The Space Environment: Implications for Spacecraft Design [Paperback]

Alan C. Tribble (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0691102996 | ISBN-13: 978-0691102993 | Publication Date: September 22, 2003 | Edition: Rev Exp

The breakup of the Space Shuttle Columbia as it reentered Earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003, reminded the public--and NASA--of the grave risks posed to spacecraft by everything from insulating foam to space debris. Here, Alan Tribble presents a singular, up-to-date account of a wide range of less conspicuous but no less consequential environmental effects that can damage or cause poor performance of orbiting spacecraft. Conveying a wealth of insight into the nature of the space environment and how spacecraft interact with it, he covers design modifications aimed at eliminating or reducing such environmental effects as solar absorptance increases caused by self-contamination, materials erosion by atomic oxygen, electrical discharges due to spacecraft charging, degradation of electrical circuits by radiation, and bombardment by micrometeorites. This book is unique in that it bridges the gap between studies of the space environment as performed by space physicists and spacecraft design engineering as practiced by aerospace engineers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Anyone involved in the design, production, or use of instruments in space would benefit from access to a copy of this book. It collects together . . . subject areas that are more typically dealt with by single-topic specialists, and covers these aspects of the space environment in a readable, no-nonsense style. -- Observatory



Successfully bridges the divide between the space physicists' and the spacecraft design engineers' views of the space environment. It is a much needed and timely book. -- M. J. Rycroft, Journal of Atmosphere and Terrestrial Physics



This splendid book . . .[is] both an up-to-date reference and a textbook. . . . Very readable for both technical and lay audiences. -- Choice

About the Author

Alan C. Tribble is a rocket scientist who has spent over ten years designing dozens of spacecraft for various missions. Formerly with Boeing's Space Systems Division, he now does research and development with Rockwell Collins. His other books include the "Princeton Guide to Advanced Physics" and "A Tribble's Guide to Space" (both Princeton).

Product Details

• Paperback: 248 pages
• Publisher: Princeton University Press; Rev Exp edition (September 22, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0691102996
• ISBN-13: 978-0691102993
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,075,199 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent., April 24, 2001

By 

R. Michael Friends (Round Rock, TX USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Space Environment (Hardcover)

This book is one of the best I have found on the topic of a spacecraft's environment. It provides an introduction the many environments one finds with launch, various orbits and deep space missions. The physic of space are presented with enough detail that the engineer involved in spacecraft design gains an understanding of the environments that are encountered in space. The excellent references at the end of each chapter allow the reader to study the topic in more depth when needed. The book is written in a textbook format, with compulsory study questions at the end of each chapter. At times the math seemed disproportionate or irrelevant to the topic, but that is not unlike most textbooks. The several charts and figures are clear and applicable to the discussion in the text, never superfluous. I expected this book to serve as a reference that I could pull from the shelve, when needed, but the book is so well written and enjoyable, I instead read the book cover to cover.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Pretty good text for Space Environment Interactions, June 22, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: The Space Environment: Implications for Spacecraft Design (Paperback)

I wouldn't call this text amazing, but it is certainly adequate. I used this book for a graduate level course in space environment interactions mostly because there was a lack of other resources available. This book gives a decent overview, without getting too bogged down with the physics involved. However, the professor had to pull a large chunk of his material from other sources (out of print sources) because Tribble is a little to basic. As an aerospace engineer, I don't care so much about the EE stuff, so Tribble does a good job summarizing the EE physics. Overall, a sufficient reference that gives a good overview of s/c-environment interactions.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A useful reference, December 23, 2004

By 

Jill Malter ([e-mail]) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Space Environment: Implications for Spacecraft Design (Paperback)

Tribble supplies a good overview of environmental effects on spacecraft. That includes the consequences of being in a vacuum, interactions with neutral particles, plasma interactions (including spacecraft charging), radiation (total dose and single event effects) and hypervelocity impacts. That basically covers the whole field (unless you want to include weightlessness).

This book packs a large amount of information, including micrometeoroid fluxes, all sorts of radiation fluxes, nominal and storm plasma conditions, oxygen reaction efficiency, orbital decay times, and solar cycle activity. It's very handy if you work with spacecraft systems or payloads.