Author: Mark Mortimer

Of course the stars have been with people since people have been on Earth. Wandering along the ecliptic in an annual cycle allowed those with good memories to see the stars arc across the night sky, disappear and then reappear perhaps months later. Those with a good imagination then came along and, perhaps after reviewing the shapes of clouds, went on to name groups of stars; Leo the lion, the Big Dipper and Orion the hunter. These names represent the basic coordinates in star maps and also the basic orientation for astronomers when discussing their latest night time observations. A star map is essential for quickly learning this built up information and, with its knowledge, provides a common basis for discussing night time delights.

Robin Scagell in his book provides maps of the night skies. First he outlines the coordinate system; orbits, declination, right ascension, and ecliptics. Maps in semi-circular segments then illustrate the stars. A group of six illustrate the northern hemisphere. One pair gives a north and south view for a January evening at about midnight and with a false horizon drawn for a number of latitudes. Another shows May and a third pair shows September. Three other pairs show the segments if viewed from the southern hemisphere. These maps are quite small about 10 cm in diameter and show the constellations, names of significant stars and a washed area that represents the contribution from the Milky Way.

The main value of this book is the use of these guide maps with following detailed maps. Much like a road map that has blow ups with greater details, each of the semi-circular segments has four or five links to higher fidelity maps. And these higher fidelity maps are the purpose for the book’s larger format as these are each also a semicircle of diameter about 30 cm. Now it’s a bit curious as to how semi-circles divided to semi-circles, perhaps there’s a fair amount of overlap. Anyway these higher fidelity maps each appear twice. The first shows stars in black on a white background as well as constellation boundaries. The second is a photo-realistic image (stars as white dots on a black background) which show the night sky as a viewer would see it. In total there are eight pairs of these higher fidelity maps.

Following the maps are sections on what to see, sort of like a tourist’s map for a city. The moon gets large attention with lots of clear, fine scale photographs. Four, full page quarter circle maps provide place names on a shaded relief. The sun and each planet also have write-ups and pictures though, not surprisingly, the amount of information is inversely proportional to the distance from Earth. Of course these have no maps as no amateur astronomer has equipment able to discern geographic features except perhaps a little of Mars (the ice caps).

The final chapter of the book does get back into maps. Fifty of the most important constellations (presumably according to the author) have a small map (about 10cm by 10cm) alongside a write-up of the interesting features; galaxies, nebulae and other deep sky objects. This is a particularly good chapter with in-depth information much as a large city map presents details on tourist sections and popular sites. Once centring a constellation in the eyepiece of your favourite telescope, using this map quickly allows a viewer to identify features as well as their relative positions. Hence the constellation Pegasus becomes the stars Sadalbari, Matar and Enif. And thus the learning of the night sky via the maps in this book, quickens.

As an atlas this book is good but not great. I put it to the test, went out, got my bearings using the Big Dipper and then looked in the book. Note I’m no expert. However, this being April made the large scale maps very difficult. The nearest map (May at Midnight) did not do my view justice. Going to the higher fidelity maps was no help as I couldn’t get an appreciation of the scale. However, starting with the constellation Big Dipper (or Ursa Major), I was able to learn more about the local sky group. More large scale maps would have helped. Also, in looking at the higher fidelity maps, I only referred to the high contrast, black on white views; never the photo-realistic ones. Nevertheless this book is an effective night sky atlas for those looking without aid or those using binoculars or small telescopes.

Travelling to visit the grandparents, planning for a vacation or going out to view stars at night all have much better results when undertaken with an appropriate map. Robin Scagell in his book, Night Sky Atlas provides the guidance for viewing the moon, planets, stars and other deep sky objects. So don’t get lost in the big, diamond endowed, velvet cloth that descends over us every evening, get this book and travel away.

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Review by Mark Mortimer.

Stargazing can be as easy as lying flat on the back in a field and using the ‘Mark 1 eyeball’. Curving paths make planets out of dots, patterned specks transform into constellations and smears might just be a new comet portending an event of some occasion. Some people, satisfied at this level, happily return indoors into the warm embrace of artificial light. Yet others drive onwards. Bringing the moon’s mountains and valleys into stark relief on the terminator make this satellite seem somehow closer and more obtainable. With a bit more effort, the cloud bands of Jupiter transfigure a dot to a swirling artwork while the rings of Saturn unmistakenly add a dimension to the velvet darkness of night. And once heading down this path, it’s easy to become hooked. A little bit more power, a little bit more focus and the Mark 1 eyeball, aided by lens and mirrors, sees more and more.

Yet starting from square one without knowledge of lenses or manufacturers makes choosing an optical aid seem perhaps too mystical. This is where Scagell’s book excels, as within it he removes the mystery and aids those wanting to satiate their first cravings for power. The text contains about equal parts concerning the acquisition and usage of telescopes. He makes no assumptions about prior knowledge or geographical location and takes the reader on the typical learning curve of how viewing aids work and what types are available. He covers challenges of light pollution in cities, effects of mass marketing and actions for shoddy workmanship. A comparative description of 12 telescopes allows the reader to quickly determine the best type for their desires and resources. Case studies exemplify the pro’s and con’s of various types, making this a particularly good section for those thinking of purchasing a telescope as a gift. A large quantity of pictures leaves little to the imagination. Many telescopes are shown, as well as mounts and attachments. Skimming through this book or reading cover to cover removes a lot of mystery when contemplating a telescope purchase.

But Scagell doesn’t leave the reader hanging by just describing the telescopes and ancillary gear. He ably describes and depicts their usage and provides some honest appraisals of their results. In truth, he admits that most of these telescopes make little dots appear bigger or makes dots appear where none had been before. Glowing multi-coloured clouds as generated by the Hubble space telescope shouldn’t be an expectation to the backyard enthusiast. With this acknowledgement in mind, Scagell leads the reader on a possible progression of viewing targets which, though no more than dots, still result from photons that started on their journey millions to billions of years ago. From planispheres providing orientation and familiarization with seasonal variations to advanced GO TO telescopes that align far away stars in the centre of view finder at the simple push of a button, he presents the description of dials, buttons and techniques. On reading through this, there will be little doubt as to which telescope to purchase and what to expect to see through the new viewfinder.

There may seem to be a lot covered in this book and this appearance is valid. From attending Star Parties, to building your own Dobsonian mount, through to using hair dryers to keep dew off of lenses, it’s here. This volume of material is well covered as there is little superfluous material and the text is very tightly written in a well organized, well laid out reference. However, much of the enjoyment of a hobby is in sharing the pleasure and there are few hints or directions on identifying local or fellow enthusiasts. Also, there is little written on steps a typical hobbyist would make (e.g. smaller to larger aperture, multiple scopes or ancillary equipment). But these are small issues for an otherwise great text.

No one can help but pause for a moments reflection on seeing the plethora of stars seen in a clear night sky. Those who want to stick around and learn more about the universe in which we live immediately think of acquiring a telescope. Yet without clear information and advice, purchasing and using a telescope may lead to needless frustration. So, read Stargazing with a Telescope by Robin Scagell to avoid the frustration and start on a fantastic journey of discovery.

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Review by Mark Mortimer.

The focal points in this book are the three largest communication antennas built by NASA, the backbone of the deep space network. Built roughly 120 degrees apart around the globe; Goldstone in California, Canberra in Australia, and Madrid in Spain, they spanned 64 metres in diameter originally though were later upgraded to 70 metres. Perhaps barely acknowledged by most space enthusiasts, they perform the critical service of linking us to our robot progeny in our reach off of Earth. Probes get sent commands to fire thrusters and in return send bits and bytes of video images of planets and moons. Robots get instructions to travel foreign terrains and provide visual treats of foreign lands. And perhaps most exciting, people on the moon interacted in (near) real time with Earth based operators. And lunar travel is the point in time when this book’s story begins.

Mudgway lays the groundwork to his story by outlining some of the significant political and space related issues. In the heydays of the 1960’s, a ready fiscal budget for space helped ensure the winning of the race and the build out of infrastructure like the antennae. Though the technology was still in its infancy a quick ramp up had to occur to meet the expectations of the space progam. On top of this groundwork he then builds a description of the existing state of technology and the requirements for the location and operation of the new antennae. What then follows in the book is an easy reading, chronologically arranged narrative of how the chosen people made it happen.

The narrative itself reads more like a fire side chat than like a specific technical treatise. The historical background and political circumstances embellish the reasoning for site selection. People’s names crop up, predominantly Bill Merrick the design and construction manager. Some of their more colourful actions and sayings enliven the text and remind the reader that people, not structures, were the central concern. Company names and their involvement get a slice of attention as well. So, as much as this book’s subject concerns the history of the antenna stations of the deep space network, the inclusion of people and extraneous events keeps the reading light and easy.

Nevertheless, the antenna stations are the main focus and there is a lot to learn within the book. Site selection had to meet limits on radio interference, ground stability and proximity of a workforce, even if Bogong moths were the initial main residents. Component fabrication and site build out gets a thorough description, from the laying of the continuous concrete ring 100 feet in diameter, 11 feet wide and 3 feet deep to using the quadripod support to install the feed system. In a pleasant manner, Mudgway effectively includes a sense of urgency by continually noting the need for the antenna to either support the manned space program or to be ready for a space probe doing a “once only” fly by of a distant planet.

Construction of the antenna encompasses a major portion of the book, though Mudgway also includes goodly portions on the operations and maintenance. We read how, just like a private residence, the antennae’s demands continually expanded to quickly exceed 100% availability. Then upgrades and procedure modifications allowed for better (faster and greater) abilities whose benefits were again quickly consumed by voracious researchers. Routine issues must have arisen, though none are included. Two major problems arose and are noted. One involves azimuthal motion. Oil allows a pad to travel across a steel runner. But if the runner gets uneven, contact occurs, and the antenna couldn’t turn until after signficiant repair work. In elevation, gears and bearings allowed the 4,000 ton dish to rotate in elevation, that is, until the bearings cracked. Again, things got very stressful and Mudgway does a wonderful job of describing the event, the people and the fix.

In a conversational, light tone, using generalist language, Mudgway gives an easy reading history of the antenna stations and the people involved. A reader can pick up some on the design and construction of the antenna and the people involved, however, don’t expect to learn much on the intricacies of microwave design or operation. Also, though chronological, the flow is uneven, at times like an old river that wanders and meanders without a clear focus, even though a destination does get reached.

The deep space network is the phone network that allows people to communicate with their mechanical offspring throughout our solar system. Douglas Mudgway in his book Big Dish, Building America’s Deep Space Connection to the Planets, gives a very smooth historical narrative of the people and events around the design, construction and upgrade of the three largest of the antennae.

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Review by Mark Mortimer

Apollo13 launched in 1970. Because of an onboard malfunction no astronauts landed on the targeted moon and very nearly no astronauts returned safely to Earth. 1995 saw the original release of this film that so grippingly captured the tumultuous event. This year, Universal Pictures is offering an anniversary edition. The two DVD discs contain the drama, twice. One is in a 2.35:1 aspect ratio and the other, briefer version, is in IMAX.

The film centres on the astronauts. Three flew in the capsule while one, quarantined from a possible exposure to measles, remained behind. Suspense builds steadily even for viewers with prior knowledge of the crisis. Flight crew selection, training, and embarkation proceed apace with suitable backdrops of loving families and concerned mission controllers. The rather incredulous disinterest from the media during the launch and for the first tranquil day of flight particularly raises ire and expectation. Then comes the famous phrase, ‘Houston, we have a problem’, and the film soars. Continually shifting from the space craft to the control room to the families’ homes combines these people into one scene and one event. Problems arise, get dealt and solutions to the next ones sought. Knowing the final outcome in no way diminishes the gripping nature of the delivery. A sense of relief is quite palpable on seeing the astronauts being welcomed on the recovery ship after their return to Earth. The film superbly portrays the drama that unfolded during this crisis in space

In a surprising conundrum, this film is incredibly authentic even though no stock footage was used. Many of the participants who were involved with the event provided first hand recollections. The control room was rebuilt, to spec. The astronauts flew for several hundreds of cycles in the KC-135 (Vomit Comet) astronaut trainer getting footage of real weightlessness. Flight manuscripts got memorized and where appropriate were repeated word for word. Little seems to have been missed in the successful quest for accuracy, to the point where a landing capsule was built and dropped just for this movie. As a further note, astronauts viewing this film asked about the launch footage given some very unexpected and rewarding perspectives. Their answer gets discussed in the special features elsewhere within the DVD. As a reference both of the era and the event, this film greatly fills the need. Nevertheless, first and foremost this film is an entertaining drama of humans nearly failing in their out reach to space.

Joining the film are special features. Commentaries by the director and actors give insight into the push for authenticity. Perhaps most rewarding are the many appearances by James and Marilyn Lovell who have obviously put so much of their own memories into this production. A brief vignette recapping the last 45 years in space is a handy perspective for the uninitiated. These embellish the video package in a nice way but don’t necessarily add much to the film itself.

Apollo 13 was a memorable mission and “Apollo13” does great justice to it as a film. As there may not be many people who could appreciate the included IMAX version, there may not be much value in getting this version in addition to the original release. Some people even preferred the original. However, for those looking to add a copy of this film into their libraries and those who missed the original release, this is a great package. Solid directing, an experienced and involved cast and a resounding musical score keep this film entertaining. Faithful reproduction of surroundings and events of the era make this an accurate historical drama.

James Lovell’s view as an astronaut were that, “you’re there because you expect crisis”. Apollo 13 was a crisis and the film version, “Apollo 13” directed by Ron Howard allows us to relive this moment using both a detached analytical view and a very attached drama tical view. Some corollary can be shared between the event and the film, ‘though each participant was an exceptional individual it was team work that won the day’.

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Review by Mark Mortimer

For those unaware, Patrick Moore or officially, Sir Patrick Moore, is the host of British Broadcasting Corporation’s “The Sky at Night”. He has been hosting this live television show regularly for in excess of 45 years, consisting to date of more than 600 programmes. He brought eclipses, lunar landings, and sinking eggs to a couple of generations of avid space buffs. He started on this trail well before rocketry came into vogue, and, by being in the right place at the right time (or putting himself there), he has managed to get acquainted with many of the luminaries of the field. But like any true person, he has a less than stellar side that he’s not afraid to show. He remains very opinionated about Germans and Italians because of his experiences in World War II. He worships cricket despite his noted lack of distinction. And he has a particular loathsome appreciation for things bureaucratic. The resulting open and honest self-appraisal, coupled with an energetic and vivid writing style, makes this book a real treat.

For the most part, the text follows a chronological sequence. An apparently difficult childhood is glossed over though the source of his love for astronomy appears to have started from reading a related book when he was six year old. Apparently he was about 30 when astronomy became part of his career. Thereafter follows a steady progression of book writings, speeches, occasional forays into directing a planetarium and, of course, presentations on the television show. Remember that while rocketry was in its infancy, television was not significantly further along. This, coupled with a live performance, made for many hilarious sounding spectacles. Studio sessions were perhaps a bit more sedate, but challenges arose. Imagine having a last minute guest star that, as it turns out, cannot speak English or any other language known by the host. Field sessions were, understandably enough, much more open to the elements. Clouds covered eclipses moments before totality, or camera operators focussed on their own subject instead of the sun’s dancing chromosphere. But it isn’t the events that take the spotlight in the book, it is Sir Patrick’s reflections of them which if not always humourous are, nevertheless, vibrant.

For those who know a bit about Sir Patrick because of his very public presence, the book can provide a deeper insight. A fair amount of his involvement with cricket gets in, though I must admit that with my lack of understanding of the game, I was usually at a loss. Still when he describes his throwing style as likened to that of a wallaby doing a barn dance, I get the picture. Also, there are many references to British leaders, activities of the European Union and changes to British society that I, as a North American, probably don’t appropriately appreciate. However, I can certainly feel the sorrow and loss Sir Patrick describes upon the enforced cessation of the Royal Greenwich Observatory. His other pastimes include playing musical instruments, especially the xylophone, and performing in amateur theatre productions. With all this, a reader can readily appreciate that Sir Patrick had a much fuller and rounder life than purely reporting on astronomical topics.

There is a slight sense of choppiness in the writing style. Perhaps because it is due to Sir Patrick typing the full manuscript on a typewriter that is older than he was. Nevertheless, the many years experience of writing books, papers and presentations serves him well because the result is a pleasant, easy reading prose that can often leave the reader laughing out loud. Seldom seen words like ‘bowdlerized’ appear, but quite rarely. Also, though ostensibly chronological, there is some jumping to and fro as well as the occasional repetition. In spite of this, there is no difficulty in reading, rather much enjoyment.

Autobiographies can and should give a glimpse into a person’s soul. Patrick Moore in his book Patrick Moore, The Autobiography does this in style. In noting down opinions and conjectures rather than emphasizing facts and events, the reader can readily understand who Sir Patrick is. And given the lack of self import and the flavourful writing style, there is both fun and insight of a principal character who undertook and is still undertaking solid service in the outreach of space and astronomy.

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Review by Mark Mortimer

Deep sky observing is the sport of picking out significant, night-time, light sources with the aid of an optical lens. More than just enlarging pinpricks, the lens or lenses evolve the light sources into patterns, shapes and even distinct colours. Of course, with people having stared up at the night sky for ages, with and without aids, some significant knowledge gets built up. There are the shapes that form the signs of the zodiac, precession that defines epochs and historians who record the rise and fall of stellar blazes. As a backdrop to all of these, there are literally billions of other lights sources. This is where the guide’s strength lies as it helps a viewer enter this realm via useful guideposts, notices and advertisements.

In particular, this guide details over 200 night time sparkles. Seven chapters divide these into well known stellar entities, such as galaxies and nebulae. Each individual description includes some basic information; the popular name, where its located (right ascension and declination) and its magnitude. Then, more useful for the amateur viewer, come tricks on seeing the correct sparkle through your binoculars or telescope; the best magnification, viewing style (direct or averted) and any locating stars. Often, bonus comments supply details on the history of its observations, perhaps a bit on the physics involved (e.g. the light is from emissions due to depleted oxygen atoms capturing an electron), and a bit on the stellar activity (e.g. part of a galaxy’s spiral arms ). Having over 400 years of observations to consider makes a guide book like this an extremely practical starting point before venturing into the night time skies.

To further help the amateur astronomer in their activities, Neil Bone fills out his guide with some useful background information. Each chapter begins with a snippet of information about the category. For instance, galaxies, we’re told, are collections that formed in the early stages of the universe and have a uniform field of motion. Where appropriate, morphological classifications further divide categories. Again for galaxies, Edwin Hubble’s “tuning fork” model sets the delineations. And in extending this background further, Bone provides a quick synopsis on the mechanics or evolutions of the subject and expectations for change. Planetary nebulae, for instance, result from a normal star aging into a red star, which subsequently swells further and expels vast amounts of itself in a very vivid explosion, the after effects being the observed nebula. With all this information, the night time sparkles do indeed look more and more take on the value of diamonds.

Aside from expanding on what’s viewed in the lens, Bone’s guide also provides some useful insight on periphery issues. The equipment; binoculars, refractors, mounts and eyepieces get their due. Hints abound throughout, such as the benefits of portable equipment to allow for the necessary commute away from obscuring city lights. The history of viewing identifies some of the important individuals as well as some of their unique instruments. For example, most subjects come with their Messier’s identification. We also learn about de Chesaux’s catalogue of 9776 objects. Bode identified 77 nebulous groups while Hershel had his own list of 400. Reworking through any of these lists could be a lifetime challenge but then there’s the Messier Marathon. Here, a person tries to observe each of the 110 Messier objects in one night. To aid in this or more leisurely pursuits, the guide comes well abridged with field sketches, pictures and diagrams. Wide-field star charts and deep sky listings by constellation, season and magnitude complete the tidbits of information.

Listing stellar objects vitals could very easily have resulted in an extremely dry text. Luckily Bone doesn’t fall completely into this trap. There are many charts and tables, and though each description reads like a recipe, there are also many personal anecdotes and opinions to remind the reader that this book is for the hobbyist who wants to enjoy their pastime. This, together with the provision of club names as well as national and international organizations, give great ideas on how to inflame an amateur viewer’s passion.

Having a handy back pocket reference is essential for star-parties or any late night venues where the stars come into focus. Neil Bone, in his book Deep Sky Observer’s Guide gives this excellent reference for this activity. With descriptions aplenty and star charts spanning all the heavens, this book will enable you to leap to the rescue when someone wonders, “What’s that dot up there?”.

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Review by Mark Mortimer

A long time ago, in our universe, everything (energy, matter and light) was contained within the volume of about a grapefruit. This is the starting point for Mallary. From this, he then shows how 14 fundamental relationships translated this existence to the one we live in today. Quarks and their conjugation-parity symmetry together with the four forces (gravitational, electromagnetic, and the strong and weak nuclear forces) are at one relational extreme. Reality in three dimensions and the exclusion of two electrons from being in the same quantum state are at another. Having set these, he demonstrates their effect in creating one human filled planet, ours, in a solar system within a somewhat average galaxy somewhere in the confines of existence.

As much as Mallary’s translations show how the grapefruit changed with time, he also shows how different translations would have led to a much different universe. For example, if the expansion rate of the early universe was greater, then atoms could not have coalesced into stars. If lower, then the universe would have collapsed into itself long before any human type life could have evolved. He brings this same perception to the formation of protons, atoms, stars, and planets. Without each of these particular translations, an alternative universe could exist but would be fundamentally quite different, though not perhaps any less probable, than our own. Physical properties balance our universe’s characteristics on a knife’s edge. Too much, more or less, could nullify a critical component and a resulting universe would be vastly different than ours.

Mallary gives this same treatment to life forms. Rather than a grapefruit size universe, he starts with RNA and DNA sequences. Again we read that a definitive prescription dictates life as we know it. Nevertheless, we get shown that particular conditions did shape the evolution of Earth’s life in a special way and many other outcomes could have been possible. For example, atmospheric changes from carbon dioxide to oxygen directly changed resident life forms. Without these changes, we wouldn’t likely be here. A more direct effect arose from, mass extinctions empowered certain species, one in particular that gave rise to the prominence of mammals and ourselves. Using a chronological outline, he steps through these conditions, arguing that most of these were important if not critical for development into today’s humans. In spite of this, he then goes on to note that these conditions are not particularly unique and life, human like or other, could and should easily occur elsewhere.

At about this point in the book, about half way through, Mallary stops using this scientific analysis for physical changes and starts applying it to people and societies. If you can imagine, it is like the ship ‘Scientific Analysis’ running hard into the ship ‘Philosophy’. Anthropomorphism gets mixed up with divine creation, which gets mixed up with randomness, which all leads to consider the question about the purpose of life, though he never directly raises this question. In summary, he nicely ties this into a discussion on our actions today, their reasonableness and what the future might have in store. His speculations about searching for the signature of a creator are particularly entertaining as he attempts to setup verifiable, scientific conditions.

However, this significant switch in style by the author is a bit disconcerting. The first of the book reads like a text. It gives examples, provides diagrams and discusses current theories and ideas. The later part of the book diverges into ‘ether’ like subjects, such as wondering if cyber viruses are life forms. In spite of this, the discussions provoke much contemplation such as the debate on the wisdom of contacting aliens.

For all we know, the only universe which we will ever sense is our own. There may be other universes but as Michael Mallary demonstrates in his book Our Improbable Universe ours is very unique and much of its constituents, including us, depends very much upon this uniqueness. Within this book, he also provides much insight into how these relationships shaped our existence, while cajoling us into using all our senses to making the best of ourselves during our life within our universe.

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Review by Mark Mortimer

The Apollo 12 mission landed the second set of crewmen onto the moon. After the success of Apollo 11, the attitude had swung a bit from ‘can we make it’ to ‘what’s the best we can do’. The lunar orbit insertion technique changed, the landing had a distinct target (i.e. near Surveyor 3), and expectations for exploration and assessment were more detailed and grander. If everything else remained the same, this might be considered a trivial advance. But space travel was still new and with the complex and tightly coupled systems involved, something always sprang up. Godwin, in his compilation, provides the official view of many of these occurrences.

The book is loosely divided into three sections. The first examines the expectations and the operations, the second examines the equipment and experiments, while the third looks at equipment anomalies. The expectations centre about the men’s activity on the surface, the geological examination, scientific experiments and their own mobility. Coarse maps and photographs show routes and setups for surface equipment. The operations description describes the descent in some detail, including charts of altitude, pitch, yaw and roll as a function of time. In fact, by continually using a time reference, Godwin provides an excellent metric to keep tabs of what’s happening..

Seeing as this is an official report, it is not surprising that the next section gives much more attention to the equipment and experiments rather than crew activities. Descriptions portray the purpose and composition of most of the experiments. Direct results are listed, such as identifying the number of rolls of film successfully taken. Charts show seismic output. Some of the equipment is profiled. The included pilot’s report gives the precise bureaucratic description of events from launch through to landing back on earth. A simple strip chart lists major events opposite ground elapsed time to permit quick review of activities. Suffice it to say that Apollo12’s mission objectives were almost all completed satisfactorily, that is, the equipment and experiments did what they needed to do.

One of the more interesting parts of this compilation is the review of the anomalies. Imagine sitting on more than 5 million pounds of propellent and then being struck twice by lightening as they were! No serious consequences ensued similarly with other less exciting anomalies. Filters backed up, valves stuck, electronics failed, just like the operation of any large piece of machinery. Perhaps what is more revealing is the small quantity of anomalies. To clarify each, the book provides a point by point description of the anomaly, the resolution and any subsequent action.

Upon reading this book, two powerful messages clearly jump out. The first is the overall complexity of the mission. With help being five days away at best, reliability was critical so care had to be taken and it is a wonder that things went as smoothly as they did. This may account for the pedantic nature of the operations and the dry tone of the reports in the book. The second message is that lessons were learned and actions taken; after all this was the 12th Apollo mission; the second that landed. However, where are these lessons now? Are they only in books like this and dusty government repositories? These unasked questions arise but no answers are present.

Fine as this book is, don’t forget its source, bureaucracy. Dry yes, but to liven your day just watch the included DVD. Astronauts rejoice on landing, sing while collecting geological samples and smile broadly while resting in quarantine. The live video pictures the launch from many angles, the lunar landing, many of the astronaut’s activities on the surface, the rendezvous and the recovery of the crew and capsule after splash down. This double sided disc gives many hours to recreate the mood and feeling of this great event.

What is missing from this book is any discussion, in particular where is the information on the importance of the mission and its objectives. Further, and more important, as most of the book focuses on the anomalies, the consequence of failure should have been added. Did the lightening strikes pose much of a danger? Did the mission ever come close to a hazardous situation and to what consequence? Taking the opportunity to add this perspective would have made this rich book more rewarding.

Von Braun’s vision of the lunar missions was as a stepping stone to bigger and better things. Robert Godwin’s compilation in ‘Apollo 12 The NASA Mission Reports, Volume Two‘ provides an excellently edited selection of the milestones that Apollo 12 achieved and the glitches that made its journey interesting. As a combination, the dry tone of the book and the lively feel of the included DVD make for an entertaining and informative reference for this lunar mission.

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Review by Mark Mortimer

The book starts with a very brief summary of the lunar module, its conception by John Houbolt, the design and production trials of Grumman and then the astronauts’ concerns. Brief, yet complete, this introduction flows directly into the main feature of the book, the images of the lunar module. These images do a fantastic job of depicting the complete lunar module and then allowing the focus to narrow to examine many of the individual components.

The lunar module came in two versions, first the H series, and a later version, the J series. Though similar, the later J series had a greater capability evidenced mostly by the addition of the lunar rover. First the H and then J type lunar modules have plates showing their totality from a top, bottom and each of the four distinct side perspectives. These provide a ready comprehension of the surface planes, shapes and material. Purposefully simplified for comprehension (e.g. no grommets or weld lines), adjacent archival photographs easily bring reality alongside to compare to the view.

With this overview complete, the book drops into detail mode as the focus shifts to the two stages; the descent stage and the ascent stage. The descent stage first gets the same treatment as the overall module, then it gets ‘blown apart’ so that its internal constituents appear, something like a virtual biology dissection of a frog. The descent module’s shape is cruciform; each of the four quadrants clearly highlight the framework for internal and external supports, fuel tanks and electrical lines. Vivid colours differentiate the control lines and the ‘plumbing’ lines. Often a brief in-line paragraph describes the operational procedures or the design elements.

The ascent stage comes next and it is certainly more fun to go through. This stage housed the two astronauts and allowed them to control the craft, gave them access to the moon’s surface and got them returned to the command module. The windows, keypad computer, many control panels and helmet storage all have detailed closeups. Some of these have their own blow-apart diagrams to show construction. Should the readers get perplexed on the purpose of all these switches, levers and wires, then they can easily resolve this by perusing the attached CD-ROM which has over 2000 pages of operation manuals, checklists and cue cards.

When growing up, I was overly fond of building plastic models. I was amazed at the accuracy and detail of these small plastic miniatures and in my mind they all grew to real size and were valid working copies of the actual subject. This book gives me the exact same feeling. Without ever having seen a lunar module, I have become very acquainted with this craft. I understand its major parts, their placement and, with the documents on the CD ROM, their usage. Careful with this CD ROM though as the book is soft cover. Do not bend.

The missing element for this book would be the operation procedures. Sure they are in the CD ROM, but more could have been in the text. For example, why did the book include detailed views of the circuit interrupt connectors and one of the four hardpoint connections? Are they critical for some procedure? Why is there a close up of the docking light and flood light? Also, having the author’s name on every second page gets distracting. A preferable replacement would have been a length scale to facilitate gauging the size of the subject of the view. Yet, these changes would only have made an already good book that much better.

Today’s ready access to computer aided design (CAD) stations makes the design and development of complex machinery relatively simple. The lunar module came long before these tools, even well before the personal computer. Scott Sullivan in “Virtual LM” uses these amazing present day tools to dissect the lunar module, re-build it and display it for everyone to readily see and understand. This book, together with the enclosed CD-ROM, will bring this amazing spacecraft right up close in front of you, even if it is only virtual.

To get your own copy, visit Countdown Creations.

Review by Mark Mortimer

Rocketry itself has a long history. Possibly its first instance saw gunpowder-driven, arrow-type rockets fired by the ancient Chinese. The modern history of rocketry, especially its science, gathered steam throughout the 1900s as advances in physics and the provisions of necessary materials made a thorough study possible. Within this book many of the relevant physical relationships show how to analyse rocket performance. These include the basics: the laws of thermodynamics, enthalpy and gravitational force, as well as the more particular: thrust, specific impulse and mass ratios. Whenever equations first arise, examples guide the reader (e.g. comparative specific impulses for turbojets, ramjets, scramjets and rockets). However, no derivations or messy calculus appear, so no one will be overcome by the mathematics often associated with rocketry.

The discussion of the necessary materials principally revolves around the fuel. This isn’t surprising, as fuel accounts for well above 90% of the mass of a typical rocket. The many possible fuel types have their pro’s and con’s listed, e.g. whether storable, cryogenic, hypergolic, expensive or toxic. The different containment shapes and methods get described, as do the metals used to contain and support the fuel. Esoteric fuels, such as nuclear fission or fusion, have their due but the authors acknowledge that these are not likely to be a fuel source in the near future.

To compete their overview of rocketry, the authors first identify some of the key players in the pre-World War II time frame. Then they show how the German’s successes with the V-1, V-2 and Rheinbote during World War II led directly to the acquisition and enhancement of this technology by the USA and the USSR. Next, however, the authors pointedly show how these two countries diverged in their pursuits. The USSR stayed with a few capable techniques and from there developed a workhorse capability that today is providing the sole support for the International Space Station. The USA, on the other hand, has pursued many technologies and techniques; almost regularly spending billions of dollars to get to a demonstration phase only to drop further development. With this in mind, a final brief but insightful expos? on the future of rocket development shortlists the needs required to further people’s adventure into space.

As an overview, this book brings together a lot of information into a short, concise, yet expansive text. Facts and figures support many observations and opinions. Quotes and quips from bygone movers and shakers (e.g. Von Braun) add spice and warmth to these numbers. Many tables and figures show the progress (or lack thereof) within the industry. Photographs, both colour and black and white, show many of the rocket systems in use today. Most of NASA’s dreams and hopes (e.g. the NERVA, the nuclear rocket engine) have schematics and/or photographs as well, to round out the information provided.

Perhaps what isn’t expected is the information on satellite production and usage, solar sail utility, sex in space and politics. That is, this book includes more about the rocket or space industry than just the science of rockets. Some of the diversions, however, are worthwhile. For example, the authors include business details like the ‘cost per mile’ or ‘cost per person’. All in all though, this breadth of information makes for a handy reference to a general practitioner or an excellent introduction to a young student with a burgeoning interest in space.

Rockets just might be the pinnacle technical achievement of humankind. With artful combinations of liquids within a shaped chamber or from the pull of materials from a cylinder’s wall, a rocket counters the force of gravity to send people and material off our world. Alfred J. Zaehringer and Steve Whitfield in their book ‘Rocket Science‘ provide the facts, figures and photos to guide any interested person in some of the wizardry of rockets. Rocket science can appear daunting but with this book, anyone can easily delve into the magic.

To get your own copy, visit Countdown Creations.

Review by Mark Mortimer