Author Topic: Another good(?) shuttle book coming (Read 21171 times)

rdale · « **on:** 03/13/2011 10:34 pm »

With the end of the program it seems a lot of shuttle books are coming out. Obviously Wings in Orbit will set the bar, but I ran across this today and wonder if anyone knows enough about the author and/or the project? Might be worth a pre-order...

NASA Space Shuttle Manual: An Insight into the Design, Construction and Operation of the NASA Space Shuttle

Product Description
Designed between 1969 and 1972 and first flown into space in 1981, the NASA Shuttle will have flown almost 140 missions by the time it is retired in 2011. David Baker describes the origin of the reusable launch vehicle concept during the 1960s, its evolution into a viable flying machine in the early 1970s, and its subsequent design, engineering, construction, and operation. The Shuttle’s internal layout and systems are explained, including the operation of life support, electrical-power production, cooling, propulsion, flight control, communications, landing, and avionics systems.

About the Author
David Baker joined the U.S. space program during the Apollo years and later worked on the development of NASA’s Space Shuttle. He has written widely on the spaceflight technology and is the editor of Aviation News.

http://www.amazon.com/NASA-Space-Shuttle-Manual-Construction/dp/0760340765/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_c

XP67_Moonbat · « **Reply #1 on:** 03/14/2011 11:09 pm »

Maybe Dennis R Jenkins will put out a final edition of his SPACE SHUTTLE book soon. Last one came out back in '01. I think and "ultimate edition" would be great.

Jorge · « **Reply #2 on:** 03/14/2011 11:21 pm »

Quote from: XP67_Moonbat on 03/14/2011 11:09 pm

Maybe Dennis R Jenkins will put out a final edition of his SPACE SHUTTLE book soon. Last one came out back in '01. I think and "ultimate edition" would be great.

That is the plan, yes.

Chris Bergin · « **Reply #3 on:** 03/14/2011 11:38 pm »

When's Jorge's book coming out? I'd buy that.

robertross · « **Reply #4 on:** 03/14/2011 11:44 pm »

Quote from: rdale on 03/13/2011 10:34 pm

With the end of the program it seems a lot of shuttle books are coming out. Obviously Wings in Orbit will set the bar, but I ran across this today and wonder if anyone knows enough about the author and/or the project? Might be worth a pre-order...

NASA Space Shuttle Manual: An Insight into the Design, Construction and Operation of the NASA Space Shuttle

Product Description
Designed between 1969 and 1972 and first flown into space in 1981, the NASA Shuttle will have flown almost 140 missions by the time it is retired in 2011. David Baker describes the origin of the reusable launch vehicle concept during the 1960s, its evolution into a viable flying machine in the early 1970s, and its subsequent design, engineering, construction, and operation. The Shuttle’s internal layout and systems are explained, including the operation of life support, electrical-power production, cooling, propulsion, flight control, communications, landing, and avionics systems.

About the Author
David Baker joined the U.S. space program during the Apollo years and later worked on the development of NASA’s Space Shuttle. He has written widely on the spaceflight technology and is the editor of Aviation News.

http://www.amazon.com/NASA-Space-Shuttle-Manual-Construction/dp/0760340765/ref=pd_bxgy_b_text_c

Yeah, I saw that one too when I was on Amazon. Oh my bank account is suffering: I pre-ordered that one too

It wasn't very expensive either!

CitabriaFlyer · « **Reply #5 on:** 03/15/2011 02:30 am »

I read Dr. Baker's excellent History of Manned Spaceflight when it came out 25 years ago. Excellent book I still go back and read from time to time.

John Duncan · « **Reply #6 on:** 03/24/2011 09:19 am »

According to the back of the dust jacket of my third copy of Jenkin's Space Shuttle book, "Space Shuttle: From Beginning to the End" will be out in Mid 2012 and be a two volume set of over 1000 pages.

I can hardly wait!

rdale · « **Reply #7 on:** 04/06/2011 02:57 am »

Looks like this is out now at $17 - any takers? I hate being the first one to look at a book like this since I can't find any sample or other information anywhere, but I may if nobody else ordered.

robertross · « **Reply #8 on:** 04/06/2011 03:06 am »

Quote from: rdale on 04/06/2011 02:57 am

Looks like this is out now at $17 - any takers? I hate being the first one to look at a book like this since I can't find any sample or other information anywhere, but I may if nobody else ordered.

Apparently mine was shipped yesterday (IIRC), so I should see it soon, and I'll let you (and everyone else) know!

rdale · « **Reply #9 on:** 04/06/2011 03:08 am »

Excellent...

robertross · « **Reply #10 on:** 04/12/2011 11:35 pm »

Well, it arrived today. How fitting, on the shuttle's 30th anniversary.

If anyone has ever bought a Hayes repair manual, it actually has that same kind of feeling, though a hardcover, and a bit slimmer.

Good paper stock. VERY image heavy, I have to say - almost 50% of the book. Pretty good images too: Concept vehicles, Enterprise at Vandenberg, a few of those 'interior' type of shots, transport from Palmdale, SRBs, External Tank interior images, pads, crawlers & crawlerway, payloads...almost like the program you buy at KSC but of the shuttle's history.

It has lots of line drawings, for better or worse, but that's okay since that was the way it was done back then. That includes the SRMS, SSMEs, and internal orbiter structural design & layout. There's also close-ups of shuttle tiles & damage,

Of course many of the images we've all seen, especially a good portion from L2 on Historial.

It's written in editorial style, so there are two colunmns per page.

It has a list price of $28 US ($30 CDN). For the price they're selling it at ($17), it is definitely worth it. If I had a teenager who was interested in space, this is a definite buy. Probably not something us space gurus would find anything really new in, but as a general retrospective of the shuttle program, and for the coffee table or doctor's office, it's pretty good. You know it's new when, in the table in the appendices, the only missions missing content are STS133, 134 & 135, but they are listed, and as the last listings in the table.

rdale · « **Reply #11 on:** 04/12/2011 11:47 pm »

Thanks for the review! Sounds like I'll just request my library to get it versus buying...

Fequalsma · « **Reply #12 on:** 06/17/2011 02:49 am »

Dr Baker's Shuttle presentation to the RAeS Stevenage (UK) group is available on-line at:

https://sites.google.com/site/raesstevenage/project-updates/shuttlelecture

dbaker · « **Reply #13 on:** 06/17/2011 01:21 pm »

Quote from: Fequalsma on 06/17/2011 02:49 am

Dr Baker's Shuttle presentation to the RAeS Stevenage (UK) group is available on-line at:

https://sites.google.com/site/raesstevenage/project-updates/shuttlelecture

Just to clarify, I am not the editor of Aviation News as indicated at the top of this thread but I did edit Jane's Spaceflight Directory for seven years 1998 thru 2005. The PR company got the wrong information but just wanted to set the record straight.

nethegauner · « **Reply #14 on:** 06/17/2011 01:24 pm »

I bought Baker's new book -- and I liked it. I also have the German translation of his original shuttle book from the seventies on my shelf. It is fun to compare both -- one from before the beginning of STS operations and one from the period of winding down ...

Here's a link to the cover of the old book (from Amazon):

http://www.amazon.de/gp/product/images/3401038826/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=299956&s=books

Edit: "Raumfähre" means "space shuttle" ..!

Mark Dave · « **Reply #15 on:** 06/17/2011 09:36 pm »

I look forward to new books, Jenkin's book is one with extreme detail into the shuttle program history.

jacqmans · « **Reply #16 on:** 06/18/2011 03:47 pm »

Quote from: robertross on 04/12/2011 11:35 pm

Well, it arrived today. How fitting, on the shuttle's 30th anniversary.

If anyone has ever bought a Hayes repair manual, it actually has that same kind of feeling, though a hardcover, and a bit slimmer.

Good paper stock. VERY image heavy, I have to say - almost 50% of the book. Pretty good images too: Concept vehicles, Enterprise at Vandenberg, a few of those 'interior' type of shots, transport from Palmdale, SRBs, External Tank interior images, pads, crawlers & crawlerway, payloads...almost like the program you buy at KSC but of the shuttle's history.

It has lots of line drawings, for better or worse, but that's okay since that was the way it was done back then. That includes the SRMS, SSMEs, and internal orbiter structural design & layout. There's also close-ups of shuttle tiles & damage,

Of course many of the images we've all seen, especially a good portion from L2 on Historial.

It's written in editorial style, so there are two colunmns per page.

It has a list price of $28 US ($30 CDN). For the price they're selling it at ($17), it is definitely worth it. If I had a teenager who was interested in space, this is a definite buy. Probably not something us space gurus would find anything really new in, but as a general retrospective of the shuttle program, and for the coffee table or doctor's office, it's pretty good. You know it's new when, in the table in the appendices, the only missions missing content are STS133, 134 & 135, but they are listed, and as the last listings in the table.

Take a look at page 122 of the book, 2 photos I took

dbaker · « **Reply #17 on:** 06/18/2011 05:23 pm »

...and big thanks to Jacques for those!

robertross · « **Reply #18 on:** 06/19/2011 02:36 am »

Quote from: jacqmans on 06/18/2011 03:47 pm

Take a look at page 122 of the book, 2 photos I took

Right on!

ZANL188 · « **Reply #19 on:** 08/31/2012 11:21 am »

Any further word on the Jenkins book? Mid 2012 has come and gone & Im going thru withdrawals..

nethegauner · « **Reply #20 on:** 08/31/2012 04:25 pm »

Quote from: ZANL188 on 08/31/2012 11:21 am

Any further word on the Jenkins book? Mid 2012 has come and gone & Im going thru withdrawals..

I am a bit dissapointed as well. Motorbooks will publish a new book by Jenkins, "Space shuttle Discovery : the champion of the space shuttle fleet". It is coming out in mid-November -- but that is not the book we were hoping for, right . . ?

DaveS · « **Reply #21 on:** 08/31/2012 04:40 pm »

Quote from: ZANL188 on 08/31/2012 11:21 am

Any further word on the Jenkins book? Mid 2012 has come and gone & Im going thru withdrawals..

I'm pretty sure that he wants to cover the final retirement moves of each orbiter before publishing the next edition.

Remember, the program was to be done and gone as of now but everything got delayed by technical problems and payload problems (AMS-02 magnet swap-out) from mid-2010 to mid-2011. And originally Atlantis were to have been retired after STS-132 in May 2010 but got a reprieve in STS-135 which didn't fly until July 2011 over a year later!

ZANL188 · « **Reply #22 on:** 03/14/2015 09:56 pm »

Any word on the latest edition of Dennis Jenkins shuttle book? Eagerly awaited here!

XP67_Moonbat · « **Reply #23 on:** 03/23/2015 12:31 am »

No kidding! I'm waiting on Third Edition too! :-D

Jorge · « **Reply #24 on:** 03/23/2015 04:04 am »

Quote from: ZANL188 on 03/14/2015 09:56 pm

Any word on the latest edition of Dennis Jenkins shuttle book? Eagerly awaited here!

Dennis has one more important job to do before he can finish the fourth edition:

http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-c1-shuttle-junk-20140317-m-story.html#page=1

XP67_Moonbat · « **Reply #25 on:** 03/23/2015 02:01 pm »

Sweet.

ZANL188 · « **Reply #26 on:** 03/28/2015 09:06 pm »

Quote from: Jorge on 03/23/2015 04:04 am

Quote from: ZANL188 on 03/14/2015 09:56 pm
Any word on the latest edition of Dennis Jenkins shuttle book? Eagerly awaited here!

Dennis has one more important job to do before he can finish the fourth edition:

http://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-c1-shuttle-junk-20140317-m-story.html#page=1

I was looking for an excuse to go to LA, this may be it.

pargoo · « **Reply #27 on:** 03/29/2015 03:24 am »

If JSC Media Relations is dead, how are writers/authors getting pictures for these books, and those yet to come?

Generic Username · « **Reply #28 on:** 04/14/2015 01:05 am »

Quote from: XP67_Moonbat on 03/23/2015 12:31 am

No kidding! I'm waiting on Third Edition too! :-D

The third edition came out years ago. The fourth and final edition is in works now. I understand it'll be three volumes.

mtakala24 · « **Reply #29 on:** 12/24/2016 08:17 am »

Further discussions on the Jenkins book in this topic:

http://forum.nasaspaceflight.com/index.php?topic=41895.0

But Dr. David Baker's book deserves a bump too.

ZANL188 · « **Reply #30 on:** 04/06/2019 05:45 pm »

Amazon shows another Jenkins shuttle book coming out in Sep 19. Is this an update of a previous edition?

https://www.amazon.com/History-American-Space-Shuttle/dp/0764357700/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=Dennis+jenkins&qid=1554572650&s=gateway&sr=8-7

mtakala24 · « **Reply #31 on:** 04/06/2019 08:01 pm »

It is much, much shorter than the previous Jenkins book, so it must be oriented to more wider audience.

ZANL188 · « **Reply #32 on:** 04/06/2019 11:43 pm »

With it being shorter I’m thinking it’s a update of the earlier edition.

mtakala24 · « **Reply #33 on:** 04/07/2019 12:01 pm »

It is likely that the book has more details of things after retiring, especially for Endeavour at the CSC, as Jenkins works there.

It could be an upgrade to this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Space-Shuttle-National-Transportation-Missions/dp/0963397451

.. but still shorter.

DaveS · « **Reply #34 on:** 04/07/2019 04:22 pm »

Quote from: mtakala24 on 04/07/2019 12:01 pm

It could be an upgrade to this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Space-Shuttle-National-Transportation-Missions/dp/0963397451

.. but still shorter.

There already is: https://www.amazon.com/Space-Shuttle-Developing-Icon-1972-2013/dp/1580072496

mtakala24 · « **Reply #35 on:** 04/07/2019 06:26 pm »

I'd classify that as more of an update to this book:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0963397443/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p2_i8

or to both of them, as the mega 3-volume "developing an Icon" book is more of history + tech + missions -book.

Star One · « **Reply #36 on:** 04/07/2019 07:47 pm »

Quote from: ZANL188 on 04/06/2019 05:45 pm

Amazon shows another Jenkins shuttle book coming out in Sep 19. Is this an update of a previous edition?

https://www.amazon.com/History-American-Space-Shuttle/dp/0764357700/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=Dennis+jenkins&qid=1554572650&s=gateway&sr=8-7

For some reason the U.K. release does for feature the price reduction does on Amazon.

I am glad it covers the missions as this is more what I am looking for than a technical manual of the Shuttle.