Haynes NASA Space Shuttle Owners' Workshop Manual: 1981 Onwards (All Models): An Insight into the Design, Construction and Operation of the NASA Space Shuttle Hardcover – April 18, 2011

Very nicely assembled overview of the Shuttle program with lots of facts and figures. It's written in such a manner that anyone could learn the various complex systems of the shuttle, yet offers plenty enough for the technical mind to chew on. By far, this is one of the best color collections of pictures of the Shuttle, Launch Vehicle and surrounding launch complex that I have seen to date.As with the Haynes Saturn V/Apollo manual, it encompasses the program from top to bottom, nicely touching on everything. Also, as with the other manual, there are so many details not included that just can't all be stuffed into one book that would fit on a bookshelf. It is not a disappointing lack of information at all, though.The only missing, which I really enjoyed in the Saturn V/Apollo manual, is line-art drawings of the control panels. There are many nice pictures of the interior of the Shuttle, but the line-art is just cleaner to look at from a technical aspect. Perhaps the author couldn't include any because of the different configurations the control panels have had over the various iterations of Shuttle cockpits. It also could be an impossibility since the latest generation glass-panel cockpit is color-screen driven and re-configurable during flight!

Very good and detailed. I had my father look through it as he was a engineer at NASA on the shuttle program. He found it very good and could not really find any real errors of note. The only thing he really said was that it did not cover everything, but hey it is the shuttle and given everything that is required to build, launch and use one, no one manual could possibly cover it all. So that is really not negative just some extra info from a guy who was with the program from beginning to end.

I've been a "shuttle geek" since the beginning of the program. I've got a whole bunch of space shuttle books including The Space Shuttle Operator's Manual. I saw this book and I guess I was misled by the cover. It looks like one of those shop manuals for your car that shows you how to change the oil and remove the head gaskets and such. I saw this book and thought "Can this book show how to remove a main engine or service the motor that moves the body flap?"As it turns out--no. This book will not show you how the change the oil on the space shuttle. You will, however, see a boatload of pictures of the orbiter, inside and out. (Many of which I've seen in other books.) There are numerous diagrams of the various components of the shuttle, and I found them very interesting.The only other thing I would do differently if I had designed this book would be to identify which orbiter was in the picture. Overall I give it three of five stars.

I bought this book in the hopes it would `tear apart' the space shuttle in terms of it many different components and the basics of how they all work. I wanted to see all the little technical details and acronyms. I expected something along the lines of a Star Trek Technical Manual or even an auto repair manual with all the components ripped apart.Unfortunately, the majority of the book is history, with brief technical sections sprinkled throughout the book. Not that this is a bad thing, as the information contained within is a great read. I was simply hoping for more technical stuff. Engineering type stuff. You know, Haynes Manual type stuff.

There's something here for both hard-core geeks and mildly interested afficianados. In one section, you learn about the history of the program, and see all the early concepts of the shuttle. Not a technical explanation, sure -- but very interesting nonetheless. If you're not geeked out by that, never fear -- turn the page and you get an in-depth explanation on how the main engines work. Particularly interesting to me was the breakdown of the countdown to launch. Learn each phase of the launch and what happens as things progress towards liftoff. Plus to top it all off, you get hundreds of pretty pictures of all the internal workings of the shuttle. The program is almost over -- if you're reading this, just buy the book, you won't regret it.P.S. It's hardcover! I didn't notice that until I received it, what a great surprise!

This is a goos book to let me know more about the technology of space shuttle, it is better if there are more technical information in details.

While it is a well-balanced overview of all of the Shuttle's various systems, other similar books have been published previously and this one contains nothing "better" that they do. If you do currently own a "Space Shuttle for Dummies" book, this is a good pick. However, if you are looking for a more in-depth, detailed look at Shuttle systems, you will be disappointed.

If you are fascinated by space and engineering, this book is for you. The insider information on the space shuttle design, the program and explanations of the challenges encountered, make this book hard to put down. Sometimes I became so fascinated by what I was reading I wanted more detail than the book offered, but there is still a wealth of knowledge and it is written well. The graphics are not sufficiently detailed or of poor quality in some cases. Overall a wonderful addition to the library.

Muy interesante y completo si te interesa la historia y desarrollo del transbordador espcial. La única pega es que los esquemas son bastante antiguos y en consecuencia de no muy buena calidad. No obstante un libro de referencia.

Perfect for when my shuttle needs repair :-)

Excellente série de livres techniques. Très bien illustré et plutôt complète. C'est un vrai plaisir pour un public assez large.