United States
£ GBP
Fundamentals of Astrodynamics and Applications is rapidly becoming the standard astrodynamics reference for those involved in the business of spaceflight. What sets this book apart is that nearly all of the theoretical mathematics is followed by discussions of practical applications implemented in tested software routines. For example, the book includes a compendium of algorithms that allow students and professionals to determine orbits with high precision using a PC. Without a doubt, when an astrodynamics problem arises in the future, it will become standard practice for engineers to keep this volume close at hand and `look it up in Vallado'.
While the first edition was an exceptionally useful and popular book throughout the community, there are a number of reasons why the second edition will be even more so. There are many reworked examples and derivations. Newly introduced topics include ground illumination calculations, Moon rise and set, and a listing of relevant Internet sites. There is an improved and expanded discussion of coordinate systems, orbit determination, and differential correction. Perhaps most important is that all of the software routines described in the book are now available for free in FORTRAN, PASCAL, and C.
Equations of Motion.- Kepler's Equation and Kepler's Problem.- Coordinate and Time Systems.- Observations.- Celestial Phenomena.- Orbital Maneuvering.- Initial Orbit Determination.- Special Perturbation Techniques.- General Perturbation Techniques.- Orbit Determination and Estimation.- Mission Analysis.- Appendix A: Dictionary of Symbols.- Appendix B: Modeling the Atmosphere.- Appendix C: Mathematical Fundamentals.- Appendix D: Constants and Expansions.
From the reviews of the third edition: "The author defines astrodynamics as 'the study of the motion of man-made objects in space, subject to both natural and artificially induced forces' ! . This valuable reference text should be on the bookshelf of anyone concerned with any aspect of satellite or orbital dynamics, including problems of the space environment associated with the proliferation of orbital space debris. The level of presentation is appropriate to both students starting in the field and to seasoned scientists and engineers." (John A Kennewell, Australian Physics, Vol. 45 (1), 2008) "The book deals with classical methods and techniques related to the unperturbed and perturbed two-body problem with applications to the motion of a spacecraft around the Earth. ! a book for the practicing engineer with some previous background in the field." (Gerard Gomez, Mathematical Reviews, Issue 2009 a)
