Avionics for manned spacecraft

The author describes the avionic equipment for manned spacecraft, past, present, and future. He treats the four classic avionic systems-crew interface, flight control, navigation, and communication-and adds a fifth called subsystem management which refers to the monitoring and reconfiguration of equipment when faults occur. He starts by describing the functions of spacecraft avionics in general. He then discusses what he considers to have been the first manned spacecraft, the X-15. He continues with the early US and Soviet spacecraft (including their space stations), the US shuttle, and the European Spacelab. He concludes with projections for the avionics in future manned spacecraft, such as the US Space Station, a lunar base, and planetary explorers