Facing the Heat Barrier
Facing the Heat Barrier

Author: T.A. Heppenheimer

Publisher: Courier Dover Publications

Published: 2018-09-12

Total Pages: 355

ISBN-13: 0486834514

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This volume from The NASA History Series presents an overview of the science of hypersonics, the study of flight at speeds at which the physics of flows is dominated by aerodynamic heating. The survey begins during the years immediately following World War II, with the first steps in hypersonic research: the development of missile nose cones and the X-15; the earliest concepts of hypersonic propulsion; and the origin of the scramjet engine. Next, it addresses the re-entry problem, which came to the forefront during the mid-1950s, showing how work in this area supported the manned space program and contributed to the development of the orbital shuttle. Subsequent chapters explore the fading of scramjet studies and the rise of the National Aerospace Plane (NASP) program of 1985–95, which sought to lay groundwork for single-stage vehicles. The program's ultimate shortcomings — in terms of aerodynamics, propulsion, and materials — are discussed, and the book concludes with a look at hypersonics in the post-NASP era, including the development of the X-33 and X-34 launch vehicles, further uses for scramjets, and advances in fluid mechanics. Clearly, ongoing research in hypersonics has yet to reach its full potential, and readers with an interest in aeronautics and astronautics will find this book a fascinating exploration of the field's history and future.

50 Years of Solar System Exploration
50 Years of Solar System Exploration

Author: Linda Billings

Publisher: National Aeronautics and Space Administration Office of Communications NASA History Division

Published: 2020

Total Pages:

ISBN-13: 9781626830530

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"To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the first successful planetary mission, Mariner 2 sent to Venus in 1962, the NASA History Program Office, the Division of Space History at the National Air and Space Museum, NASA's Science Mission Directorate, and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory organized a symposium. "Solar System Exploration @ 50" was held in Washington, D.C., on 25-26 October 2012. The purpose of this symposium was to consider, over the more than 50-year history of the Space Age, what we have learned about the other bodies of the solar system and the processes by which we have learned it. Symposium organizers asked authors to address broad topics relating to the history of solar system exploration such as various flight projects, the development of space science disciplines, the relationship between robotic exploration and human spaceflight, the development of instruments and methodologies for scientific exploration, as well as the development of theories about planetary science, solar system origins and implications for other worlds. The papers in this volume provide a richly textured picture of important developments - and some colorful characters - in a half century of solar system exploration. A comprehensive history of the first 50 years of solar system exploration would fill many volumes. What readers will find in this volume is a collection of interesting stories about money, politics, human resources, commitment, competition and cooperation, and the "faster, better, cheaper" era of solar system exploration"--

Mars Wars
Mars Wars

Author: Thor Hogan

Publisher: Government Printing Office

Published: 2009-08-13

Total Pages: 198

ISBN-13: 9780160831577

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On the 20th anniversary of the first human landing on the Moon, President George H.W. Bush stood atop the steps of the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. and proposed a long-range human exploration plan that included the successful construction of an orbital space station, a permanent return to the Moon, and a mission to Mars. This enterprise became known as the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). The president charged the newly reestablished National Space Council with providing concrete alternatives for meeting these objectives. To provide overall focus for the new initiative, Bush later set a thirty-year goal for a crewed landing on Mars. Within a few short years after this Kennedyesque announcement, however, the initiative had faded into history the victim of a flawed policy process and a political war fought on several different fronts. The story of this failed initiative was a tale of organizational, cultural, and personal confrontation by key protagonists and critical battles. Some commentators have argued that SEI was doomed to fail, due primarily to the immense budgetary pressures facing the nation during the early 1990s. The central thesis of Mars Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Space Exploration Initiative suggests, however, that failure was not predetermined. Instead, it was the result of a deeply flawed decision-making process that failed to develop (or even consider) policy options that may have been politically acceptable given the existing political environment.

The Cradle of Language
The Cradle of Language

Author: Rudolf Botha

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2009-04-30

Total Pages: 418

ISBN-13: 0191567671

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This book is the first to focus on the African origins of human language. It explores the origins of language and culture 250,000-150,000 years ago when modern humans evolved in Africa. Scholars from around the world address the fossil, genetic, and archaeological evidence and critically examine the ways it has been interpreted. The book also considers parallel developments among Europe's Neanderthals and the contrasting outcomes for the two species. Following an extensive introduction contextualizing and linking the book's topics and approaches, fifteen chapters bring together many of the most significant recent findings and developments in modern human origins research. The fields represented by the authors include genetics, biology, behavioural ecology, linguistics, archaeology, cognitive science, and anthropology.

Aeronautical Research in Germany
Aeronautical Research in Germany

Author: Ernst Heinrich Hirschel

Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media

Published: 2012-12-06

Total Pages: 728

ISBN-13: 3642184847

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From the pioneering glider flights of Otto Lilienthal (1891) to the advanced avionics of today’s Airbus passenger jets, aeronautical research in Germany has been at the forefront of the birth and advancement of aeronautics. On the occasion of the centennial commemoration of the Wright Brother’s first powered flight (December 1903), this English-language edition of Aeronautical Research in Germany recounts and celebrates the considerable contributions made in Germany to the invention and ongoing development of aircraft. Featuring hundreds of historic photos and non-technical language, this comprehensive and scholarly account will interest historians, engineers, and, also, all serious airplane devotees. Through individual contributions by 35 aeronautical experts, it covers in fascinating detail the milestones of the first 100 years of aeronautical research in Germany, within the broader context of the scientific, political, and industrial milieus. This richly illustrated and authoritative volume constitutes a most timely and substantial overview of the crucial contributions to the foundation and advancement of aeronautics made by German scientists and engineers.

International Public Health: Diseases, Programs, Systems and Policies
International Public Health: Diseases, Programs, Systems and Policies

Author: Michael Merson

Publisher: Jones & Bartlett Learning

Published: 2006

Total Pages: 755

ISBN-13: 0763729671

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In this text for graduate students in various disciplines who are studying international public health, the author focuses on conditions in low- and middle-income countries, occasionally making reference to high-income countries. He suggests approaches for fostering public health, and discusses future challenges for health promotion and disease prevention around the world. The text can also be used as a reference by those working in government agencies, international health and development agencies, and NGOs.