Thomas A. Heppenheimer (January 1, 1947 – September 9, 2015) was a major space advocate and researcher in planetary science, aerospace engineering, and celestial mechanics. His books are on the recommended reading list of the National Space Society. Books A brief history of flight: from balloons to Mach 3 and beyond (2001) Colonies in Space (Stackpole, 1977) The coming quake: science and trembling on the California earthquake frontier (1988) Countdown: A History of Space Flight (1999) Development of the Space Shuttle, 1972-1981 Smithsonian Institution Press, 2002. Facing the Heat Barrier: A History of Hypersonics NASA SP-2007-4232 First flight: the Wright brothers and the invention of the airplane (2003) Flight: a history of aviation in photographs (2004) The man-made sun: the quest for fusion power (1984) The Real Future Doubleday, 1983. The space shuttle decision: NASA's search for a reusable space vehicle (1999) NAS 1.21:4221 Toward distant suns (1979) Turbulent skies: the history of commercial aviation (1995) External links About the Author: Thomas A. Heppenheimer American astronomers 1947 births 2015 deaths