Orbital Mechanics Textbooks - suggestions

[S4qFBxkFFg]

Getting KSP has inspired me to learn more about orbital mechanics, so I was thinking of buying an actual textbook on the subject. The problem is, they are quite expensive; second-hand is OK though, but I'd still make to make sure I'd be buying something that covers the subject in detail, and is ideally accessible. (I have a couple of engineering degrees, but would struggle to remember quite a lot of what I did...)

So, if anyone has suggestions for books they have actually read and used, I would be grateful.

[christok]

I don't have many books on this topic and I'm very far from finished with them but I suppose I can recommend two. If you want a book on just orbital mechanics of spacecraft, I have and enjoy Orbit & constellation design & management by Wertz. It's very comprehensive but perhaps a little lighter on complicated interplanetary maneuvers such as multiple gravity assist trajectories. It's a somewhat specialised topic and you'd want a dedicated book if you want to get your hands dirty. The information on interstellar trajectories is fairly basic but there is a decent list of references.

(In the unlikely event that you actually do want to study interstellar trajectories, you can start with The starflight handbook: A pioneer's guide to interstellar travel by Mallove & Matloff. Even better, the journal of the British Interplanetary Society has for a long time been a major publication for papers on this topic. Robert Forward was one of the early pioneers in this field so you could always just search for his work.)

If you'd like more general information on other aspects of spaceflight as well, Space mission engineering: The new SMAD or the older versions (Space mission analysis and design, AKA SMAD), edited by Wertz, Everett & Puschell is very insightful. It has a chapter on orbital mechanics but is very light on interplanetary flight.

Search Amazon and astrobooks.com and borrow what you think you need from a library (inter-library loan if necessary). If you then decide you'd like a copy you have peace of mind that it's money well spent.

Edited November 30, 2013 by christok
Oops, grammar.

[K^2]

How is your background on classical mechanics? I would recommend to start with a mechanics text, since they would usually have a good section on central potential motion. I just looked in Goldstein, and it covers central potential in general, Kepler problem, and goes a bit into 3-body motion. If you understand that, you will understand absolutely everything there is to understand about types of orbits KSP considers.

But real orbital mechanics goes way beyond that. Real objects are not perfect spheres, and you never have a pure two-body problem to deal with.

[architeuthis]

I think Fundamentals of Astrodynamics by Bate and Mueller is still a standard text on this subject. You can find used copies fairly inexpensively. No matter what text you end up getting it's definitely a good idea to brush up on basic differential and integral calculus as well as vector algebra first.

[S4qFBxkFFg]

Thank you for all the replies - I've added some of the cheaper options I could find to my Christmas wishlist, but I probably should get to the library at some point too.

[diomedea]

If you want to add a fine book to your bookshelf, certainly go to the library. But not many libraries hold good books on the subject, best ones are those selling to university students.

If you are interested to learn the subject, I believe you will find everything you need on this online book http://astrowww.phys.uvic.ca/~tatum/celmechs.html and save some money.

It is pretty intense with math, but for anybody with couple engineering degrees should not be a problem.

[Nikolai]

Prussing and Conway. Prussing and Conway.

http://www.amazon.com/Orbital-Mechanics-John-E-Prussing/dp/0199837708/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1386619845&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=prussing+conway

I've read several texts on orbital mechanics, and this one seems more thorough and organized than most.

[MajorThomas]

"Fundamentals of Astrodynamics" by Bate, Mueller & White is the only text I've got on the subject...it was the only one (IIRC) recommended for my orbital mechanics course in grad school. It's a Dover book, considered a classic, but to me it always seemed a bit light on the fundamentals, it assumes you know a bit about what you're doing before you dive in. Got a lot of good stuff in it but doesn't all feel connected together, unlike a good undergrad textbook.

[Agamemnon]

http://www.braeunig.us/space/orbmech.htm