The text discusses various aspects of space-flight technology, including the use of plutonium as fuel and hydrogen and ammonia as propellant, with graphite as the moderator and a propellant temperature of 2000°C. It addresses the problem of soft landing instruments on the moon and covers other space-flight issues such as re-entry heating, recovery of earth satellites, cabin conditioning for manned space flight, and instrumentation for scientific experiments using unmanned earth satellites. However, many topics related to space-flight technology are treated lightly or omitted, such as trajectories for orbital insertion or interplanetary probes, automatic control and guidance, space orientation subsystems, electrical propulsion, testing and reliability, data processing, etc. The book is not intended as an engineering text but rather to provide a general background for discussing the proper level of British astronautical effort. Most American readers will find the papers in the second and third categories more interesting than those in the first. The engineering subjects are handled competently and are recommended as an introduction or review. The book "Impact: The Theory and Physical Behavior of Colliding Solids" by Werner Goldsmith is the first comprehensive coverage of the subject. It is intended as a reference for workers in applied mechanics and related fields or as a text for an advanced course. The first five chapters focus on theoretical aspects, while the last two chapters review experimental techniques and results. The book is extensive and well-referenced but lacks a unified treatment of physical insight into impact processes. "Four-Bar Linkages: Kinematics and Linkage Design" by A. S. Hall, Jr. is a well-structured book that fills a need for intermediate-level information on kinematics. It covers four-bar linkages and their applications, with clear illustrations and examples. However, it focuses only on kinematics and does not discuss dynamic effects or force ratios. "Disks and Shells" by Kurt Löffler provides a comprehensive treatment of methods for the elastic calculation of rotating disks and shells, including various design components and the use of matrix methods. It also discusses inverse methods of design and various stress factors.The text discusses various aspects of space-flight technology, including the use of plutonium as fuel and hydrogen and ammonia as propellant, with graphite as the moderator and a propellant temperature of 2000°C. It addresses the problem of soft landing instruments on the moon and covers other space-flight issues such as re-entry heating, recovery of earth satellites, cabin conditioning for manned space flight, and instrumentation for scientific experiments using unmanned earth satellites. However, many topics related to space-flight technology are treated lightly or omitted, such as trajectories for orbital insertion or interplanetary probes, automatic control and guidance, space orientation subsystems, electrical propulsion, testing and reliability, data processing, etc. The book is not intended as an engineering text but rather to provide a general background for discussing the proper level of British astronautical effort. Most American readers will find the papers in the second and third categories more interesting than those in the first. The engineering subjects are handled competently and are recommended as an introduction or review. The book "Impact: The Theory and Physical Behavior of Colliding Solids" by Werner Goldsmith is the first comprehensive coverage of the subject. It is intended as a reference for workers in applied mechanics and related fields or as a text for an advanced course. The first five chapters focus on theoretical aspects, while the last two chapters review experimental techniques and results. The book is extensive and well-referenced but lacks a unified treatment of physical insight into impact processes. "Four-Bar Linkages: Kinematics and Linkage Design" by A. S. Hall, Jr. is a well-structured book that fills a need for intermediate-level information on kinematics. It covers four-bar linkages and their applications, with clear illustrations and examples. However, it focuses only on kinematics and does not discuss dynamic effects or force ratios. "Disks and Shells" by Kurt Löffler provides a comprehensive treatment of methods for the elastic calculation of rotating disks and shells, including various design components and the use of matrix methods. It also discusses inverse methods of design and various stress factors.