Manned Spacecraft Design Principles

Chapter 1

Manned Spaceflight

Abstract

The space race was precipitated by the convergence of reduced weight nuclear weapons and increased payload capability of ballistic missiles. The geopolitical implications of putting satellites into orbit were great and the next step of safely sending humans back and forth to space bespoke a technical mastery that fired national pride and power. A brief description of the development of manned spaceflight starting from Vostok launched by the USSR in 1961 and Mercury launched in reply by the USA in 1962. National competition ultimately became planetary cooperation with the operation the International Space Station. The outlook for the future of human spaceflight now ranges from interplanetary missions of discovery ...