100 Best Aerospace Engineering Books of All Time

We've researched and ranked the best aerospace engineering books in the world, based on recommendations from world experts, sales data, and millions of reader ratings. Learn more

Featuring recommendations from Bill Gates, Richard Branson, Walter Isaacson, and 77 other experts.
1
Elon Musk, the entrepreneur and innovator behind SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity, sold one of his internet companies, PayPal, for $1.5 billion. Ashlee Vance captures the full spectacle and arc of the genius's life and work, from his tumultuous upbringing in South Africa and flight to the United States to his dramatic technical innovations and entrepreneurial pursuits. Vance uses Musk's story to explore one of the pressing questions of our age: can the nation of inventors and creators who led the modern world for a century still compete in an age of fierce global competition? He argues that Musk... more

Richard BransonElon Musk is a man after my own heart: a risk taker undaunted by setbacks and ever driven to ensure a bright future for humanity. Ashlee Vance's stellar biography captures Musk's remarkable life story and irrepressible spirit. (Source)

Casey NeistatI'm fascinated by Elon Musk, I own a Tesla, I read Ashlee Vance's biography on Elon Musk. I think he's a very interesting charachter. (Source)

Roxana BitoleanuA business book I would definitely choose the biography of Elon Musk by Ashlee Vance, because of Elon's strong, even extreme ambition to radically change the world, which I find very inspiring. (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

2

Ignition!

An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants

This newly reissued debut book in the Rutgers University Press Classics Imprint is the story of the search for a rocket propellant which could be trusted to take man into space. This search was a hazardous enterprise carried out by rival labs who worked against the known laws of nature, with no guarantee of success or safety. Acclaimed scientist and sci-fi author John Drury Clark writes with irreverent and eyewitness immediacy about the development of the explosive fuels strong enough to negate the relentless restraints of gravity. The resulting volume is as much a memoir as a work of... more
Recommended by Elon Musk, and 1 others.

Elon MuskThere is a good book on rocket stuff called Ignition! [An informal history of liquid rocket propellants] by John Clark, that’s a really fun one. (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

3

Set against the backdrop of the Jim Crow South and the civil rights movement, the never-before-told true story of NASA’s African-American female mathematicians who played a crucial role in America’s space program—and whose contributions have been unheralded, until now.

Before John Glenn orbited the Earth or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of professionals worked as “Human Computers,” calculating the flight paths that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women. Segregated from their white counterparts by...

more

See more recommendations for this book...

4

The Wright Brothers

Two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize David McCullough tells the dramatic story-behind-the-story about the courageous brothers who taught the world how to fly: Wilbur and Orville Wright.

On a winter day in 1903, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, two unknown brothers from Ohio changed history. But it would take the world some time to believe what had happened: the age of flight had begun, with the first heavier-than-air, powered machine carrying a pilot.

Who were these men and how was it that they achieved what they did?

David McCullough, two-time winner of...
more
Recommended by Brian Armstrong, Ed Zschau, and 2 others.

Ed ZschauA fabulous book. (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

5
NASA astronaut Michael Collins trained as an experimental test pilot before venturing into space as a vital member of the Gemini 10 and Apollo 11 missions. In Carrying the Fire, his account of his voyages into space and the years of training that led up to them, Collins reveals the human tensions, the physical realities, and the personal emotions surrounding the early years of the space race. Collins provides readers with an insider's view of the space program and conveys the excitement and wonder of his journey to the moon. As skilled at writing as he is at piloting a spacecraft, Collins... more

Andrew ChaikinReaders really get their money’s worth with Mike because his book is readable, personal, poignant and funny. It sets the bar for astronaut books. (Source)

Alastair HumphreysI really enjoyed all the training, build-up side of things as well—and the human side of the book. It’s such a rocket science-type endeavour, but Michael Collins seems like a really nice guy. He manages to tell the story of this incredible effort by elite people in a way that’s quite relatable and interesting. (Source)

Amar GovindarajanSir, that book you holding in your hand? Best one, I'm told, by an astronaut. You may even know the guy who wrote it. https://t.co/zNt5MfWqDZ (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

6
From the development of the U-2 to the Stealth fighter, the never-before-told story behind the high-stakes quest to dominate the skies Skunk Works is the true story of America's most secret & successful aerospace operation. As recounted by Ben Rich, the operation's brilliant boss for nearly two decades, the chronicle of Lockheed's legendary Skunk Works is a drama of cold war confrontations and Gulf War air combat, of extraordinary feats of engineering & achievement against fantastic odds. Here are up-close portraits of the maverick band of scientists & engineers who made the Skunk... more

Chris Anderson@elidourado @pmarcas_likes What broke was our risk tolerance. The "Skunkworks" book is a great insider story of that. The day that the financial auditors outnumbered the engineers was the day the innovation died: https://t.co/ncrsulEZyC (Source)

Chris Anderson@elidourado @pmarcas_likes What broke was our risk tolerance. The "Skunkworks" book is a great insider story of that. The day that the financial auditors outnumbered the engineers was the day the innovation died: https://t.co/ncrsulEZyC (Source)

Chris Anderson@elidourado @pmarcas_likes What broke was our risk tolerance. The "Skunkworks" book is a great insider story of that. The day that the financial auditors outnumbered the engineers was the day the innovation died: https://t.co/ncrsulEZyC (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

7

Fundamentals of Astrodynamics

Teaching text developed by U.S. Air Force Academy and designed as a first course emphasizes the universal variable formulation. Develops the basic two-body and n-body equations of motion; orbit determination; classical orbital elements, coordinate transformations; differential correction; more. Includes specialized applications to lunar and interplanetary flight, example problems, exercises. 1971 edition. less

See more recommendations for this book...

8

The Feynman Lectures on Physics

The legendary introduction to physics from the subject's greatest teacher
"The whole thing was basically an experiment," Richard Feynman said late in his career, looking back on the origins of his lectures. The experiment turned out to be hugely successful, spawning a book that has remained a definitive introduction to physics for decades. Ranging from the most basic principles of Newtonian physics through such formidable theories as general relativity and quantum mechanics, Feynman's lectures stand as a monument of clear exposition and deep insight. Now, we are reintroducing the...
more
Recommended by Bill Gates, David Bainbridge, and 2 others.

Bill GatesYou don't have to take a course [to learn physics]. If you're hardcore, read the Feynman book and do the problems. (Source)

David BainbridgeI think that he is one of the most intelligent people to live in the 20th century. Yet at the same time, surprisingly, he is an amazingly good teacher. This is quite an unusual combination. (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

9

The Right Stuff

Millions of words have poured forth about man's trip to the moon, but until now few people have had a sense of the most engrossing side of the adventure; namely, what went on in the minds of the astronauts themselves - in space, on the moon, and even during certain odysseys on earth. It is this, the inner life of the astronauts, that Tom Wolfe describes with his almost uncanny emapthetic powers, that made this book a classic.
less

Richard BransonToday is World Book Day, a wonderful opportunity to address this #ChallengeRichard sent in by Mike Gonzalez of New Jersey: Make a list of your top 65 books to read in a lifetime. (Source)

Joe Person@SBJLizMullen @LATimesfarmer Great book, but male-driven narrative. As was “A Man in Full” lol. “Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test” has a bunch of interesting, weird characters. And yes, thanks Sam. (Source)

Anop AnthonyThe Right Stuff is a marvelously readable book about test pilots and astronauts. (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

10
The inside, lesser-known story of NASA's boldest and riskiest mission: Apollo 8, mankind's first journey to the Moon on Christmas in 1968. A riveting account of three heroic astronauts who took one of the most dangerous space flights ever, from the New York Times bestselling author of Shadow Divers.

In early 1968, the Apollo program was on shaky footing. President Kennedy's end-of-decade deadline to put a man on the Moon was in jeopardy, and the Soviets were threatening to pull ahead in the space race. By...
more
Recommended by Steven Sinofsky, and 1 others.

Steven SinofskyBooks, 2018 by @DeanHach https://t.co/OJTX8TT1xt // I'm partial to "Rocket Men" in this great book list. (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Aerospace Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
11
This acclaimed portrait of heroism and ingenuity captures a watershed moment in human history. The astronauts themselves have called it the definitive account of their missions. On the night of July 20, 1969, our world changed forever when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin walked on the moon. Based on in-depth interviews with twenty-three of the twenty-four moon voyagers, as well as those who struggled to get the program moving, A Man on the Moon conveys every aspect of the Apollo missions with breathtaking immediacy and stunning detail. less

Marcus ChownIt’s a series of interviews with all the astronauts that have been to the moon. (Source)

Christopher RileyAndrew Chaikin writes about all the difficulty of trying to invent all of this stuff at that time. He’s a brilliant writer and journalist. He took the time, back in the early 1990s, to go around and interview as many of the key players—including the astronauts themselves—who turned this dream into a reality. That, to me, is what makes A Man on the Moon the really definitive biography of Apollo,... (Source)

Philip PlaitIt’s a history of the Apollo missions, telling why we went to the moon, what happened when we got there, and why we stopped going after Apollo 17. I could not put it down. (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

12
Colonel Chris Hadfield has spent decades training as an astronaut and has logged nearly 4000 hours in space. During this time he has broken into a Space Station with a Swiss army knife, disposed of a live snake while piloting a plane, and been temporarily blinded while clinging to the exterior of an orbiting spacecraft. The secret to Col. Hadfield's success-and survival-is an unconventional philosophy he learned at NASA: prepare for the worst-and enjoy every moment of it.

In An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth, Col. Hadfield takes readers deep into his years of...
more

James AltucherAnd while you are at it, throw in “Bounce” by Mathew Syed, who was the UK Ping Pong champion when he was younger. I love any book where someone took their passion, documented it, and shared it with us. That’s when you can see the subleties, the hard work, the luck, the talent, the skill, all come together to form a champion. Heck, throw in, “An Astronaut’s Guide to Earth” by Commander Chris... (Source)

Chris GowardHere are some of the books that have been very impactful for me, or taught me a new way of thinking: [...] An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth. (Source)

Simon CarleyAlso love the idea of being a zero. Totally agree that some of my finest colleagues are that. I’m fact the doc I want to look after me in resus is defo a zero. (Read the book to find out why). (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

13

Modern Engineering for Design of Liquid Propellant Rocket Engines

From the component design, to the subsystem design, to the engine systems design, engine development and flight-vehicle application, this how-to text bridges the gap between basic physical and design principles and actual rocket-engine design as it's done in industry. less
Recommended by Elon Musk, and 1 others.

Elon Musk[Elon Musk recommended this book as one of his favorite books about space.] (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

14

Hidden Figures

Based on the New York Times bestselling book and the Academy Award–nominated movie, author Margot Lee Shetterly and illustrator Laura Freeman bring the incredibly inspiring true story of four black women who helped NASA launch men into space to picture book readers!

Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson, and Christine Darden were good at math…really good.

They participated in some of NASA's greatest successes, like providing the calculations for America's first journeys into space. And they did so during a time when being black...

more

See more recommendations for this book...

15
Gene Kranz was present at the creation of America's manned space program and was a key player in it for three decades. As a flight director in NASA's Mission Control, Kranz witnessed firsthand the making of history. He participated in the space program from the early days of the Mercury program to the last Apollo mission, and beyond. He endured the disastrous first years when rockets blew up and the United States seemed to fall further behind the Soviet Union in the space race. He helped to launch Alan Shepard and John Glenn, then assumed the flight director's role in the Gemini program,... more
Recommended by Dominic D'agostino, and 1 others.

Dominic D'agostinoGene Kranz has always been a huge inspiration. Just finished his book "Failure is not an option". The level of detail he goes into describing mission control is fantastic. https://t.co/ii5UpJBKty https://t.co/wPc9anl07C (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

16
"Stick and Rudder" is the first exact analysis of the art of flying ever attempted. It has been continuously in print for thirty-three years, and has enjoyed steadily increasing sales. Flight instructors have found that the book does indeed explain important phases of the art of flying, in a way the learner can use. It shows precisely what the pilot does when he flies, just how he does it, and why. less

See more recommendations for this book...

17

Baby & Bump (This & That #1)

This is an updated cover edition of ISBN10: 1939976022 (ISBN13: 9781939976024).

At thirty years old, caterer Lexie Baump has a lot on her plate. With a business to run, she doesn’t have time for any added distractions. But one momentary indiscretion adds a little hiccup to Lexie’s plans. She’s pregnant. With no relationship prospects.

But if Lexie thought fighting morning sickness while running a catering business was hard, enter Dr. Fletcher Haybee. Their connection is instant, and their...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

19
The historic quest to rekindle the human exploration and colonization of space led by two rivals and their vast fortunes, egos, and visions of space as the next entrepreneurial frontier


The Space Barons is the story of a group of billionaire entrepreneurs who are pouring their fortunes into the epic resurrection of the American space program. Nearly a half-century after Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, these Space Barons-most notably Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos, along with Richard Branson and Paul Allen-are using Silicon Valley-style innovation to...
more
Recommended by Walter Isaacson, and 1 others.

Walter IsaacsonThe Space Barons by Christian Davenport, a Washington Post reporter, is an exciting narrative filled with colorful reporting and sharp insights. The book sparkles because of Davenport’s access to the main players and his talent for crisp storytelling. (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Aerospace Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
21
How do you punish an immortal?

By making him human.

After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.

But Apollo has many enemies—gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go... an enclave of...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

22
This book describes the most complex machine ever sent to another planet: Curiosity. It is a one-ton robot with two brains, seventeen cameras, six wheels, nuclear power, and a laser beam on its head. No one human understands how all of its systems and instruments work. This essential reference to the Curiosity mission explains the engineering behind every system on the rover, from its rocket-powered jetpack to its radioisotope thermoelectric generator to its fiendishly complex sample handling system. Its lavishly illustrated text explains how all the instruments work -- its cameras,... more

See more recommendations for this book...

23
This introduction to the principles of unsteady aerodynamics covers all the core concepts, provides readers with a review of the fundamental physics, terminology and basic equations, and covers hot new topics such as the use of flapping wings for propulsion. less

See more recommendations for this book...

24
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Carl Sagan traces our exploration of space and suggests that our very survival may depend on the wise use of other worlds. This stirring book reveals how scientific discovery has altered our perception of who we are and where we stand, and challenges us to weigh what we will do with that knowledge. Photos, many in color. less

See more recommendations for this book...

26
The best-selling author of Stiff and Bonk explores the irresistibly strange universe of space travel and life without gravity. From the Space Shuttle training toilet to a crash test of NASA’s new space capsule, Mary Roach takes us on the surreally entertaining trip into the science of life in space and space on Earth. less
Recommended by Deborah Blum, and 1 others.

Deborah BlumI picked this book because, as I talk about science as part of the everyday world, it is so good to find writers who really make an effort to reach out to a wider community. I really admire Mary Roach’s ability to take science and make it both fascinating and accessible to people who wouldn’t normally love science. She does a great job of keeping science incredibly accurate and yet making it very... (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

27
Have you ever wondered what it would be like to find yourself strapped to a giant rocket that’s about to go from zero to 17,500 miles per hour? Or to look back on the earth from outer space and see the surprisingly precise line between day and night? Or to stand in front of the Hubble telescope, wondering if the emergency repair you’re about to make will inadvertently ruin humankind’s chance to unlock the universe’s secrets? Mike Massimino has been there, and in Spaceman he puts you inside the suit, with all the zip and buoyancy of life in microgravity.

Massimino’s childhood...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

28
Space Atlas combines updated maps, lavish photographs, and elegant illustrations to chart the solar system, the universe, and beyond. For space enthusiasts, science lovers, and star gazers, here is the newly revised edition of National Geographic's enduring guide to space, with a new introduction by American hero Buzz Aldrin.

In this guided tour of our planetary neighborhood, the Milky Way and other galaxies, and beyond, detailed maps and fascinating imagery from recent space missions partner with clear, authoritative scientific information. Starting...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

29
The Golden Age of Aviation is brought to life by the story of the giant Zeppelin airships that once roamed the sky and ended with the fiery destruction of the Hindenburg.

At the dawn of the twentieth century, when human flight was still considered an impossibility, Germany's Count von Zeppelin vied with the Wright Brothers to build the world's first successful flying machine. As the Wrights labored to invent the airplane, Zeppelin fathered the wondrous airship, sparking a bitter rivalry between the two types of aircraft and their innovators that would last for...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

30
Few launch vehicles are as iconic and distinctive as NASA's behemoth rocket, the Saturn V, and none left such a lasting impression on those who watched it ascend. Developed with the specific brief to send humans to the Moon, it pushed rocketry to new scales. Its greatest triumph is that it achieved its goal repeatedly with an enviable record of mission success. Haynes' Saturn V Manual tells the story of this magnificent and hugely powerful machine. It explains how each of the vehicle's three stages worked; Boeing's S-IC first stage with a power output as great as the UK's peak electricity... more

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Aerospace Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
31
The #1 bestselling author of The Future of the Mind brings us a stunning new vision of our future in space.

Human civilization is on the verge of spreading beyond Earth. More than a possibility, it is becoming a necessity: whether our hand is forced by climate change and resource depletion or whether future catastrophes compel us to abandon Earth, one day we will make our homes among the stars.

World-renowned physicist and futurist Michio Kaku explores in rich, accessible detail how humanity might gradually develop a sustainable civilization in outer space....
more

See more recommendations for this book...

33

Rocket Boys (Coalwood #1)

"Until I began to build and launch rockets, I didn't know my home town was at war with itself over its children, and that my parents were locked in a kind of bloodless combat over how my brother and I would live our lives. I didn't know that if a girl broke your heart, another girl, virtuous at least in spirit, could mend it on the same night. And I didn't know that the enthalpy decrease in a converging passage could be transformed into jet kinetic energy if a divergent passage was added. The other boys discovered their own truths when we built our rockets, but those were mine."

So...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

34
In August 1968, one short year after three astronauts had burned to death in their spacecraft, NASA decided that it would launch humankind’s first flight to the moon. Sixteen weeks later, Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders were aboard the first manned spacecraft to depart Earth’s orbit, reach the moon, and return safely to Earth, delivering a tear-inducing Christmas Eve message along the way. less

See more recommendations for this book...

35

Introduction to Flight

Noted for its highly readable style, the new edition of this bestseller provides an updated overview of aeronautical and aerospace engineering. Introduction to Flight blends history and biography with discussion of engineering concepts, and shows the development of flight through this perspective. Anderson covers new developments in flight, including unmanned aerial vehicles, uninhabited combat aerial vehicles, and applications of CFD in aircraft design. Many new and revised problems have been added in this edition. Chapter learning features help readers follow the text discussion while... more

See more recommendations for this book...

36
This special edition of Apollo Expeditions to the Moon, an official NASA publication, commemorates the fiftieth anniversary of the July 20, 1969, Moon landing with a thrilling insider's view of the space program.  Essays by participants — engineers, astronauts, and administrators — recall the program's unprecedented challenges. Written in direct, jargon-free language, this compelling adventure features more than 160 dazzling color photographs and scores of black-and-white illustrations.
Insights into management challenges as well as its engineering feats include contributions...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

37

Understanding Flight

Explaining aeronautics, this title derives the relationships of aeronautics in a presentation. It explains diverse aspects such as wing design, propulsion, and high-speed flight. It tells how airplanes are constructed and perform. less

See more recommendations for this book...

38
A revised edition of the New York Times bestselling classic: the epic story of the golden years of American space exploration, told by the men who rode the rockets

On October 4, 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik I, and the space race was born. Desperate to beat the Russians into space, NASA put together a crew of the nation’s most daring test pilots: the seven men who were to lead America to the moon. The first into space was Alan Shepard; the last was Deke Slayton, whose irregular heartbeat...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

39
Readers will love exploring a career as an aerospace engineer, a job where the sky is never the limit. This book explores both sides of aerospace engineeringaeronautical and astronautical. Readers will learn the different jobs and tasks that make up this important career, as well as the different technologies aerospace engineers use and design. This book provides all the tools readers need to start working towards a career in this exciting field, as well as inspiration through introductions to notable aerospace engineers. Engaging text and vivid photographs provide a dynamic reading... more

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Aerospace Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
41
The goal of this book is to allow you to begin with a "blank sheet of paper" and design a space mission to meet a set of broad, often poorly defined, objectives. You should be able to define the mission in sufficient detail to identify principal drivers and make a preliminary assessment of overall performance, size, cost, and risk. The emphasis of the book is on low-Earth orbit, unmanned spacecraft. However, we hope that the principles are broad enough to be applicable to other missions as well. We intend the book to be a practical guide, rather than a theoretical treatise. As much as... more

See more recommendations for this book...

42

Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students

Orbital Mechanics for Engineering Students, Fourth Edition, is a key text for students of aerospace engineering. While this latest edition has been updated with new content and included sample problems, it also retains its teach-by-example approach that emphasizes analytical procedures, computer-implemented algorithms, and the most comprehensive support package available, including fully worked solutions, PPT lecture slides, and animations of selected topics. Highly illustrated and fully supported with downloadable MATLAB algorithms for project and practical work, this book provides... more

See more recommendations for this book...

44
Soon to be a major motion picture, this is the first—and only—definitive authorized account of Neil Armstrong, the man whose “one small step” changed history.

When Apollo 11 touched down on the Moon’s surface in 1969, the first man on the Moon became a legend. In First Man, author James R. Hansen explores the life of Neil Armstrong. Based on over fifty hours of interviews with the intensely private Armstrong, who also gave Hansen exclusive access to private documents and family sources, this “magnificent panorama of the second half of the American twentieth century”...
more
Recommended by Christopher Riley, and 1 others.

Christopher RileyFirst Man by James Hansen is this wonderfully detailed portrait of Neil Armstrong. It’s a very, very thorough insight into who this man was. It’s not for the faint-hearted—there is a lot of detail—but I have a soft spot for this book. (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

46

Aircraft Structures

Still relevant decades after its initial publication, this legendary reference text on aircraft stress analysis is considered the best book on the subject. It emphasizes basic structural theory, which remains unchanged with the development of new materials and construction methods, and the application of elementary principles of mechanics to analysis of aircraft structures. 1950 edition. less

See more recommendations for this book...

47
To celebrate NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope and its 25 years of accomplishments, let The Hubble Cosmos fill your mind with big ideas, brilliant imagery, and a new understanding of the universe in which we live. Relive key moments in the monumental Hubble story, from launch through major new instrumentation to the promise of discoveries to come. With more than 150 photographs including Hubble All-Stars—the most famous of all the noteworthy images—The Hubble Cosmos shows how this telescope is revolutionizing our understanding of the universe. less

See more recommendations for this book...

48
The basis of the 2014 award-winning feature-length documentary! A revealing and dramatic look at the inside of the American Space Program from one of its pioneers.

Eugene Cernan was a unique American who came of age as an astronaut during the most exciting and dangerous decade of spaceflight. His career spanned the entire Gemini and Apollo programs, from being the first person to spacewalk all the way around our world to the moment when he left man's last footprint on the Moon as commander of Apollo 17.

Between those two historic events lay more adventures than an...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

49

Building Parallel, Embedded, and Real-Time Applications with ADA

The arrival and popularity of multi-core processors has sparked a renewed interest in the development of parallel programs. Similarly, the availability of low-cost microprocessors and sensors has generated a great interest in embedded real-time programs. This book provides students and programmers whose backgrounds are in traditional sequential programming with the opportunity to expand their capabilities into parallel, embedded, real-time and distributed computing. It also addresses the theoretical foundation of real-time scheduling analysis, focusing on theory that is useful for actual... more

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Aerospace Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
51
Inertial navigation is widely used for the guidance of aircraft, ships, missiles and vehicles. This introduction to the system covers basic principles, system mechanics, instrumentation, computation and design analysis. The text features a particularly contemporary treatment of inertial sensors and computational techniques for error analysis. It also describes integrated systems incorporating additional navigational aids and examples of current applications in both civilian and military situations. less

See more recommendations for this book...

52
Created by NASA for high school students interested in space science, this collection of worked problems covers a broad range of subjects, including mathematical aspects of NASA missions, computation and measurement, algebra, geometry, probability and statistics, exponential and logarithmic functions, trigonometry, matrix algebra, conic sections, and calculus. In addition to enhancing mathematical knowledge and skills, these problems promote an appreciation of aerospace technology and offer valuable insights into the practical uses of secondary school mathematics by professional scientists... more

See more recommendations for this book...

53
This concise and highly readable introduction to theoretical and computational aerodynamics integrates both classical and modern developments, focusing on applying methods to actual wing design. Designed for a junior- or senior-level course and as a resource for practicing engineers, it features 221 figures. less

See more recommendations for this book...

54

Standard Pilot Logbooks

The finest and most versatile logbooks for aviators, ASA's logbooks have been "The Standard" of the industry for over 30 years and comply with the FAA's record keeping requirements. Versatile, easy-to-use, including all instructor endorsements, and flexible enough to fit any pilot's needs—student or ATP—this is an essential resource for aviators. less

See more recommendations for this book...

55
The riveting true story of the women who launched America into space.

In the 1940s and 50s, when the newly minted Jet Propulsion Laboratory needed quick-thinking mathematicians to calculate velocities and plot trajectories, they didn't turn to male graduates. Rather, they recruited an elite group of young women who, with only pencil, paper, and mathematical prowess, transformed rocket design, helped bring about the first American satellites, and made the exploration of the solar system possible.

For the first time, Rise of the Rocket Girls tells the stories of...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

56
As the fiftieth anniversary of the first lunar landing approaches, the award winning historian and perennial New York Times bestselling author takes a fresh look at the space program, President John F. Kennedy’s inspiring challenge, and America’s race to the moon.

We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone,...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

57

Aircraft Propulsion

New edition of the successful textbook updated to include new material on UAVs, design guidelines in aircraft engine component systems and additional end of chapter problems Aircraft Propulsion, Second Edition follows the successful first edition textbook with comprehensive treatment of the subjects in airbreathing propulsion, from the basic principles to more advanced treatments in engine components and system integration.

This new edition has been extensively updated to include a number of new and important topics. A chapter is now included on General Aviation and...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

59
A new era of exciting adventures and shocking revelations unfolds, as the legendary Star Wars saga sweeps forward into astonishing new territory. Legacy of the Force also known as LOTF, is a 9-book series contained in the Legacy era, set five years after the events of the Dark Nest Crisis. Honor and duty collide with friendship and blood ties as the Skywalker and Solo clans find themselves on opposing sides of an explosive conflict. It deals with the fall of Jacen Solo to the dark side of the Force, mentored by the returning villain Lumiya. The backdrop to this story arc is the conflict... more

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Aerospace Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
61
A noted space expert explains the current revolution in spaceflight, where it leads, and why we need it.

A new space race has begun. But this one is not between rival superpowers but competing entrepreneurs. And these daring pioneers are creating a revolution in spaceflight that promises to transform the near future. Noted astronomical engineer Robert Zubrin spells out the exciting potentials of these new developments in an engrossing narrative that is both visionary and yet grounded by a deep understanding of the practical challenges.

Fueled by the combined...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

62
Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product.


The principles of flight made easy to understand, even fascinating, to pilots and technicians


Most pilots and flight students wince at the mention of the term "aerodynamics" because most courses and books dealing with the subject do so using complicated scientific theory and intricate mathematical formulas. And yet, an understanding of aerodynamics...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

63

“Scott Parazynski’s drive, curiosity, inventiveness, and great humor shine through the pages of The Sky Below and will certainly inspire future generations to pursue their dreams with every fiber in their being.” —John Glenn, NASA astronaut

An epic memoir from a man whose life is defined by exploration and innovation, The Sky Below re-creates some of the most unforgettable adventures of our time. From dramatic, high-risk spacewalks to author Scott Parazynski’s death-defying quest to summit Mount Everest—his body ravaged by a career in space—readers will...

more

See more recommendations for this book...

64
The remarkable story of the trailblazers and the ordinary Americans on the front lines of the epic mission to reach the moon.

President John F. Kennedy astonished the world on May 25, 1961, when he announced to Congress that the United States should land a man on the Moon by 1970. No group was more surprised than the scientists and engineers at NASA, who suddenly had less than a decade to invent space travel.

When Kennedy announced that goal, no one knew how to navigate to the Moon. No one knew how to build a rocket big enough to reach the Moon, or how to build a...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

66
A complete investigation of the development and suppression of antigravity and field propulsion technologies

• Reveals advanced aerospace technologies capable of controlling gravity that could revolutionize air travel and energy production

• Reviews numerous field propulsion devices that have thrust-to-power ratios thousands of times greater than a jet engine

• Shows how NASA participates in a cover-up to block adoption of advanced technologies under military development

In Secrets of Antigravity Propulsion, physicist Paul LaViolette...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

67
The first authoritative biography of Wernher von Braun, chief rocket engineer of the Third Reich—creator of the infamous V-2 rocket—who became one of the fathers of the U.S. space program. In this meticulously researched and vividly written life, Michael J. Neufeld gives us a man of profound moral complexities, glorified as a visionary and vilified as a war criminal, a man whose brilliance and charisma were coupled with an enormous and, some would say, blinding ambition.

As one of the leading developers of rocket technology for the German army, von Braun yielded to pressure to join...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

68

Make

Rockets

This book teaches the reader to build rockets--powered by compressed air, water, and solid propellant--with the maximum possible fun, safety, and educational experience.

Make: Rockets is for all the science geeks who look at the moon and try to figure out where Neil Armstrong walked, watch in awe as rockets lift off, and want to fly their own model rockets. Starting with the basics of rocket propulsion, readers will start out making rockets made from stuff lying around the house, and then move on up to air-, water-, and solid propellant-powered rockets.
less

See more recommendations for this book...

69
Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product.WARNING!Don't fly solo before you understand all the dangers of the killing zone.

It could save your life!

This survival guide for new pilots identifies the pitfalls waiting inside the killing zone, the period from 50 to 350 flight hours when they leave their instructors behind and fly as pilot in command for the first time. Although they're privately certified, many of...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

70

Space Mission Engineering

The New Smad

This book is a completely rewritten, updated, and expanded follow-on to the 3rd edition of Space mission analysis and design. less

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Aerospace Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
71
A collection of easy-to-fold paper airplane designs and innovative theories of flight, including the author's Guinness World Record-breaking airplane. Features 16 tear-out model planes.

     The New World Champion Paper Airplane Book chronicles the creation of the new distance champion paper airplane and how it broke the world record. Collins's revolutionary approach to plane design is a departure from all previous record holders and represents the most important development in paper airplane design in decades. This entertaining guide also contains 19 other amazing...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

72
The Barnes & Noble Review
Master WWII military historian Stephen Ambrose, bestselling author of such classic works as Band of Brothers and D-Day , hits the front lines again with this exciting and compelling look at the courageous young men who flew the massive B-24 bombers over Germany during the last two years of World War II.



The...

more

See more recommendations for this book...

73
In this far-reaching foray into the millennia-long relationship between science and military power, acclaimed astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and co-author Avis Lang examine how the methods and tools of astrophysics have been enlisted in the service of war. Spanning early celestial navigation to satellite-enabled warfare, Accessory to War is a richly researched and provocative examination of the intersection of science, technology, industry, and power that will introduce Tyson’s millions of fans to yet another dimension of how the universe has shaped our lives and our world. less

See more recommendations for this book...

75
The story behind the technology that revolutionized both aeronautics, and the course of history

On a moonless night in January 1991, a dozen airplanes appeared in the skies over Baghdad. Or, rather, didn't appear. They arrived in the dark, their black outlines cloaking them from sight. More importantly, their odd, angular shapes, which made them look like flying origami, rendered them undetectable to Iraq's formidable air defenses. Stealth technology, developed during the decades before Desert Storm, had arrived. To American planners and strategists at the outset...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

76
Textbook. Introduction to Aerospace Structural Analysis by David H. Allen and Walter E. Haisler. less

See more recommendations for this book...

77
We're on the cusp of new era in the great adventure of space exploration.

More than a half-century ago, humanity first hurled objects into space, and almost 50 years ago, astronauts first walked on the moon. Since then, we have explored Earth's orbit with shuttles, capsules, and space stations; sent robots to Mars, Venus, Mercury, Jupiter, Saturn, and Uranus; sampled a comet; sent telescopes into orbit; and charted most of our own planet.

What does the future hold?

In Space 2.0, space historian Rod Pyle, in collaboration with the...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

78
The Second Edition of Flight Stability and Automatic Control presents an integrated treatment of aircraft stability, flight control, and autopilot design. Presented at an accessible mathematical level, this text features standard terminology and nomenclature. less

See more recommendations for this book...

79

Concurrent and Real-Time Programming in ADA

Ada is the only ISO-standard, object-oriented, concurrent, real-time programming language. It is intended for use in large, long-lived applications where reliability and efficiency are essential, particularly real-time and embedded systems. In this book, Alan Burns and Andy Wellings give a thorough, self-contained account of how the Ada tasking model can be used to construct a wide range of concurrent and real-time systems. This is the only book that focuses on an in-depth discussion of the Ada tasking model. Following on from the authors' earlier title Concurrency in Ada, this book brings... more

See more recommendations for this book...

80

Dreamland

An Autobiography

Bob Lazar is the reason Area 51 became infamous in the 1980s and his recent appearance on Joe Rogan's podcast with 7 million listeners is credited with inspiring the Storm Area 51 phenomenon. In his DREAMLAND autobiography, Lazar reveals every detail of his highly controversial story about being an insider within the world's most legendary military research base.

Bob Lazar was a brilliant young physicist that found himself employed at a top secret facility in the middle of the desert outside Las Vegas. Under the watchful eye of the government elite, he is tasked with...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Aerospace Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
81
For the first time, four German WWII pilots share their side of the story.
 
Few perspectives epitomize the sheer drama and sacrifice of combat more perfectly than those of the fighter pilots of World War II. As romanticized as any soldier in history, the WWII fighter pilot was viewed as larger than life: a dashing soul waging war amongst the clouds. In the sixty-five-plus years since the Allied victory, stories of these pilots’ heroics have never been in short supply. But what about their adversaries—the highly skilled German aviators who pushed the Allies to the very brink...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

82
Want to understand black holes, antimatter, physics, and space exploration? Looking for a common sense guide to quantum physics that you can actually understand? Rocket Science for the Rest of Us is the book you're looking for! Get a grip on even the most mysterious and complex sciences with Ben Gilliland's guide to dark matter, exo-planets, Planck time, earth sciences, and more. You'll hear yourself saying, "I get it now!" again and again as you explore the fun graphics and clear explanations in Rocket Science for the Rest of Us. Whether you want to impress your friends with... more

See more recommendations for this book...

83
National Geographic Explorer and TED Prize-winner Dr. Sarah Parcak welcomes you to the exciting new world of space archaeology, a growing field that is sparking extraordinary discoveries from ancient civilizations across the globe.

In Archaeology from Space, Sarah Parcak shows the evolution, major discoveries, and future potential of the young field of satellite archaeology. From surprise advancements after the declassification of spy photography, to a new map of the mythical Egyptian city of Tanis, she shares her field’s biggest discoveries, revealing why space...
more
Recommended by Monica Byrne, and 1 others.

Monica ByrneHAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY to @indyfromspace! You should buy this book RIGHT NOW. I read it in two delicious sittings—part memoir, part science, part science fiction—and it was like taking a master class in archaeology over a beer. So fascinating, so enjoyable, so fun. Go get it! https://t.co/PWbBZUOn6C (Source)

See more recommendations for this book...

84

Instrument Flying Handbook

ASA FAA-H-8083-15B

This is the FAA's primary pilot resource for instrument flight rules (IFR) covering everything pertinent to operating an aircraft in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) or without reference to outside visuals, relying solely on the information gleaned from the cockpit. Readers will find chapters on the national airspace system, the air traffic control system, human factors, aerodynamics, flight instruments, flight maneuvers for IFR operations, navigation, emergency operations, as well as helicopter operations and more.

The material in this manual applies to both conventional...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

85
Elon Musk, the South African–born entrepreneur who made his first fortune with Internet companies such as PayPal, has risen to global prominence as the visionary CEO of both Tesla Motors and SpaceX, two companies with self-proclaimed missions to improve life as we know it and better secure the future of humanity.

For the first time, the most insightful, thought-provoking, and revealing quotes from this entrepreneurial engineer have been compiled into a single book. Rocket Man: Elon Musk In His Own Words is a comprehensive guide to the inner workings of the man dubbed "the...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

86

Theory of Aerospace Propulsion

Theory of Aerospace Propulsion, Second Edition, teaches engineering students how to utilize the fundamental principles of fluid mechanics and thermodynamics to analyze aircraft engines, understand the common gas turbine aircraft propulsion systems, be able to determine the applicability of each, perform system studies of aircraft engine systems for specified flight conditions and preliminary aerothermal design of turbomachinery components, and conceive, analyze, and optimize competing preliminary designs for conventional and unconventional missions. This updated edition has been fully... more

See more recommendations for this book...

87
This text provides an introduction to structural dynamics and aeroelasticity, with an emphasis on conventional aircraft. The primary areas considered are structural dynamics, static aeroelasticity, and dynamic aeroelasticity. The structural dynamics material emphasizes vibration, the modal representation, and dynamic response. Aeroelastic phenomena discussed include divergence, aileron reversal, airload redistribution, unsteady aerodynamics, flutter, and elastic tailoring. More than one hundred illustrations and tables help clarify the text, and more than fifty problems enhance student... more

See more recommendations for this book...

88

How We'll Live on Mars

Award-winning journalist Stephen Petranek says humans will live on Mars by 2027. Now he makes the case that living on Mars is not just plausible, but inevitable.

It sounds like science fiction, but Stephen Petranek considers it fact: Within twenty years, humans will live on Mars. We'll need to. In this sweeping, provocative book that mixes business, science, and human reporting, Petranek makes the case that living on Mars is an essential back-up plan for humanity and explains in fascinating detail just how it will happen.

The race is on. Private companies, driven by...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

89

Digital Avionics Handbook, Third Edition

A perennial bestseller, the Digital Avionics Handbook offers a comprehensive view of avionics. Complete with case studies of avionics architectures as well as examples of modern systems flying on current military and civil aircraft, this Third Edition includes:


Ten brand-new chapters covering new topics and emerging trends Significant restructuring to deliver a more coherent and cohesive story Updates to all existing chapters to reflect the latest software and technologies

Featuring discussions of new data bus and display concepts involving retina...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

90

Jetpack Attack

Join Carmen Sandiego and decide where in the world to go next in this globe-trotting, daring caper! Stop VILE from stealing the superior jetpack technology you’ve developed and using it for nefarious deeds. With twenty possible endings, your adventures can take you all over the world—or out of the game. Which will you choose?

In this choose-your-own-caper set in the world of Carmen Sandiego, you are unwittingly working as a technician developing a highly maneuverable jetpack for VILE. The prototype is almost complete when Carmen sneaks into your lab to steal it....
more

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Aerospace Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.
91
Robust and Adaptive Control shows the reader how to produce consistent and accurate controllers that operate in the presence of uncertainties and unforeseen events. Driven by aerospace applications the focus of the book is primarily on continuous-dynamical systems.



The text is a three-part treatment, beginning with robust and optimal linear control methods and moving on to a self-contained presentation of the design and analysis of model reference adaptive control (MRAC) for nonlinear uncertain dynamical systems. Recent extensions and modifications to MRAC design...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

92

The Book of Forces

Forces make the world go 'round - literally. This book provides a quick and easy-to-understand introduction to the quantity force and an overview of the many types of forces that shape our universe. Besides enlightening and down-to-earth explanations, you'll find plenty of detailed exercises demonstrating how the concepts and formulas can be applied to real-world situations. Knowledge of high school algebra is sufficient to follow the calculations. For more information, check out the table of contents.

From the author of "Great Formulas Explained", "Antimatter Propulsion" and...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

93
The launch of Sputnik in 1957 not only began the space age, it also showed that Soviet rockets were more powerful than American ones. Within months, the US Air Force hired Rocketdyne for a feasibility study of an engine capable of delivering at least 1 million pounds of thrust. Later, NASA ran the development of this F-1 engine in order to use it to power the first stage of the Saturn V rocket that would send Apollo missions to the Moon. It is no exaggeration to say that without the F-1 engine NASA would not have been able to achieve President Kennedy's 1961 challenge to his nation to land a... more

See more recommendations for this book...

94

Leap of Faith

An Astronaut's Journey Into the Unknown

Gordon "Gordo" Cooper was one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts, pilot for Apollo X, head of flight crew operations for the United States' first orbiting space station, and the last American to venture into space alone. Stretching from the dawning days of NASA to the far reaches of the unknown, Cooper's distinguished career as a record-setting astronaut helped shape America's space program and blazed a trail for generations to come.

In this astonishing memoir--written with #1 New York Times bestseller Bruce Henderson--Cooper crosses paths with such aviation...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

96
Publisher's Note: Products purchased from Third Party sellers are not guaranteed by the publisher for quality, authenticity, or access to any online entitlements included with the product.


Design, build, and pilot custom drones―no prior experience necessary!

This fun guide shows, step-by-step, how to construct powerful drones from inexpensive parts, add personalized features, and become a full-fledged pilot. DIY Drones for the Evil Genius: Design, Build, and Customize Your Own Drones not only covers safety,...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

97
Geared toward advanced undergraduates and graduate students, this outstanding text surveys aeroelastic problems, their historical background, basic physical concepts, and the principles of analysis. It has also proven highly useful to designers and engineers concerned with flutter, structural dynamics, flight loads, and related subjects. less

See more recommendations for this book...

98
This is a long-overdue volume dedicated to space trajectory optimization. Interest in the subject has grown, as space missions of increasing levels of sophistication, complexity, and scientific return - hardly imaginable in the 1960s - have been designed and flown. Although the basic tools of optimization theory remain an accepted canon, there has been a revolution in the manner in which they are applied and in the development of numerical optimization. This volume purposely includes a variety of both analytical and numerical approaches to trajectory optimization. The choice of authors has... more

See more recommendations for this book...

99

Introduction to Space Dynamics

Comprehensive, classic introduction to space-flight engineering for advanced undergraduate and graduate students. Provides basic tools for quantitative analysis of the motions of satellites and other vehicles in space. Includes vector algebra, kinematics, transformation of coordinates, gyrodynamics, generalized theories of mechanics. less

See more recommendations for this book...

100
The 1960s space race captured our imaginations and our dreams. Today’s efforts to revitalize and expand space travel is being driven not just by government agencies such as NASA, but also by visionaries such as Richard Branson (Virgin Galactic), Elon Musk (SpaceX), and Jeff Bezos (Blue Origin).

To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1969 moon landing, this major documentary-drama series brings to life the past, present, and future of man’s exploration of space. Between 1969 and 1972, twelve Americans walked on the moon. You’ll get to experience the thrill of that era and much,...
more

See more recommendations for this book...

Don't have time to read the top Aerospace Engineering books of all time? Read Shortform summaries.

Shortform summaries help you learn 10x faster by:

  • Being comprehensive: you learn the most important points in the book
  • Cutting out the fluff: you focus your time on what's important to know
  • Interactive exercises: apply the book's ideas to your own life with our educators' guidance.