Patrick Stakem

Space Launch Vehicles Patrick Stakem

This book covers the topic of launch vehicles, and their support facilities. These are generally rocket powered, but there are other options. Not everything rocket-powered is going to space, either. They have been rocket-powered motorcycles and cars. We're not going to talk about those, in this book. And, we are not going to mention the Rocket Racing League. This is not a comprehensive coverage of launch vehicles. We will not discuss military systems, except if they are used or re-purposed to civilian spaceflight. We will cover the spectrum from small sounding rockets to heavy lift vehicles. We will look at other options to get to orbit, including air-launch systems, the space elevator, and balloon-borne payloads.