(Springer Praxis Books) 2010th Edition
by Brian Harvey (Author), Henk H. F. Smid (Author), Theo Pirard (Author)
This work introduces the important emerging space powers of the world.
Brian
Harvey describes the origins of the Japanese space program, from rocket
designs based on WW II German U-boats to tiny solid fuel 'pencil'
rockets, which led to the launch of the first Japanese satellite in
1970. The next two chapters relate how Japan expanded its space program,
developing small satellites into astronomical observatories and sending
missions to the Moon, Mars, comet Halley, and asteroids.
Chapter
4 describes how India's Vikram Sarabhai developed a sounding rocket
program in the 1960s. The following chapter describes the expansion of
the Indian space program. Chapter 6 relates how the Indian space program
is looking ahead to the success of the moon probe Chandrayan, due to
launch in 2008, and its first manned launching in 2014. Chapters 7, 8,
and 9 demonstrate how, in Iran, communications and remote sensing drive
space technology.
Chapter 10 outlines Brazil's road to space,
begun in the mid-1960's with the launch of the Sonda sounding rockets.
The following two chapters describe Brazil's satellites and space launch
systems and plans for the future. Chapters 13 and 14 study Israel's
space industry. The next chapters look at the burgeoning space programs
of North and South Korea.
The book ends by contrasting and
comparing all the space programs and speculating how they may evolve in
the future. An appendix lists all launches and launch attempts to date
of the emerging space powers.
