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Library | Item Barcode | Call Number | Material Type | Item Category 1 | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Searching... | 30000010134151 | TL785.8.L3 S74 2005 | Open Access Book | Book | Searching... |
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Summary
Summary
This richly illustrated book is a fictionalized account of the challenges faced by a group of seven investors and their engineering team in developing a low-cost, reusable, Earth-to-orbit launch vehicle. The marketing, regulatory and technical problems are explored, making it an excellent and readable introduction to the technical aspects and challenges facing today's designers, entrepreneurs, regulators, legislators, and investors. The business model presented includes numerous timely scenarios and ideas: considering a reusable launch vehicle as a product, which has a different market and better cash flow, than the market for launch services; using clever engineering to solve the problem of an economical reusable launch vehicle with existing technology; and greatly increasing the ""supply"" of launch capacity, with a reusable vehicle that has low marginal costs per flight, is necessary to drive down the cost of launch to low Earth orbit using modifications of the same basic vehicle to gain access to the inner solar system at reasonable cost.The increased dedication by both private individuals and government institutions to solve the problem of low-cost, reusable launch vehicles makes this book necessary reading for all those involved in developing solutions. ""The Rocket Company"" provides a point of departure for building a consensus on how to take the process through to low cost access to orbit - and beyond.
Reviews 1
Choice Review
NASA promised low-cost, routine space travel with the advent of the space shuttle in the 1980s. Of course, nothing is further from the truth: human space flight is rare, potentially dangerous, and quite expensive. However, this work of fiction provides a roadmap for a low-cost, reusable rocket to transport humans and cargo into low Earth orbit. Seven billionaires have the goal of developing a space transportation system that would lower costs by a factor of 10 or more. The leader of this grand endeavor, John Forsyth, has an eclectic team to help him achieve his goal. Interestingly, he hires librarians as well as engineers to search through the plethora of literature on rocket systems. Forsyth considers the best business practices of successful industries and tries to focus on human capital as well as on hardware. For instance, his company has a simple compensation scheme with excellent benefits without excessive salaries for the executives. Unlike NASA, he gives his employees a large degree of autonomy and authority, but in return expects individuals to take responsibility for their actions. By the end, the company achieves its goal and begins developing methods to reach Mars. ^BSumming Up: Recommended. General readers. J. Z. Kiss Miami University
