It's ONLY Rocket Science [electronic resource] : An Introduction in Plain English / by Lucy Rogers.

Rocket and spacecraft design: propellants, launch vehicles and spacecraft -- Mission planning and backup including choosing the launch site and supplies -- Navigation in three dimensions -- Communication -- Life in space (how humans cope) -- Observing satellites: From naked eye observations to professional observatories -- Where to go (exploring the planets, the Moon, and further out) -- What the future holds (different types of propulsion systems) -- Glossary -- Index.

"Well, it’s not rocket science, is it?" How many times have you heard people use that expression when they mean something pretty simple? There are other areas of science and technology that are arguably more challenging than rocket science, but no other (perhaps apart from brain surgery) has entered mainstream English vocabulary as a byword for ‘difficult’. But ‘hard to understand’ isn’t the same as ‘impossible to understand’, as Dr Lucy Rogers – who is herself currently working as a rocket scientist – shows in this book. She describes, in everyday terms and entirely without complex math, just what is involved in launching something into space, to explore the universe beyond our small planet. If you want to understand the fundamentals of space flight, from how to leave the Earth – including the design of the rocket and vehicle, mission planning, navigation and communication – to life in space and the effects of weightlessness, begin your journey here.