Limit search to available items
Book Cover
E-book
Author Sarsfield, Liam, 1955-

Title The cosmos on a shoestring : small spacecraft for space and earth science / Liam Sarsfield
Published Santa Monica, CA : RAND, Critical Technologies Institute, 1998

Copies

Description 1 online resource (xxxiv, 185 pages) : illustrations
Summary Small spacecraft have become popular for a number of reasons, most prominently the needs to reduce overall cost, be built more quickly, and spread mission risks. NASA has been challenged with crafting a program that continues to produce meaningful science within the constraints of the available budget. Still, pound for pound, small spacecraft are not precisely inexpensive, given the effects of complexity, launch costs, and a greater degree of risk. Historically, science spacecraft have demonstrated increasing reliability, but this trend might not continue, given the shift to managed risk. There is generally less money available to smaller programs to test spacecraft functions and operational procedures prior to launch. Small spacecraft are also generally less robust. Efforts to reduce failure potentials through the application of more reliable components, better testing, and advanced design techniques should receive greater attention. Despite the risks, however, small spacecraft fulfill important roles in earth science, astrophysics, space physics, and planetary science. NASA's current generation of small spacecraft is capable of impressive levels of performance
Analysis Microspacecraft
Notes "Prepared for the Office of Science and Technology Policy
"MR-864-OSTP."
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 169-185)
Notes Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002. http://purl.oclc.org/DLF/benchrepro0212 MiAaHDL
English
digitized 2010 HathiTrust Digital Library committed to preserve pda MiAaHDL
Print version record
Subject Microspacecraft.
TECHNOLOGY & ENGINEERING -- Aeronautics & Astronautics.
Microspacecraft
SPACECRAFT MODULES.
MICROMACHINING.
AEROSPACE SCIENCES.
EARTH SCIENCES.
Form Electronic book
Author United States. Office of Science and Technology Policy.
Critical Technologies Institute (Rand Corporation)
ISBN 0585361045
9780585361048
9780833025289
0833025287