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Three Decades to a Space Shuttle

by D. M. Wylie

201 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #04-1671; ISBN 1-4120-3863-4; US$19.50, C$23.00, EUR16.00, £11.50

Have you ever wondered of the marvels of the space shuttle and how it came to be? Who conceived it and what was involved in making such a complicated machine?

Read more!

About the Book      About the Author      Excerpts      Catalogue Information

About the Book

Three Decades to a Space Shuttle is the story of the evolution of space flight beginning with "G" force experiments in 1947 at Edwards Air Force Base. Visionary concepts followed in 1951 and an evolutionary progression to space flight eventually led to the first shuttle flight in 1981, three decades later. The expertise of the American engineering and scientific community is examined which chronologically forged new technology. Columbia's first flight in 1981 was the culmination of a series of evolutionary steps, one at a time, over thirty years. The justifications of major budget allocations are shown and the resulting benefits to world populations are discussed. The space program and Government financing of private industry led to economical stability and brought our technical and scientific capability to a level not thought possible thirty years ago. Joint cooperation between American industry and government combined with foreign competition has enhanced world business and trade. A study of the past shows us what our possibilities can be in the future and what new frontiers we may experience.

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About the Author

D.M. Wylie first became interested in space exploration in the late 1940s when he was introduced to such new aircrafts as the flying wings (XB-35, YB-49), the Bell X-1, and the Rocket Sled test program at Muroc Air Base in the Mojave Desert. Military service gave him experience with guidance and control system technology and inertial navigation systems. His first job in the defense industry was with a small power supply company, building a back-up battery supply for JPL space program research. He worked in Los Angeles for a major guidance and control systems company building aircraft flight systems and test equipment. His involvement with the space shuttle program came during tenure with a major hybrid microelectronic manufacturer who, among other things, built electronic modules for the space shuttle. An engineer, wine maker, wood worker and sailor, the author - known to friends as Mike Wylie - lives with his wife, June, in Fort Collins, Colorado.

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Excerpts

Preface:

The untimely destruction of the Shuttle Columbia in January 2003 led to much media speculation and loud criticism of the space shuttle program. The media was quick to condemn the failure and, as usual, ever slow to applaud the success of any government program. After hearing repeated statements by the uneducated - criticizing the shuttle in their best editorial disguise - I found it not unusual that the NASA family politely challenged these comments. In fact, not one of the many relatives and friends of the Columbia astronauts has suggested that space exploration should be halted. Many went public in their support even in their time of grief. I felt motivated to present an appreciative viewpoint of the space shuttle program. This book is what I, and many of my fellow participants in the industry, feel about space exploration and how it has contributed to our lives. I think it is important that everyone know just what a space shuttle is. How do you get one? Where did they come from? And what does it do? This book will answer those questions and hopefully give everyone the real story of the shuttle.

The space shuttle is an unbelievably complex and sophisticated machine. It is the latest evolution of the space exploration program that started in the late 1940s, cumulating three decades of human technology and expertise. It is the result of the efforts of the American aerospace industry, in cooperation with the government, the military, and NASA. You're not going to find a shuttle at the local auto dealer, and you cannot order one on the Internet. They are conceived, designed and built by enterprising American companies using the intelligence and ingenuity of aerospace workers.

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Catalogue Information

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