Spaceflight Dynamics (Hardcover)

by William Wiesel (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Designed for undergraduate courses in Spacecraft Dynamics and Orbital Mechanics, this new edition offers a three-dimensional treatment of dynamics discussions of rigid body dynamics, rocket trajectories, and the space environment. An expert in his field, author William E. Wiesel presents a wealth of information in an easy-to-understand manner without the daunting mathematical rigor of graduate texts. Reference is made to actual flight vehicles and satellites to give students background on the type of work currently being done in this field.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 368 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill Science/Engineering/Math; 2 edition (August 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0070701105
• ISBN-13: 978-0070701106
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #332,732 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Aerospace Engineering Student, February 21, 2004

By A Customer

This book is really designed for a beginner level class in astrodynamics. I used it for my beginner class, and I found the book to be extremely helpful. Now, taking graduate level courses in astrodynamics, I still use Wiesel's book! When I need to look up basic formulas, I use this book often. If you're looking for a more advanced book in astrodynamics, look into Vallado's Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications. However, for the beginner level, Wiesel does an excellent job of explaining the material and presenting the mathematics behind the equations.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Jonathan Erdmann, November 16, 2004

By	Jonathan Erdmann "Jonathan" (Ames, IA USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I am an aerospace engineering student at the undergraduate level and used this text in an astrodynamics course. I felt that the author did a good job developing the fundamentals needed but lacked some important derivations that would have been usefull at times. I also enjoyed some of the non-technical aspects of this book as well, such as the sections devoted to our solar system and its characteristics.

I used this book along with Fundamentals of Astrodynamics by Roger Bate, Donald Mueller, and Jerry White - which has been used at my university for more than twenty-five years. I would suggest purchasing both books at once as doing so will give both a modern viewpoint of the subject as well as the derivations needed to understand the basics.

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good introductory and reference book, September 5, 2004

By	A Physics major turned Aerospace Engineer (Boulder CO, USA) - See all my reviews

This book is easy to read and contains several good exercises. Ideal for undergrads looking to learn about orbital mechanics, attitude control, and trajectories. Also excellent as a quick reference for more advanced students. The only complaint I have about the book is that some of the diagrams are not very well drawn, which can be somewhat annoying, especially if it's for a homework problem!