Product Description

This book outlines the development of space technology for military purposes from its very beginnings during World War 2 right up to the latest, most sophisticated systems. The author starts with references to the prewar era, then goes on to discuss German rocketry during World War 2 and their bold wartime ambitions, which were finally developed during the Cold War. By the mid-1950s, space was being visualized as the next big battlefield and both the US and Soviet Union had ambitions to expand their domains into the solar system. Many of these ideas were completely impractical, way beyond possible realisation, extremely dangerous and completely unaffordable. By the start of manned spaceflight, missions became politically motivated, although military projects continued in the background and this would eventually surface as the Star Wars (SDI) proposals. This is a serious factual study about the many projects that have come to the drawing board since the very beginning of space technology development; from the early experiments by the Germans in World War 2, through the X-plane era, 'Star Wars' and then to advanced spaceplane projects such as NASP (National Aerospace Plane), Copper Coast and the Aurora spaceplane, Soviet spaceplanes and long range USAF hypersonic strike and orbital aircraft. Many photographs are included to illustrate the detailed and comprehensive text.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #122424 in Books
• Published on: 2008-06-05
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 192 pages

About the Author
Bill Rose was born in 1948 and grew up in the North London suburbs. He was educated at Buckingham College and the University of Westminster. Bill began his working life as a laboratory technician, became a Fleet Street press photographer and eventually a photojournalist. As a writer, he has worked for many of the well-known science journals, a number of technical publications and various national and provincial newspapers. His principal areas of interest are photography, astronomy, space exploration and aviation. Bill has also undertaken background research for several UK-based TV production companies. He runs a small photographic business in Norfolk, which specialises in PR work, graphic design and image restoration.

Customer Reviews

An eye-opener
While the space technology of the title might put a few people off this book, it is much more than rocketry and satellites. As such it provides a single volume reference to the high-technology aerospace projects that have until now been just names in documents.

As well as the early space and rocketry projects from Germany US and UK, the book also covers the attempts to build re-useable space access systems and the hypersonic research aircraft, many of which have not been described previously.

Space technology certainly isn't my area of interest but there is much on advanced aerospace projects to keep aviation historians and modellers happy. Despite my casual interest in space technology, I found the book to be an eye-opener and certainly found plenty of fascinating information in this book.

It is a good read with much to recommend it.

Beyond my expectations
This has to be the ultimate book on space technology, and it includes far more than the usual reference books on this subject. It is informative, well written and packed full of pictures, drawings and extremely interesting new facts about numerous space projects. I was very impressed by the author's easy to read style and obvious knowledge of the subject matter, this book is most definitely a must have for anybody who has an interest in aerospace technology.

I thoroughly recommend this outstanding book