Nowadays we witness the thriving development of the convergence process (merger, unification, inter-permeation) of a number of science disciplines, earlier advancing independently of each other. A vivid example can be seen in the telecommunications and information-communications technologies and systems on their basis emerged about ten years past in the result of convergence of two entirely diverse science directions – informatics and electrical communications. At present we are quite ready to amalgamate the existent technologies of microelectronics with the explored (structures of live nature) by means of convergence of nano-, bio-, info- and other spheres of knowledge.
The exact same phenomenon is also in evidence in the sphere of the space explorations, the objective manifestation of which is the arrival of this book, embracing within the span of three volumes the previously virtually distant science disciplines – technologies of the micro- and nano- electronics, microwave engineering, design development of the on-board electronic systems of space vehicles, methods for reliability enhancement and power saving on the spacecraft, physical influence mechanisms on the space vehicles and the on-board electronics by the high energy micro-particles, methods for safeguarding from the similar effects, technologies and materials for protection from the space radiation and electromagnetic irradiations and a great deal more. I strongly believe, that the book Space Microelectronics will go straight to the world contemporary literature of technical science.
The specialists and senior members of the divisions of the Federal Space Agency of the Russian Federation "Roskosmos" are well cognizant of and resort in their practical activities to the Russian language edition of the book by A. I. Belous, V. A. Solodukha, S. V. Shvedov Space Electronics. World print by the Artech House of the English language version of the book Space Microelectronics in three volumes, substantially renewed and expanded with the recent materials, will certainly evoke the interest of the English language and Russian specialists and managers in the space industry on a wider scale.
Reading this book was a pleasure, the title being of a full compliance with the contents. In my estimation, its merits can be attributed to inclusion of the extra materials on the causes of failures and accidents of rockets and satellites, noteworthy facts from the history of the space engineering development. I see it as the first ever fundamental work in the sphere of the space microelectronics, encompassing both the odd literature instances on the specific aspects of the space microelectronics and the vast personal experience of the authors, the recognized authorities in this sphere. By comparison with the Russian language edition the materials are superior structured, updated and more comprehensive. I am positive, that this book will be amid the contemporary selection of works of the technical science at a proper place.