The very first book on space systems failures written from an engineering perspective. 
Focuses on the causes of the failures and discusses how the engineering knowledge base has been enhanced by the lessons learned. Discusses non-fatal anomalies which do not affect the ultimate success of a mission, but which are failures nevertheless. Describes engineering aspects of the spacecraft, making this a valuable complementary reference work to conventional engineering texts.

Space Systems Failures: Disasters and Rescues of Satellites, Rocket and Space Probes (Springer Praxis Books)

Harland, David M.

Self-Help

Praxis

* Details how a succession of Salyut space stations led to the development of Mir. 
* Depicts Mir’s assembly piece by piece, in space, between 1982 and 1996. * Describes how Mir became an international research laboratory. * Advises how Mir technology went on to form the ‘core modules’ of the ISS. * The definitive account of Mir throughout its life through to de-orbiting in March 2001.

The Story of Space Station Mir (Springer Praxis Books)

Engineering & Transportation

Transportation

Provides a comprehensive account of the recent ‘Spirit’ and ‘Opportunity’ Mars Exploration Rover missions. 
Relates how NASA/ESA have sought evidence of life on Mars, with the prevailing mood sometimes being optimistic and sometimes pessimistic. Details an account of the rationale for the tests for life carried out by the Viking missions in 1976, with an account of the debate over their results. A concise primer for readers wishing to ‘bone up’ when NASA next sends a lander explicitly to seek life on Mars. Discusses the nature of life on Mars in terms of the most primitive forms of life on Earth, and reviews the implications of there being life on both planets.

Water and the Search for Life on Mars (Springer Praxis Books)

Science & Math

Astronomy & Space Science

*Brings the story of the Cassini-Huygens mission and their joint exploration of the Saturnian system right up to date. *Combines a review of previous knowledge of Saturn, its rings and moons, including Titan, with new spacecraft results in one handy volume. *Provides the latest and most spectacular images, which will never have appeared before in book form. *Gives a context to enable the reader to more easily appreciate the stream of discoveries that will be made by the Cassini-Huygens mission. *Tells the exciting story of the Huygens spacecraft’s journey to the surface of Titan.

Cassini at Saturn: Huygens Results (Springer Praxis Books)

This fascinating book is a must-have text for space enthusiasts with an engineering bent. It is a detailed history of unmanned missions that have explored our solar system. The subject is treated wherever possible from an engineering and scientific standpoint and includes technical descriptions of the spacecraft, their mission designs and their instrumentations. Scientific results are discussed in depth, together with details of mission management. The book is fantastically comprehensive, covering missions and results from the 1950s right up to the present day. Some of the latest missions and their results appear in a popular science book for the first time.

Robotic Exploration of the Solar System: Part I: The Golden Age 1957-1982 (Springer Praxis Books)

Ulivi, Paolo

There is renewed interest in the Moon in recent years, with the news that a Chinese lunar rover landed on the Moon in January 2014, and NASA announcing that it is looking for private partners to land a robot on the Moon's surface, as the first step in a programme to exploit the commercial opportunities offered by the Moon. Recent lunar expeditions by both orbiting spacecraft and 'landers' have uncovered far more detail about the Moon's surface and geology, including the trail of Neil Armstrong's first walk on the Moon in 1969. This manual explains in simple and straightforward terms, with a wealth of illustrations and photographs, what we have discovered about the Moon over the centuries, along with a general overview of the vehicles involved in the exploration.

Moon Manual (Haynes Owners' Workshop Manual)

Haynes Publishing, UK

This rapidly paced book provides a fascinating insight into how our understanding of Mars has developed. When a Renaissance astronomer studied the motions of Mars in the sky, he discovered the laws of planetary motion. With the advent of the telescope, the planet could be studied as a world in its own right, measuring the length of its day and mapping its surface in ever more detail. Late in the 19th century, Percival Lowell in the USA claimed Mars was criss-crossed by canals created by a race of intelligent beings to transport water from the polar ice caps to the equatorial areas. Although Lowell’s vision of Mars was rejected by astronomers, it inspired storytellers to write classic works of science fiction. By the mid-20th century, the consensus view was that large tracts of the planet hosted a hardy form of vegetation. Given the limitation of telescopes, the only way to be sure was to send a probe. The engaging text, supported by numerous technical illustrations, photographs and graphics, relates the challenges and technical triumph of sending space vehicles to Mars, initially on flyby missions, then to orbit the planet, and more recently to land on it. Mars is a world of contrasts. Much of the southern hemisphere is cratered highlands and much of the northern hemisphere is a low-lying plain that might once have held an ocean. There are volcanoes and canyons much larger than those on Earth, and broad channels cut by vast floods - all formed early in the planet’s history. Mars has suffered extreme climate change. Did life develop there when the planet was warm and wet? Did it adapt to the current arid and cold conditions? We looked for microbes in the soil with indeterminate results. Soon, we hope to drill to seek evidence of microbes living beneath the surface. The implications of finding life on Mars are profound, because if life can develop independently in several places in the solar system then it is probably ubiquitous across the universe. The Mars Owners' Workshop Manual chronicles this story of discovery and looks forward to the time when we will join our robots in exploring the intriguing Red Planet.

Mars Owners' Workshop Manual: From 4.5 billion years ago to the present (Haynes Manuals)

Universe Owners' Workshop Manual addresses themes in astronomy over the last few hundred years by which we came to understand the origin and evolution of the universe at large, the processes by which planetary systems form, and the chances of life being ubiquitous. Subplots and disputes between eminent figures that are merely alluded to here will be fully explored in the text.

Universe Owners' Workshop Manual: From 13.8 billion years ago to the infinite future - An insight into the study of the universe and our place in it (Haynes Manuals)

If you have ever asked yourself What did the astronauts do on the lunar surface? What did they say while they were there? What did they photograph? How did their discoveries alter our understanding of lunar geology? Will we ever go back to the moon? If so, Exploring the Moon is the book for you. This unique insight into the three Apollo missions (15, 16 and 17) answers all these questions and much more. Using the actual transcripts of what the astronauts said to each other whilst carrying out their duties, and numerous photographs taken at each step of the exploration, this book provides a graphic illustration of what can arguably be described as Mankinds greatest feat of exploration.

Exploring the Moon: The Apollo Expeditions (Springer-Praxis Series in Space Science and Technology)

Springer

CREATING THE INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION is the first comprehensive review of the historical background, rationale behind, and events leading to the construction and commissioning of the ISS. The authors describe the orbital assembly of the ISS on a flight-by-flight basis, listing all the experiments planned in the various laboratory modules and explain their objectives. They also provide an account of the long-term stresses and strains of building the ISS on the US/Russia relationship, especially after 1997. By offering a comprehensive mix of operational work, microgravity science and future plans, the book should satisfy both the space enthusiast, eager for a detailed review of the missions, and the specialist wishing to read about the science research program.

Creating the International Space Station (Springer Praxis Books)

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