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Esme nha Maire · 07-23-2018, 01:04 AM

Ignition! by John D. Clark

If you ever thought that the hard part of rocketry was the mathematics required to calculate trajectories (it really isn't!), then reading this wry, interesting and amusing book (originally published in 1972 and long out of print until recently) should disabuse you of the notion fairly quickly. Clark gives a fun and very readable history of the development of rocket fuels in his book, and an insight into the personalties involved.

Describing a substance that is highly toxic, highly corrosive, unstable and with such a godawful smell that it could still be detected on-site decades after it was test-fired as having the virtue that it was a reliable quick hypergolic (burns on contact with its oxidiser) may give you some idea of just how insane (as well as highly intelligent!) the early rocket fuel engineers and chemists were.

Reccomended for anyone that likes reading about science in general, and rocketry-related things in particular. A classic!

I'll never look at bran-flakes and alcohol the same way again...

07-23-2018, 01:04 AM	#3115
Esme nha Maire Member How Do You Identify?: Tomboyish eccentric antique femme Preferred Pronoun?: She/her Relationship Status: single Join Date: Jul 2017 Location: UK Posts: 642 My Photo Gallery Thanks: 2,196 Thanked 2,089 Times in 541 Posts Rep Power: 19310768	Ignition! by John D. Clark If you ever thought that the hard part of rocketry was the mathematics required to calculate trajectories (it really isn't!), then reading this wry, interesting and amusing book (originally published in 1972 and long out of print until recently) should disabuse you of the notion fairly quickly. Clark gives a fun and very readable history of the development of rocket fuels in his book, and an insight into the personalties involved. Describing a substance that is highly toxic, highly corrosive, unstable and with such a godawful smell that it could still be detected on-site decades after it was test-fired as having the virtue that it was a reliable quick hypergolic (burns on contact with its oxidiser) may give you some idea of just how insane (as well as highly intelligent!) the early rocket fuel engineers and chemists were. Reccomended for anyone that likes reading about science in general, and rocketry-related things in particular. A classic! I'll never look at bran-flakes and alcohol the same way again... Last edited by Esme nha Maire; 07-23-2018 at 01:07 AM.