This monograph contains an overview of classical dynamics, providing a solid basis on which to build an understanding of the theory of interplanetary flights. The treatment of the topic is based on both historical and topical perspectives. The theoretical development is illustrated with a number of practical examples, bringing to bear the author's experience gained from working on the Soviet space programme. Many examples are taken from current space missions - new data is included on the Shoemaker-Levy 9 comet, the flight of ULYSSES over the Solar poles and the Voyager's tour of the solar system.

As a crewmember of the D-2 shuttle mission and a full professor of astronautics at the Technical University in Munich, Ulrich Walter is an acknowledged expert in the field. He is also the author of a number of popular science books on space flight. The second edition of this textbook is based on extensive teaching and his work with students, backed by numerous examples drawn from his own experience. With its end-of-chapter examples and problems, this work is suitable for graduate level or even undergraduate courses in space flight, as well as for professionals working in the space industry.