Historical Development of Aircraft and Space Technology

Both Jet-engine propelled aircraft and long-range rockets were first successfully flown during World War II. This led to rapid post-war improvements in both, and within two decades we had supersonic airplanes, communication satellites, and trips to the moon.

Advancements and Exploration

Unmanned probes to Mars and the outer planets followed, as well as the International Space Station. The technology behind these advances is described, along with short biographies of key pioneers.

Technical Challenges and Future Prospects

Problems at high Mach numbers are reviewed. Possible future developments are discussed. More technical details, including mathematics, are in an appendix.