L'Astronautique
des satellites artificiels à l'exploration des planètes
Published in 1957 by Fernand Nathan, L'Astronautique, des satellites artificiels à l'exploration des planètes by Jacques Louvière stands as one of the first comprehensive French-language popularizations of astronautics. Released the same year as the Sputnik 1 launch (October 1957), the book anticipates the space age and explains its physical and technical foundations to an educated general readership.
Starting from the physical requirements of space travel (escape velocity, differential gravity, atmospheric heating) Louvière presents rockets as the only viable propulsion system in space, traces their history from Chinese fireworks to the German V-2, and introduces the basic principles of celestial mechanics. The book then devotes substantial sections to spacecraft design (double hull, automated navigation), artificial satellites (including the American Vanguard project), orbital stations, and the exploration of the Moon, Venus, and Mars. It concludes with a reflection on interstellar travel.
Richly illustrated in black and white and color, with maps and diagrams, the book targets the non-specialist reader. 144 pages. Original price: 980 francs.