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Space Shuttle Legacy: How We Did It and What We Learned
- GenresSpace
375 pages, Hardcover
First published September 30, 2013
1 person is currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
Roger D. Launius
76 books10 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Dr. Roger D. Launius earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in history at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge (American frontier and military history).
Dr. Launius was a civilian historian with the United States Air Force, and became Chief Historian for the Military Airlift Command. Since October 1990 he is Chief Historian for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He is also Senior Curator at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
He is also involved in the study of nineteenth century history and the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church).
Dr. Roger D. Launius earned M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in history at Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge (American frontier and military history).
Dr. Launius was a civilian historian with the United States Air Force, and became Chief Historian for the Military Airlift Command. Since October 1990 he is Chief Historian for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). He is also Senior Curator at the National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution.
He is also involved in the study of nineteenth century history and the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon Church).
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
July 30, 2017
I was 5 years old when this technological and cultural icon made its maiden flight back in 1981, and for about 30 years, it was the defining entity whenever I thought about space exploration. Six years ago, when I became a father for the first time, and Space Shuttle was about to land for the final time, and I remember watching its path via the incredible Google Earth software, second by second, with my baby boy not yet aware of a huge legacy. This book constitutes a major achievement to help curious minds become aware of this legacy.
It is very challenging to document every aspect and dimension of such a major project that spanned three decades and involved so many people and combination of complex systems. It is fair to say the authors have overcome these challenges within their page limits.
From its political history, to its combustion systems, from its thermal protection systems to its flight hardware and software, from its effects on astronauts selection to its cultural percussions, the book offers full perspective on what it meant to propose, design, build, and operate this great and complicated system. For me, the software chapter alone was worth reading the book, and its careful attention to engineering details for its combustion systems, engines, as well as thermal systems were a joy to read.
Authors of chapters are either directly involved with Space Shuttle, or were first-hand witnesses of the whole story throughout the years, and maybe that's why the book manages to be much more than a dry account of an engineering feat. The enthusiasm, as well as the criticism shines through almost every page.
It is of course not possible to remember the Space Shuttle with the tragic accidents, and these are also analyzed at great length in the book. Seeing how people reacted to the accidents, as well as what kind of analyses were done, in addition to the events preceding those tragedies make for an invaluable reading for generations to come.
If you are into space flight and exploration history, or someone curious about how one of the biggest and most complex engineering projects happened successfully, in terms of mechanical engineering, software engineering, political intricacies, management science and sociological percussions, you are guaranteed to enjoy this volume.
It is very challenging to document every aspect and dimension of such a major project that spanned three decades and involved so many people and combination of complex systems. It is fair to say the authors have overcome these challenges within their page limits.
From its political history, to its combustion systems, from its thermal protection systems to its flight hardware and software, from its effects on astronauts selection to its cultural percussions, the book offers full perspective on what it meant to propose, design, build, and operate this great and complicated system. For me, the software chapter alone was worth reading the book, and its careful attention to engineering details for its combustion systems, engines, as well as thermal systems were a joy to read.
Authors of chapters are either directly involved with Space Shuttle, or were first-hand witnesses of the whole story throughout the years, and maybe that's why the book manages to be much more than a dry account of an engineering feat. The enthusiasm, as well as the criticism shines through almost every page.
It is of course not possible to remember the Space Shuttle with the tragic accidents, and these are also analyzed at great length in the book. Seeing how people reacted to the accidents, as well as what kind of analyses were done, in addition to the events preceding those tragedies make for an invaluable reading for generations to come.
If you are into space flight and exploration history, or someone curious about how one of the biggest and most complex engineering projects happened successfully, in terms of mechanical engineering, software engineering, political intricacies, management science and sociological percussions, you are guaranteed to enjoy this volume.
December 31, 2021
I thought this was surprisingly readable for a textbook and still contained a good amount of information. There's little information on the solid boosters (they're well covered in the Challenger accident investigation and the books that came out of it), but the book discusses the liquid engines, TPS, software, crew interactions, leadership, budget, policy, and public opinion, which I though provided a well-rounded view of the pros and cons of the Shuttle.
May 3, 2015
I learned a great deal from this anthology, in which the authors summarize the legacy of the Space Shuttle and attempt to ascertain lessons for the future. I will refer to it as I write my historiographical essay on the shuttle for my Technology seminar this week.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews