Modern Astrodynamics

Foreword

Kyle T. Alfriend Department of Aerospace Engineering Texas A&M University College Station, TX, USA.

I am honored to have been asked to write a foreword for this new Elsevier Astrodynamics Series. The word Astrodynamics is often attributed to R.M.L. Baker in the late 1950s. So exactly what is Astrodynamics? An aerospace dictionary from the 1960s defines Astro-dynamics as “The practical application of celestial mechanics, astroballistics, propulsion theory and allied fields to the problem of planning and directing the trajectories of space vehicles.” The aims and scopes of this series states that: Astrodynamics is a well-recognized, stand-alone field of discipline comprising many auxiliary fields including dynamical systems analysis, ...