How Spacecraft Fly (PDF)

Graham Swinerd has over thirty years of experience in spacecraft orbit design and analysis and in the design of spacecraft. He also has many years of experience as an engineer, both in industry, working for a number of years at British Aerospace Space Systems, and as a lecturer of spacecraft engineering at Southampton University, supervising project undergraduate and postgraduate research students. He has some 60 technical papers published in refereed journals, and numerous conference papers. He is also principal editor, and contributing author, of an award winning standard textbook in spacecraft design - 'Spacecraft Systems Engineering (3rd Edition)', Fortescue, Stark and Swinerd, Wiley & Sons, 2003. Graham Swinerd is therefore ideally suited to author a book on the subject of the design and operation of spacecraft.

Award: Luigi Napolitano Literature Award, presented by the International Academy of Astronautics, at the 55th International Astronautics Congress, Vancouver, 3 October 2004.

From the reviews:

"Fortunately Graham Swinerd, reader in astronautics at the University of Southampton, has penned... a maths-free guidebook... if only all popular science books were as clearly presented!" (Four out of five stars, Sean Blair, Sky at Night Magazine, May 2009)

"There is a great deal of useful information that you do not find readily elsewhere and given the rather dry nature of the subject, the book is written in a lucid and engaging style that makes enjoyable reading..." (Robin Flegg, Astronomy Now, May 2009)

"Aimed at non-technical readers, the book requires ‘no prior knowledge’. … The core of the book includes discussion of the various spacecraft subsystems, such as power, propulsion and communications, and a commentary on design. … The book makes reference to ‘Star Trek’, warp drive and the space elevator, but only by way of populist garnish." (Mark Williamson, IET Knowledge Network, May, 2009)

"This work is a basic introduction to spacecraft (mainly satellite) engineering … . The material in this volume should be accessible to any undergraduate who has taken introductory courses in math and physics. … This work is so fundamental and relevant to the modern world that it will be important for all libraries serving undergraduates. Summing Up: Highly recommended. General readers, lower- and upper-division undergraduates, graduate students, and two-year technical program students." (A. M. Strauss, Choice, Vol. 46 (8), April, 2009)