The Spacefarer's Handbook

Book excerpt: Now is the time to fly to space! New technological developments, commercialisation of spaceflight and advances in space medicine have made human space travel more attainable than ever before. This entertaining but nevertheless authoritative book gives a practical introduction to space travel from a number of viewpoints: How spacecraft are built, how to steer and navigate them, instructions for a comfortable everyday life in space and a guide to remain healthy and strong in weightlessness. The Spacefarer's Handbook is full of advice, tips and anecdotes to prepare the reader for their own trip to space. At the same time, it does not lose the scientific perspective on spaceflight. The authors, a physicist and a space medicine specialist, explain the underlying concepts rigorously and include recent research findings. From the operating principles of rocket engines, via bone loss in weightlessness to the methane lakes of Titan, this book contains everything aspiring spacefarers need to know! It also serves as a very good resource, beyond general space enthusiasts, for science fiction readers & writers who are looking for a better foundation in space flight. "Highly recommended for everyone who wants to fly to space and all passengers of our mothership Earth!" Hans Schlegel, ESA Astronaut