Customer Reviews

Spaceflight Dynamics

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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.

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.

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!