''Interplanetary Flight: An Introduction to Astronautics''''Interplanetary Flight: An Introduction to Astronautics''. London: Temple Press, 1950 is a short, modestly technical introduction to

space exploration Space exploration is the use of astronomy and space technology to explore outer space. While the exploration of space is carried out mainly by astronomers with telescopes, its physical exploration though is conducted both by robotic spacec ...

written by Arthur C. Clarke, and published in 1950. It includes material accessible to readers with a high-school level of science and technical education, covering the elements of orbital mechanics,

rocket A rocket (from it, rocchetto, , bobbin/spool) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using the surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely fr ...

design and performance, various applications of Earth

satellite A satellite or artificial satellite is an object intentionally placed into orbit in outer space. Except for passive satellites, most satellites have an electricity generation system for equipment on board, such as solar panels or radioisotope ...

s, a discussion of the more interesting and accessible destinations in the Solar System (such as they were understood at the time of writing), and in a final chapter covering the rationale and value of human expansion off the Earth.

Overview

The book includes ten chapters: * Historical Survey * The Earth's Gravitational Field * The Rocket * The Problem of Escape by Rocket * The Earth-Moon Journey * Interplanetary Flight * The Atomic Rocket * Spaceships and Space Stations * Subsidiary Problems * Opening Frontiers A short mathematical appendix is provided (for the benefit of readers not versed in the

calculus Calculus, originally called infinitesimal calculus or "the calculus of infinitesimals", is the mathematical study of continuous change, in the same way that geometry is the study of shape, and algebra is the study of generalizations of arithm ...

), plus a bibliography and index, for a total of 164 pages. It includes also many figures and diagrams, and 15 plates (now largely of historical interest, showing how far space exploration has advanced since 1950).

References

{{Authority control 1950 non-fiction books Books by Arthur C. Clarke Spaceflight books Astronautics