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Principles of Space Instrument Design ( Aerospace Series)

by: A. M. Cruise, J. A. Bowles, T. J. Patrick, C. V. Goodall
en

0521451647  9780521451642 

 


Principles of Space Instrument Design ( Aerospace Series)
By A. M. Cruise, J. A. Bowles, T. J. Patrick, C. V. Goodall


 


Product Description:

This informative account of the design of instruments used in rockets and spacecraft begins by introducing the basic principles of designing for the space environment. Following chapters discuss mechanical, structural, thermal and electronic design, including the problems that are frequently encountered in the testing and verification of spacecraft subsystems. The authors carefully describe important aspects of design, including stress analysis, multilayer insulation, two-dimensional sensor systems, mechanisms, the structure of space optics, and project management and control. A final chapter looks toward future developments of space instrument design and addresses issues arising from financial constraints. The book contains lists of symbols, acronyms and units and a comprehensive reference list. Worked examples, found throughout the text, make it valuable to final year undergraduate and beginning graduate students of physics, space science, space-craft engineering and astronautics.



Summary: It must work!
Rating: 4

Building an instrument that will go into space is a very specialised discipline that is well described by this book. Typically, you face requirements, the combination of which is quite unlike anything on Earth. The instrument must usually be able to withstand low temperatures, on the Kelvin scale, as well as survive direct unfiltered sunlight. If parts of the instrument cannot tolerate this, then you might design suitable shielding.

Also, will the instrument be orbiting Earth or will it go further out into space? If the former, then will it be inside the van Allen belts, or above? This dictates the amount of radiation shielding needed to prevent latchup in the electronics. Whereas, if the instrument is part of a spacecraft that will go into space, but not around a planet with a magnetosphere, then less shielding might be needed.

Oh, the instrument needs to survive the launch, of course. Depending on whether it is launched from a rocket or from the bays of a space shuttle, the mechanical requirements for this can vary.

The book goes into the above issues in detail; and many more. The overriding consideration is that repairs are usually impossible or prohibitively expensive and rare. Vital reading for anyone in the field.