At the very beginning of the space age, spacecraft designers learned that the effects of the space environment on a spacecraft's systems would be vital factors in spacecraft design and operation. Since those early years, the topic of spacecraft–environment interactions has developed into a multidisciplinary field involving engineers and scientists from all over the world. Traditionally, engineers have been interested in spacecraft design and operational issues, and scientists have concentrated on the fundamental physics and chemistry associated with the interactions. These diverse interests have led to numerous books and conferences. The field has grown substantially in the past decade with the advent of the Shuttle and the ability to perform repeatable, in-situ experiments. The authors therefore concluded that, with the growth of the field and the expanding interest in it, it was timely to prepare a comprehensive book summarizing the many recent discoveries. In particular, since the field has evolved in a way that has been driven by mission and spacecraft requirements rather than as a specific discipline, a book would be a valuable step in integrating the field intellectually. Such a book would also serve as an introduction to the discipline for graduate students and professionals. For specific applications, these individuals could then turn to one of the handbooks or collections of conference papers referenced throughout the book.

This book is the direct outgrowth of courses that the authors have taught.