EDITORIAL INFORMATION

This encyclopedia is organized around a satellite "dictionary". Satellites are sorted alphabetically by name and gathered by space program when possible. Numerous other themes are available such as the countries of origin, the launch vehicles, missions, etc.

(Extracted from the software).

OUR REVIEW

The Satellite's Encyclopedia is perhaps one of the most interesting initiatives related to astronautics of these last years. It is made available for the user as shareware in a help file for Windows which contains a reduced version. Once registered, we will have the complete program, which fills up to 6 Mb and which contains up to 290 EIRP maps (showing the strengh of signals of the communications satellites), a list of the devices in the Clarke belt (geostationary orbit), a calendar of future launches and details about the satellites that are to be sent to space, besides a complete vision of the Russian programs. The utilization of the mechanisms of the help system of the Windows operative system guarantees a complete integration with our computer and an extraordinary ease of use. For the users of the Internet web, there exists a reduced version on-line, as well as a complete access for registered users, which can be accessed by means of a password.

The strong point of The Satellite's Encyclopedia is its constant updating. Actually, we can subscribe to successive updatings that we will get every three months, or we can enter the on-line version, in Internet, always with the latest information. In this way, possible errors, deficiencies or lack of data, are solved little by little without prejudicing the users. To access all its contents, we have a menu available to us which permits to use the data base by means of an alphabetical index, refer to the countries of origin, specific missions, catalogue numbers, etc. Most remarkable is the important section devoted to the launchers, the list of future launches, a glossary, a historical chronology, and specific sections devoted to the communications satellites (with EIRP maps, orbital positions...).

The use of the Windows help system allows us to move through hypertext (the same as in the Web version, in Internet), which eases its use considerably. Of course, the Windows help has a very potent tool to search that can be used together with TSE. Once we have located what we are interested in, we can continue jumping from place to place thanks to the hyperlinks. The individual files for each satellite vary deeply, according to their civilian. military, etc. character, and not all the launches have them, but, as we have already said, the idiosyncrasy of the encyclopedia is to increase its contents in a constant way. In a few words, this is a very attractive product aimed at all kinds of users and one that has a noteworthy quality and depth of contents.