incredible stories of the Ontario Provincial Air Service, the first government aerial fire suppression organization in history; one of its pilots, Carl Crossley, who invented the water scoop-up and drop-off system; and the Canadair CL-215, the first purpose-built water bomber.