Introduction to Space Flight

Rating:
Summary: Lives up to its title as a perfect intro to space flight
Review: Apparently intended for seniors in aero/astro or aerospace engineering, this book makes a perfect sequel to the typical sophomore/junior course in classical mechanics and a perfect intermediate entry before a proper course in astrodynamics. For instance, three body problems are treated in two dimensions rather than three. The explanations are all straightforward and succinct, and effectively clarify the mathematical derivations. The derivations themselves are just the sort that mathemeticians hate but physics types love, in that they are direct and to the point (I guess my allegiance is obvious). For me, having also studied some astrophysics, this also built nicely on previous material but from the perspective of artificial rather than natural moving bodies. The author has some annoying idiosyncracies, perhaps from the traditions of aero/astro types, like defining energy divided by mass as "energy" and using it that way throughout. But overall, this is a brisk and exhilarating tour through a fascinating application of classical physics.

Rating:
Summary: An excellent introduction to orbital mechanics.
Review: This book is an excellent introduction to both orbital mechanics and propulsion performance estimation as it applies to mission planning. While many of the topics are deeply rooted in hard core mathematics, Hale cuts to the chase and presents useful information up front without forcing the reader to wade through countless proofs. As a result, this book is useful for everyone from a high school student interested in the topic to a professional working in the field. Is it the definative work on the topic? I don't believe so. But I do believe that if you only own one book on the topic, you can't go wrong with this one.