The Seven Secrets Of How To Think Like A Rocket Scientist

The Seven Secrets of How to Think Like a Rocket Scientist The Seven Secrets of How to Think Like a Rocket Scientist Jim Longuski, Ph.D. Copernicus Books An Imprint of Springer Science+Business Media © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher. Published in the United States by Copernicus Books, an imprint of Springer Science+Business Media. Copernicus Books Springer Science+Business Media 233 Spring Street New York, NY 10013 www.springer.com Library of Congress Control Number: 2006922755 Manufactured in the United States of America. Printed on acid-free paper. 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 ISBN-10: 0-387-30876-8 ISBN-13: 978-0-387-30876-0 Acknowledgments I’d like to thank all those who contributed to this book by their positive support, their helpful suggestions, and their sharp eyes for typos. Among these are my friends and colleagues Dr. James R. Wertz and Professor Tasos Lyrintzis; Purdue graduate students Janelle Boys, K. Joseph Chen, Karl Garman, Damon Landau, Kristin Medlock, Masataka Okutsu, Tracey Smith, Christoph Wagner, and Chit Hong “Hippo” Yam; my brother, Joseph A. Longuski, and my mother, Jeanette T. Longuski, and Ronit Binder, Dr. Michael Jokic, Dr. T. Troy McConaghy, Elma Witty, and Wendy Witty. I thank my secretary, Karen L. Johnson, for her work in typing the corrections and for several thoughtful improvements. I thank doctoral candidate Mr. Masataka Okutsu for his delightful interior and cover illustrations. I also thank Dr. Harry ( J.J.) Blom and Mr. Chris Coughlin (senior editor and assistant editor for astronomy & astrophysics at Springer) and Mr. Michael Koy (senior production editor at Springer) for promoting the publication of my book and for their kindness and patience throughout the process. Thanks also to freelance editor Paul Farrell for his advice and counsel, and to graphics consultant Jordan Rosenblum for making the cover and interior designs sparkle. I hasten to add that the individuals named here (and those who have written encomia for the book) do not necessarily agree with all the opinions expressed by the author. Above all, I thank my wife and best friend, Holly C. Longuski, who has given me the greatest encouragement and support. v Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 PART I 3 Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter DREAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 PART II Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter Chapter 10 11 12 13 14 15 Imagine It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Work on the Big Picture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Aim High . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . BS! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brainstorm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Create Desire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tell a Story . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Sleep on It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Think JFK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . JUDGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Get Real . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Play Games. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Simulate It . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Run a Thought Experiment . . . . . . . . . . . . . Know Your Limits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Weigh Ideas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 7 9 11 13 17 19 23 25 27 29 31 35 3