EXCLUSIVE from World Spaceflight News - LEARN ABOUT the SPACE SHUTTLE FROM THE TEXTBOOKS USED BY THE ASTRONAUTS! The official NASA astronaut training manuals comprise a major part of the formal flight crew training process, and are used by flight controllers as well. These internal NASA manuals are produced by the Mission Operations Directorate (Space Flight Training Division branch) at NASA's Johnson Space Center. The manuals and workbooks are extremely detailed and comprehensive, and are designed for self-study. Each is heavily illustrated with vivid line drawings, engineering schematics, and other charts and figures. A full listing of all acronyms and abbreviations used in the text is included. They provide a superb way to learn about Shuttle systems, hardware, and operational procedures. Special emphasis on crew interaction with the displays, controls, and hardware is included. This report reproduces two manuals. The first manual provides an introduction to the Orbiter communication and instrumentation system, including the UHF, S-band PM, S-band FM, Ku-band, payload communication, closed-circuit TV, instrumentation interfaces, communication interfaces, and other comm hardware. The second manual covers the Crew Software Interface (CSI), meaning the interface between the orbiter crew and the Primary Avionics Software System (PASS) in the General Purpose Computers. It includes information about the new MEDS "glass cockpit" display system. World Spaceflight News has covered spaceflight and the Space Shuttle program since 1983. In addition to our flagship publication, we produce printed and electronic Special Reports and NASA videos, and the American Space Encyclopedia series of CD-ROMs. At WSN, our mission is simple: provide space enthusiasts and professionals around the globe with unique technical information and historical material about spaceflight. We hope that a better appreciation of the complexities and challenges posed by space exploration will foster increased support for man's continued voyage into space. Our love of spaceflight drives our publishing efforts, and we've been gratified over the years that readers from Austria to Australia have found great value in our work. We try to satisfy a wide range of interests by producing a broad selection of high-quality products with exclusive material not found elsewhere.