Space Mission Analysis and Design

Over 5 years as an aerospace engineer at Boeing and Lockheed Martin, I have used this book far more than any other for astronautics. This is not only an excellent reference, but a good textbook, in fact the only textbook required for my entire Master's degree. Many engineers simply say "look at Wertz" to find whatever answers you need.

This is essential reading for anyone who works in the field of spacecraft hardware regardless if it is at the component level or the spacecraft level. This book adequately presents an overview of each of the subsystems that comprise a spacecraft. Indeed much of these systems are similar for payloads as well just in a scaled down version. Information is provided in such a way as to efficiently teach how these subsystems interact with each other as well as how the requirements flow down from the top mission or science level requirements into the detailed functional and performance requirements. This book captures the interrelation of the programmatic requirements of budgets and schedules in helping define what technical solutions are implemented for the aforementioned mission or science requirements. This book will help all spacecraft mangers get a top level view of various subsystems such that he or she can make adequate trade studies. This book will help the systems engineer communicate requirements across the subsystem interfaces. This book will help the subsystem and component level engineers understand how the interfaces of their work carry over throughout the spacecraft as well as to understand the inputs that go into their specific area.

This is an outstanding text covering all aspects of space missions and satellites. Orbital geometries, payload design, spacecraft design, subsystems, communications, operations, propulsion, launch systems, reliability. You name it, it's covered. It has become a valuable and indispensable resource in my personal library!

This book covers the large amount of information required to design and plan a space mission, and does it in a clear and succinct way.

This book is intened for those with the equivalent of a BS. I found it very well formatted and a wealth of information. It is a very fun book to have for us space junkies with a technical background to make use of it.