Space Flight For Dummies

[Mr Shifty]

Just found this book at my local library: To Rise From Earth by Wayne Lee

http://www.amazon.com/To-Rise-Earth-Easy-To-Understand-Spaceflight/dp/0816040923

It's basically a how-to guide for orbital mechanics, including delta-V, rocket mechanics, rendezvous and docking, Hohmann transfers, planetary transfers, etc with examples and information about space programs, future and past. It's actually a really good reference for understanding many of the concepts necessary to play KSP. Here's an example photo of a page on Hohmann transfers:

[spikeyhat09]

only 4$? are ya kiddin me?

[Brabbit1987]

Just found this book at my local library: To Rise From Earth by Wayne Lee

http://www.amazon.com/To-Rise-Earth-Easy-To-Understand-Spaceflight/dp/0816040923

It's basically a how-to guide for orbital mechanics, including delta-V, rocket mechanics, rendezvous and docking, Hohmann transfers, planetary transfers, etc with examples and information about space programs, future and past. It's actually a really good reference for understanding many of the concepts necessary to play KSP. Here's an example photo of a page on Hohmann transfers:

Pretty neat =^.^=

I would look into purchasing that book, but honestly i think you could probably findall the same info on the net. It's really been so long since I purchased a book or gone to a library.

[Max Grant]

Pretty neat =^.^=

I would look into purchasing that book, but honestly i think you could probably findall the same info on the net. It's really been so long since I purchased a book or gone to a library.

I have this thing for books. I like the smell. I like the pages. I like the flopping sound of the pages. One of my favorite books of all time, Satellites, Rockets and Outer Space, was huge in my young life, in forming my dreams of space travel. I just tried looking up the edition I had, and I've realized I have (or had) an extremely rare edition, in hardback, that apparently has not been spotted recently on the Internet.

Anyway, books are marvelous things. That book had THE coolest pictures, some of them of totally impractical spaceships that nonetheless looked awe-inspiring. And it was first printed in the 1950's, so some of the ideas people had about the Solar System were amusingly out of date, in the 1970's when I read it.

I'm definitely going to get this one. It looks awesome.

[espm400]

Pretty neat =^.^=

I would look into purchasing that book, but honestly i think you could probably findall the same info on the net. It's really been so long since I purchased a book or gone to a library.

Being someone who grew up reading a lot, I still frequent libraries and bookstores on a fairly regular basis. Sure, information is infinitely more accessible on the net, but when it comes to fiction, I pity those that don't read books anymore. Movies are great, but they're no substitute for the written word.

As for those that tell me to use an e-reader, I scorch my retinas enough staring at my computer screen, I don't need another one to stare at for hours.

[Guest]

As for those that tell me to use an e-reader, I scorch my retinas enough staring at my computer screen, I don't need another one to stare at for hours.

One of my dreams of youth was the piece of electronic paper and I finally got one when my wife bought me a second-gen Kindle a few years back. Read just like a piece of paper; the e-ink display is incredibly easy on the eyes, almost exactly like reading one of my many paperbacks. It was recently broken and I haven't gone looking for a new one because my sister owns one of the Fire models and it's a standard LCD-type screen, scorched retinas and all.

OP, that is a score, lucky you! Thanks for sharing!

[Brabbit1987]

Being someone who grew up reading a lot, I still frequent libraries and bookstores on a fairly regular basis. Sure, information is infinitely more accessible on the net, but when it comes to fiction, I pity those that don't read books anymore. Movies are great, but they're no substitute for the written word.

As for those that tell me to use an e-reader, I scorch my retinas enough staring at my computer screen, I don't need another one to stare at for hours.

Now that you mention it, you are right about fiction books. I also agree with you on the e-reader portion for sure. Though I like books for some reason, even if I do not read them much anymore XD. I do collect and read Manga though lol, not sure if that really counts.

[Mr Shifty]

I read as much as I can, with family and work and gaming constraints. My usual goal is to make it through 50 books a year more or less (I started tracking what I read a couple years ago.) In fact, I just finished Andrew Chaikin's 3 volume book A Man on the Moon, which a fantastic and fascinating read about the Apollo program, from the Fire to Gene Cernan's final farewell to the moon.

Regarding this book by Wayne Lee:

* It was written in 2000, so has a (very interesting) section about the "planned" ISS

* The author is/was a JPL engineer

* The book was used as a textbook/reference for undergraduates participating in some of NASA's summer internships

* It's really very good, light on the math, lots of interesting examples, good diagrams, etc

[Tw1]

Books rule, I too, read them, from time to time.

But that book looks very useful for beginners to KSP.

[Benie]

So that's what a Hohmann Transfer is. I was puzzled why it was called that in MechJeb.

[NeoMorph]

One of my dreams of youth was the piece of electronic paper and I finally got one when my wife bought me a second-gen Kindle a few years back. Read just like a piece of paper; the e-ink display is incredibly easy on the eyes, almost exactly like reading one of my many paperbacks. It was recently broken and I haven't gone looking for a new one because my sister owns one of the Fire models and it's a standard LCD-type screen, scorched retinas and all.

OP, that is a score, lucky you! Thanks for sharing!

Dude, they still do e-ink Kindles. The Paperwhite is a top lit e-ink display. You can read it outdoors without the light on even. I've got every model of Kindle e-book (not the Fire because it's not a true e-book like you said) since the second gen as I've loved them. I've just stored books in my older versions and have a whole library in just a few inches. I've only got a small flat so all the boxes full of books (I read a lot) have ended up going, bit by bit, to the charity shops.

But the Paperwhite Kindle is my favourite e-reader. I might have to buy a new one because I've chipped the screen after dropping it recently and my OCD keeps dragging me to look at the small mark. I'll probably give it away as it's annoying me somewhat.

[Guest]

Dude, they still do e-ink Kindles. The Paperwhite is a top lit e-ink display. You can read it outdoors without the light on even. I've got every model of Kindle e-book (not the Fire because it's not a true e-book like you said) since the second gen as I've loved them. I've just stored books in my older versions and have a whole library in just a few inches. I've only got a small flat so all the boxes full of books (I read a lot) have ended up going, bit by bit, to the charity shops.

But the Paperwhite Kindle is my favourite e-reader. I might have to buy a new one because I've chipped the screen after dropping it recently and my OCD keeps dragging me to look at the small mark. I'll probably give it away as it's annoying me somewhat.

I completely forgot about the Paperwhite, color me embarrassed... My phone has a Kindle app and I have my histories loaded up but I just can't bear to do heavy reading on it. Forums are fine, but books?

[DerekL1963]

Sure, information is infinitely more accessible on the net

That depends on the topic and how deep you want to go... For some, yes, the 'net is a virtual fountain of cornucopias. For others, a virtual fountain of that which is usually flushed away. For yet others, a vast empty wasteland. For most of what I study, it's one of the latter two.

[CCKinnison]

I love books. I have about 3 thousand in the house. Yeah... I have a bit of a dust problem. I also have a Kindle DX, which makes a DANDY paperweight. I just Soooo prefer paper to using it.

Oh, and I just bought the book that started this thread off Amazon.

[KerbMav]

My usual goal is to make it through 50 books a year more or less

50 books a year??

Thats one a week!

With a 40h week and being a gaming addict I only read on my weekend train trip to my not so long distance better half - but only on the short parts, the longer riding times are dedicated to catching up on the few good TV series I enjoy (on my eeePC).