Astronautics: launch vehicles and spacecraft

Abstract

The chapter ‘Astronautics: launch vehicles and spacecraft’ delves deeper into topics related to flight systems that operate in space and those that transport spacecraft from Earth to outer space. A notional launch vehicle is used to provide an overview of the structures and components of an astronautic flight system. The topic of rocket propulsion subsystems emphasizes liquid rocket engines, solid rocket motors, and hybrid rocket motors. Attention is then turned to introductory concepts from orbital mechanics, the study of how gravitational forces impact the trajectories of objects in space. A typical launch to space provides the backdrop for examining launch forces, the various phases of a launch, and why staging is crucial to reaching orbit and beyond. Select aspects of re-entry from space are also discussed. The chapter concludes by examining the subsystems that comprise a spacecraft’s bus and elements of an environmental control and life support subsystem.