The termastronautics (originallyastronautique inFrench) was coined in the 1920s byJ.-H. Rosny, president of theGoncourt academy, in analogy withaeronautics.[1] Because there is a degree of technical overlap between the two fields, the termaerospace is often used to describe both at once. In 1930,Robert Esnault-Pelterie published the first book on the new research field.[2]
The termcosmonautics (originallycosmonautique in French) was introduced in the 1930s byAry Sternfeld with his bookInitiation à la Cosmonautique (Introduction to cosmonautics)[3] (the book brought him thePrix REP-Hirsch, later known as the Prix d'Astronautique, of theFrench Astronomical Society in 1934.[4])
As with aeronautics, the restrictions of mass, temperatures, and external forces require that applications in space survive extreme conditions: high-gradevacuum, theradiation bombardment ofinterplanetary space and themagnetic belts oflow Earth orbit.Space launch vehicles must withstand titanic forces, whilesatellites can experience huge variations in temperature in very brief periods.[5] Extreme constraints on mass cause astronautical engineers to face the constant need to save mass in the design in order to maximize the actualpayload that reachesorbit.
ThePrix d'Astronautique (Astronautics Prize) awarded by theSociété astronomique de France, the French astronomical society, was the first prize on this subject. The international award, established by aviation and astronautical pioneerRobert Esnault-Pelterie and André-Louis Hirsch, was given from 1929 to 1939 in recognition of the study of interplanetary travel and astronautics.
By the mid-1950s, theSpace Race between the USSR and the US had begun.
Although many regard astronautics itself as a rather specialized subject, engineers and scientists working in this area must be knowledgeable in many distinct fields.
Astrodynamics – the study of orbital motion. Those specializing in this field examine topics such as spacecraft trajectories, ballistics and celestial mechanics.
Spacecraft propulsion – how spacecraft change orbits, and how they are launched. Most spacecraft have some variety ofrocket engine, and thus most research efforts focus on some variety ofrocket propulsion, such as chemical, nuclear or electric.
Controls – keeping a satellite or rocket in its desired orbit (as in spacecraft navigation) and orientation (as inattitude control).
Space environment – although more a sub-discipline ofphysics rather than astronautics, the effects ofspace weather and other environmental issues constitute an increasingly important field of study for spacecraft designers.
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