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 and research. This textbook is based on extensive teaching and his work with students, backed by numerous examples drawn from his own experience. With its chapter-end examples and problems, this is suitable for graduate level courses in satellite engineering and space systems engineering, as well as for professionals working in the space industry. From the contents: * Rocket Flight * Thermal Propulsion * Electric Propulsion * Orbits * Interplanetary Flight * Re-Entry * The 3-Body Problem * Coordinate Systems * Rigid Body Dynamics * Thermal Control