First published 2012
Larry Schweikart explores the ambitious National Aerospace Plane program that began in the early 1980s. The program set out to design and build a jet aircraft capable of reaching orbital velocity through hypersonic flight. Schweikart traces how engineers and scientists pursued this goal of creating an orbital jet, examining the technical challenges and innovations that emerged. Despite the program's lofty ambitions, many participants considered it successful even without achieving its ultimate objective. Schweikart argues that showing up and making the attempt carried its own value, echoing Groucho Marx's observation about the importance of participation. The book presents detailed case studies that illuminate the broader hypersonic revolution in aerospace technology. Schweikart offers readers an inside look at how this quest unfolded and what it revealed about the pursuit of extreme technological goals.
Genres: history, 20th-century, non-fiction, 21st-century, military-history, engineering, aviation, academic
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: ambitious-goal, technological-innovation
Period: 1980s
518 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform