Space flight handbook - orbital mechanics and propulsion calculations This handbook has been produced by the Space Systems Division of the Martin Company under Contract NAS8-5031 with the George C. Marshall Space Flight Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The handbook expands and updates work previously done by the Martin Company and also incorporates, as indicated in the text, some of the work done by Space Technology Laboratories, Inc. and Norair Division of Northrop Corporation under previous contracts with the George C, Marshall Space Flight Center. The Orbital Flight Handbook is considered the first in a series of volumes by various contractors, sponsored by MSFC, treating the dynamics of space flight in a variety of aspects of interest to the mission designer and evaluator. The primary purpose of these books is to serve as a basic tool in preliminary mission planning. In condensed form, they provide background data and material collected through several years of intensive studies in each space mission area, such as earth orbital flight, lunar flight, and interplanetary flight. Volume I, the present volume, is concerne_ with earth orbital missions. The volume consists of three parts presented in three separate books. The parts are: Part i - Basic Techniques and Data Part 2 - Mission Sequencing Problems Part 3 - Requirements The Martin Company Program Manager for this project has been Jorgen Jensen, George Townsend has been Technical Director. George Townsend has also had the direct responsibility for the coordination and preparation of this volume. Donald Kraft is one of the principal contributors to this volume; information has also been supplied by Jyri Kork and Sidney Russak. Barclay E. Tucker and John Magnus have assisted in preparing the handbook for publication. The assistance given by the Future Projects Office at MSFC and by the MSFC Contract Management Panel, directed by Conrad D. Swanson, is gratefully acknowledged.