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Telescopes and space missions

Telescopes and space missions

How to build your own rocket

04 Jan 2001

A Tribble's Guide to Space: How to Get to Space and What to do When You're There
Alan C Tribble
2000 Princeton University Press 224pp £15.95/24.85hb

It's a blast

When I was first asked to review A Tribble’s Guide To Space, I thought – wrongly as it turned out – that the book was a send-up. Star Trek enthusiasts may recall that in one episode, entitled The Trouble with Tribbles, a Trader called Cyrano Jones brought a small furry animal aboard the Starship Enterprise. It proceeded to reproduce exponentially and Captain Kirk only prevented the ship from being swamped with Tribbles by using the transporter room to move them all to a rival Klingon ship – a selfish move that was not appreciated on the departing Klingon vessel. However, A Tribble’s Guide to Space really is by someone called Alan Tribble, a rocket scientist who has designed dozens of spacecraft for various missions. The title is, I suspect, merely tongue-in-cheek.

Ever since Sputnik 1 heralded the dawn of the space age less than 45 years ago, space travel has progressed at an incredible rate. Man has landed on the Moon and there have been unmanned visits to all of the planets with the exception of Pluto. Those of us who have been privileged enough to witness – or even be involved in – these missions are perhaps used to the many technical accomplishments. We accept the incredible discoveries as routine.

This book is a serious attempt to fill the gap between those people who have a mild interest in rocket science and those wanting to study the field in depth. We may forget that a generation (or more) has grown up who are perhaps more aware of the events and technology in Star Trek than they are of our own modest efforts. In A Tribble’s Guide to Space, the author has skilfully condensed the history of man’s achievements in space flight into a readable and chronological account that does not require the reader to have any specialist knowledge of the field.

Along the way he uses many comparisons to relate the science of space flight to experiences in everyday life. For example, he uses the zero or negative g momentarily felt on a rollercoaster to describe the sensation of weightlessness, and the pitching of a baseball to explain the velocity needed to send a rocket into space. He often draws parallels with the improbable technology demanded by Star Trek – before gently, but gracefully, pointing out where our knowledge of real physics prevents such technology from being built at the present time. Other chapters deal with virtually every aspect of the scientific, technological and commercial aspects of space flight.

We are told how the ancient astronomers made significant progress in understanding the motion of the planets, and it is interesting to note how well they grasped the immense distances involved. This knowledge was, however, virtually lost until the close of the Middle Ages. It was the subsequent invention of the telescope and the inspiration of mathematicians that rekindled mankind’s interest in the cosmos, as the author points out. Tribble also explains how the simple concepts of circular and elliptical orbits match those previously discovered by the early astronomers.

The book goes on to describe the technical innovations needed to secure a foothold in space. We move carefully though the logic of rocket performance and are told of the necessary advantages of multi-stage rockets, which need throttleable engines so that they do not accelerate too fast as the fuel mass depletes.

Many writers dream of a future in which people can take holidays in space. Tribble does not shirk from giving the cost of a single Space Shuttle mission, which he says is close to a billion dollars. Just imagine converting a shuttle to carry 100 fare-paying passengers – they would each have to pay $10m for the privilege of a few days of space sickness.

I have to admire any author who bravely tries to discuss the differences between the physics of Newton and Einstein without recourse to advanced mathematics. Tribble not only does this but also embraces time and length dilation – the fact that time passes more slowly and you get shorter as your speed increases – as well as the concept of gaining infinite mass as the speed of light is attained. Star ships may not be for us, which is bad news for Star Trek fans. The Enterprise would shrink as it speeds up and would need a fuel tank the size of the universe! (All of our hopes must rest with the unique properties of dilithium crystals.)

Space is not, however, an empty place. The environment is potentially lethal, and the author discusses the effects of radiation on both humans and electronics as well as the effects of tenuous gases, such as ozone, on materials. The author’s treatment is, however, realistic. He notes how most missions have succeeded thanks to proper precautionary designs. He also describes the serious biological effects of living in a zero-gravity environment for extended periods of time. Indeed, astronauts arriving at Mars might have problems exploring the planet due to their weakened state – assuming that they actually landed safely. Once again, Star Trek has the advantage: the crew on the Enterprise benefit from artificial gravity, without the complications of having to spin the craft to obtain weight via the effects of centrifugal force.

Despite its attempt to be overly politically correct by always referring to astronauts in the female gender, I found this book easy to digest and hard to put down. The author has also resisted the temptation to swamp the reader with references for further reading, which are confined instead to a well commended shortlist that will be recognizable to those in the field.

In conclusion, Tribble has drawn on his extensive experience in applied physics to create a concise book that deals effortlessly with a wide range of otherwise tricky concepts in space science and technology. It will provide a general background for those who are curious about the science and technology of space flight, and serve as an introduction for specialists seeking information about parallel fields to their own.

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