What were the physical parameters governing the trajectories?

What were the constraints imposed by the performance characteristics of launch vehicles?

What were the launch windows — the specific periods during which the geometry of the solar system made a given mission achievable?

The handbook addressed missions to Mars and Venus in specific, mathematical detail.

It was not a general survey of interplanetary travel.

It was a technical reference for engineers who were doing the actual mission planning work.

Mary Ross is documented as a co-author of this work.