id: 05691448
dt: b
an: 05691448
au: Schaub, Hanspeter; Junkins, John L.
ti: Analytical mechanics of space systems. 2nd ed.
so: AIAA Education Series. Reston, VA.: American Institute of Aeronautics and
    Astronautics (ISBN 978-1-60086-721-7/hbk). xxi, 794~p. \$~104.95
    (2009).
py: 2009
pu: Reston, VA.: American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics
la: EN
cc: 
ut: rigid body kinematics; spacecraft stability; celestial mechanics;
    Hamilton’s generalized dynamics; MATLAB codes
ci: 
li: 
ab: The book under review is a result of the authors’ lectures and research
    activities on modern applications of classical mechanics. The intended
    audience consists of first- and second-year graduate students in basic
    and celestial mechanics. The acquaintance with the basic concepts from
    analytical mechanics (kinematics and dynamics), linear algebra,
    stability and control of dynamical systems as well two- and three-body
    problems and spacecraft flying is assumed. The book is organized as two
    principal parts ‒ basic mechanics and celestial mechanics ‒ divided
    respectively into 14 chapters and 7 appendices, covering nearly 800
    pages. Combining the classical methods of mechanics and modern
    tendencies in this area, the book offers a nice text suitable to both
    students and researchers in the field of space systems.  Part 1,
    “Basic mechanics”, consists of 8 chapters which deal with the
    particle kinematics, Newtonian mechanics, rigid body kinematics,
    Eulerian mechanics, general methods of analytical mechanics,
    variational methods in analytical dynamics, Hamilton’s generalized
    formulation of analytical dynamics, nonlinear spacecraft stability and
    control.  Part 2, “Celestial mechanics”, consists of 6 chapters and
    considers problems like classical two-body problem, restricted
    three-body problem, gravitational potential field models, perturbation
    methods, transfer orbits and spacecraft formation flying.  Every
    chapter begins with the rudiments of the classical theory. After that
    it gradually continues up to the modern research developments
    illustrated in most cases by appropriate examples, and ends with a list
    of references and some problems as exercises.  As a result of teaching
    based on the text of the first edition, and the feedback by the
    professional community, the second edition seems to be free from
    annoying minor errors despite the significant extension (with more than
    200 pages) of the volume. This refers also to a valuable set of MATLAB
    codes about rigid body kinematics accompanying the first edition, which
    are now supplemented by Mathematica packages and C-source codes
    provided with extensive comments explaining the respective functions,
    inputs and outputs. All they can be freely downloaded from the
    publisher’s web site at \url{http://www.aiaa.org/}, and then
    navigating via $\rightarrow$ Publications \& Papers $\rightarrow$ Books
    $\rightarrow$ Supporting Materials where one can find both editions
    listed.  As the book presents the last tendencies in the development of
    rigid body kinematics, spacecraft stability, control and fundamental
    problems of celestial mechanics, it will be definitely useful also to
    researchers in mathematics and astrodynamics. The next edition will
    definitely gain if all references are combined alphabetically at the
    end of the book, as presently it is very hard to locate them.
rv: Clementina Mladenova (Sofia)