Space Shuttle: Developing an Icon 1972-2013

I remember reading the book "Space Shuttle: The History of the National Space Transportation System The First 100 Missions" at Newport Beach Public Library, yet that work, despite containing technical details regarding early design studies for the Space Shuttle and the many experimental aerospace vehicles and unbuilt designs that inspired the Space Shuttle's design philosophy, along with technical details of the Space Shuttle, was published nearly two years before the explosion of the Space Shuttle Columbia during re-entry into the earth's atmosphere on February 1, 2003. With this three-volume set, published a few years after the last Space Shuttle mission, Dennis Jenkins provides abridged and expanded info on the genesis, design, development, testing, and operational history of the American space shuttle (officially called Space Transportation System, or STS). The first volume of this set is an overview of all design studies and proposals for the space shuttle, but also spaceplane and lifting body designs, built or unbuilt, that inspired or directly contributed to design of the Space Shuttle, including the X-15, X-20, BoMi orbital bomber, Northrop lifting bodies, X-24A, X-24B, and X-24C (the most advanced X-24C proposal was Lockheed's L-301 proposal, but that's another story), and tests of the Space Shuttle Enterprise and construction of the orbital Space Shuttles (Columbia, Challenger, Atlantis, Discovery, and Endeavour). The second volume encapsulates technical details of the space shuttle but also proposed but unbuilt derivatives of the Space Shuttle, including the Shuttle-C, while the third volume discusses in depth every Space Shuttle mission from STS-1 to STS-135, with brief discussion of canceled space shuttle flights and would-be successors to the Space Shuttle, including the X-33 and VentureStar SSTO vehicles and X-34 air-launched spaceplane.

My copy arrived today as well. Amazing photography, lots and lots (and lots!) of text, and just an excellent reference overall. It's a shame that you have to go to China to get something like this printed. I'd wait and post a review after I've read the three volumes, but sheesh, that might take a while. One (purely personal) disappointment, in the table of contents and the index I see no mention of the Launch Processing System (LPS) that I and quite a number of people worked on and with. Maybe we can put that in the next book? UPDATE - I finally completed the first of the three volumes and I can confirm that it is great reading, although pretty technical. The text is extensive and the photographs and illustrations are numerous and excellent. Some might take issue with the small size of some of the photographs but obviously this was a compromise to permit the inclusive of the great amount of text. Certainly this first volume must be considered the definitive history of the space shuttle development overall and some parts of it, for instance the history of the shuttle carrier aircraft (SCA), are some of the best information available today on these individual subjects.

I am so happy I purchased this collection. I love the Space Shuttle and this has so much information I still haven't even scratched the surface. There are three beautifully bound books with nice gold lettering, each having more than 500 pages full of information (over one million words), history, specs, missions, etc and of course....beautiful pictures. While some might think this is a lot of money for a couple books, but it is worth every cent if you are a Space Shuttle enthusiast like I am and it would be beautiful in your space shuttle collection or library.

Jenkins has compiled the one-stop collection on the history of the Space Shuttle Program. In the previous editions, he did a great job of reviewing the history of space transportation goals and aspirations, as well as documenting the STS development and operations. Those were single volumes and it is no accident that this edition takes three (in a nice case, too). Everything is expanded and enhanced. If you only want one book on the Space Shuttle, this is it. If you can stand two, the other is "Wings in Orbit" by Wayne Hale and Helen Lane. But that is more technical and does not have the same degree of historical context, photos, illustrations and diagrams, or related materials. Without getting too emotional about it, I think Jenkins has done history a great service by developing so thorough and comprehensive a set of books. He is a prolific writer and this was clearly a substantial effort.

Don't let the price tag dissuade you. If you're a real space enthusiast, students of engineering, or die-hard Shuttle buff, you need this in your collection. Some of this is duplicated from Jenkins' previous (and excellent) work "Space Shuttle: The History of the National Space Transportation System The First 100 Missions", but that book contains a mere fraction of the material found in this collection. Far more of the illustrations in this collection are in color, and there are many more of them. It's replete with schematics and diagrams you'd be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. This is a purchase you're not going to regret.

I am somewhat of a 'space nut' and have many books on the technical side of space programs. I have never read a more comprehensive account of any of the manned space programs than this. Absolutely marvelous! It can get quite technical at times, but that is what i prefer. I would think to the non-technical types, however, this would be an equally enjoyable read. I learned so much from this series of books that i hadn't known before about the SSME - Space Shuttle Main Engines development, ET - External Tank, SRB - Solid Rocket Boosters, all of the components that flew. There is also considerable information on the launch Facilities too which i loved. The entire third book is focused on the missions themselves. This is absolutely the best books I have ever read on any of the manned space programs.

This was my second purchase of the books because I accidentally tore a page in book #3 because I was just simply too reckless with the books and I hate getting anything new messed up or torn up so - I ordered another set. In my mind, Dennis R. Jenkins has done a wonderful and amazing job with these books! The only problem I have is that the font is too small for me (I'm legally blind in one eye and the vision in my right eye isn't the best, either). However, I would recommend these books to anyone who is a space geek or shuttle geek or to anyone who lived through the 30 years that the shuttle flew. At first, the book title "Space Shuttle: Developing an Icon 1972-2013", kind of threw me off a bit but....I then remembered that Dennis mentions in the last book that he was also on the committee who oversaw the decisions of where to place the remaining shuttles on display - so that's why the book has the title it does. The books do NOT go into a lot of detail about the Challenger & Columbia accidents....and rightly so. There are other books out there for those who want to read about the two shuttle tragedies and the loss of 14 astronauts. Again, if you know anyone who is a space junkie or space geek and loves the "space shuttle era", I know they would love this book because I definitely do!!!

This is a One-stop information source for the US Shuttle Program. The first volume provides a tremendous amount of information and history on the development of the Shuttle. The second volume is loaded with detailed technical information and diagrams. While the third volume gives the history of all the flight missions. This set is worth the purchase price and more. I highly recommend this set to all space nerds...