Table of Contents

Launch vehicles.- The missiles.- The Shuttle.- Back to expendables.- Heavyweights.- Lightweights.- Boom and bust.- The Chinese experience.- The current crop.- Satellites and space probes.- Failure and redundancy.- Propulsion system failures.- Attitude control system failures.- Electrical failures.- Environmental failures.- Structural failures.- Failures on the ground.- Operator and software errors.- Conclusions.

Reviews

From the reviews: "Harland (space historian) and Lorenz (Univ. of Arizona, Tucson), using occasional flashes of humor, explore in depth the wide variety of causes of failure of space systems … . The material is very practical, punchy, and straightforward, presented in a refreshing writing style. The book contains many … illustrations, extensive references at the end of each chapter and a full 14-page index. … it is a must for scientists and engineers engaged in or planning a career in space systems. Summing Up: Recommended." (W. E. Howard, CHOICE, November, 2005) "This book is the literary equivalent of the ‘tell-all’ TV documentary and should meet most of its readers’ vicarious interests in what can go wrong in – or on the way to –space. … The book is pretty well encyclopaedic … . The book is illustrated with black-and-white photos and diagrams … . On balance, this book is well researched and referenced … . Anyone involved in the design, manufacturing and operation of spacecraft and launch vehicles should read this book … and learn." (satellite-evolution.com, May/June, 2007)