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Space Shuttle/an Illustrated History of Space Shuttle, Us Winged Spacecraft: X-15 to Orbiter
Traces the history of the space shuttle program from its beginnings to the 1984 flights of the Challenger
246 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 1986
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
June 4, 2012
An excellent overview, substantially illustrated.
The description of the November 1967 X-15 crash is harshly written towards the pilot Major Mike Adams, possibly reflecting the language of the NASA official report. Mike Adams did get the X-15 out of the spin before it disintegrated. Perhaps blaming a pilot no longer there was a way for NASA technical staff to minimise the computer malfunction earler in the flight. I felt the author could have stepped away from official style language describing that fatal incident; putting in that Adams did get out of the spin was something though.
The description of the November 1967 X-15 crash is harshly written towards the pilot Major Mike Adams, possibly reflecting the language of the NASA official report. Mike Adams did get the X-15 out of the spin before it disintegrated. Perhaps blaming a pilot no longer there was a way for NASA technical staff to minimise the computer malfunction earler in the flight. I felt the author could have stepped away from official style language describing that fatal incident; putting in that Adams did get out of the spin was something though.
April 13, 2013
Highly informative.
Early chapters on getting up to the sound barrier, the X-15 and lifting bodies are very interesting.
Masses of data on the Shuttle obviously- but very little on the decisions which led to the fatal flaws in the design- no escape system and boosters and shuttle strapped to the main tank. The issue of the military requiring such a vast machine is mentioned however.
Early chapters on getting up to the sound barrier, the X-15 and lifting bodies are very interesting.
Masses of data on the Shuttle obviously- but very little on the decisions which led to the fatal flaws in the design- no escape system and boosters and shuttle strapped to the main tank. The issue of the military requiring such a vast machine is mentioned however.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews