Space Shuttle: The History of the National Space Transportation System The First 100 Missions, 3rd Edition (Hardcover)

by Dennis R Jenkins (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist
Banking on space enthusiasts' appetite for detail, Jenkins delves into enough minutiae of the space shuttle to enable, it seems, the building of one's own orbiter. Schematic diagrams abound, as do more than 1,000 photos of all aspects of the space shuttle system: construction, maintenance, transportation (piggyback on 747s), and launch pad infrastructure. Curiously, the launches constitute a minor visual element in Jenkins' presentation, but the book is aimed at technophiles, not Canaveral tourists rubbernecking a blastoff. The engineering oriented will linger over Jenkins' history of the design of reusable spacecraft, which began on the drawing boards of Nazi rocket scientists who proposed an atmosphere-skipping craft to bomb New York. The American military's desire for a nuclear bomber lay behind the first space shuttle project, the canceled Dyna-Soar spacecraft of the early 1960s. When revived in the early 1970s, minus the bomb bay, the space shuttle showed a compromise configuration; its might-have-been structures are attested by drawings of about 40 alternative concepts. Hard-core space fans will have all they can handle in Jenkins' comprehensive catalog. Gilbert Taylor
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
"Highly Recommended" -- Air International magazine, January 2001

"Outstanding Title" for 2002. "Jenkins offers a comprehensive and engaging story of the development of the US Space Shuttle ..." -- Choice Magazine (American Library Association), January 2003

Listed as one of the "very best books about the world of aviation and spaceflight" -- Smithsonian Air & Space Magazine

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 524 pages
• Publisher: Dennis Jenkins; 3 edition (May 11, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0963397451
• ISBN-13: 978-0963397454
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 8.8 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (22 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #84,551 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Comprehensive Book About the Space Shuttle, July 6, 2002

By	John R. Keller (Houston, TX United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

While many books have been written about the historical development of the Space Shuttle, this book is without a doubt the best and most thorough of all. In addition, to the comprehensive text, the book contains hundreds of black and white and color photographs as well as numerous line drawings to further help the reader understand this marvelous space vehicle. Roughly the first 40% of the book covers the developmental history of the Space Shuttle from the early designs of Sanger, Bredt and von Braun, though the X-planes and Dyna-Soar to the many numerous NASA designs of which there are several hundred. These first 200 hundred pages far eclipse any other book on the subject and focus on the engineering side of the project and avoids most of the political discussions that accompany most other books on the subject. The next 60-70 pages cover the development of the present Space Shuttle. After this large introductory section, the book examines the first 100 mission of the Space Shuttle, including the Challenger accident and all the changes made to the Shuttles to improve flight worthiness. The final sections provide very technical descriptions of all aspects of the space shuttle from the landing gear, the thermal control system, the heat shields and much, much more. While I can't comment about the technical accuracy of all these sections, for those sections that I'm familiar with, the thermal control system, the environmental system and EVAs, I couldn't find anything wrong.

One final thing to add, in my over ten plus years working as a NASA contractor at the Johnson Space Center, I would say that I have referred to this book more than any other when I'm looking for information about the Space Shuttle, whether it is just general information or something more technical.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Technical History, December 16, 2003

By	Roger D. Launius "Historian" (Washington, D.C., United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

This book is by far the best technical history of the Space Shuttle, presenting an overview of the vehicle's development and use. It begins with a discussion of the origins of the goal of winged spaceflight in the 1920s, extends through the Dyna Soar, lifting body, and X-plane research until the decision to proceed with the Space Shuttle in 1972. It then goes into great detail about the shuttle's design and development effort in the 1970s and then discusses in some detail the first 100 missions of the program since 1981. In every case Jenkins offers an excellent technical analysis of all aspects of the vehicle. This book is the place to start in any effort to understand the history of the Space Shuttle. When the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) started investigating the shuttle accident of February 1, 2003, its members read this book as background to their important work. Jenkins soon became a staff member supporting the CAIB and his expertise showed in the final report.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary achievement, April 17, 2001

By	Robert Godwin (Burlington, Canada) - See all my reviews

Having just spent some time on the subject myself I can say in all good faith that Dennis Jenkins has done a remarkable job of compiling information on America's Space Transportation System. This book stands head and shoulders above anything else I have seen published on this complex subject. Covering everything from the earliest designs of Valier and Sänger up to and including future proposals for liquid boosted versions of the Shuttle, this book has it all. I have been carrying this book around with me for 48 hours straight. Brilliant job!