3Launching a spaceship, monitoring it in orbit, and bringing it back down to Earth--and doing it all while keeping the crew safe--is a huge undertaking. Engineers and physicists have to carefully design each component. For example, a space shuttle has a blunt nose because this helps keep the worst of the heat of atmospheric reentry away from the body of the shuttle. This volume examines the science behind the design choices of rockets, shuttles, space stations, and other spaceships. Informative sidebars and full-color photographs augment the engaging text to help readers understand why each design element is crucial.