Space technology & planetary astronomy
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Space technology & planetary astronomy
(Science, technology, and society)
Indiana University Press, c1990
- : alk. paper
- Other Title
-
Space technology and planetary astronomy
Available at 6 libraries
  Aomori
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  Niigata
  Toyama
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  Yamanashi
  Nagano
  Gifu
  Shizuoka
  Aichi
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  Kyoto
  Osaka
  Hyogo
  Nara
  Wakayama
  Tottori
  Shimane
  Okayama
  Hiroshima
  Yamaguchi
  Tokushima
  Kagawa
  Ehime
  Kochi
  Fukuoka
  Saga
  Nagasaki
  Kumamoto
  Oita
  Miyazaki
  Kagoshima
  Okinawa
  Korea
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  United Kingdom
  Germany
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  United States of America
Note
Includes bibliographical references (p. [152]-184) and index
Description and Table of Contents
Description
"...the book reminds us of an important lesson in the postwar era of big science: that government policy may lead initially to tremendous support for various fields of science and technology." - "Science". "...a triumph of historical analysis." - "Choice". "This is an excellent record of the beginnings of the NASA plantetary astronomy program in the years 1958-70." - "American Historical Review". "The historical circumstances that led to this country's great leap into space were unique, but it is clear that there are many lessons to be learnt from this enthralling tale and Tatarewicz tells the tale well." - "Annals of Science". When NASA went looking for expertise on the moon and planets following Sputnik, they found that astronomers had long since turned their telescopes away from our planets and toward the stars. Where were the scientists who could help the United States explore the solar system? The answer, as this important new study shows, was that NASA had to create them. This story of the precipitous rise and decline of planetary astronomy is an important case study of science in an age of state-managed research and development.
It demonstrates that the lines between science, technology, politics, and society are anything but fixed and impermeable.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments Introduction OWhere are the people who know what they are doing?O Plan of the Book Conclusion One: Planetary Astronomy in the Age of Astrophysics (1900-1958) State and Status of Planetary Astronomy The Legacy of Percival Lowell Planets Rising Astronomers during the War Military Interest Aerospace Industry Astronomers after the War Geophysics and Other Disciplines Two: Defining the Need (1958-1963) Sputnik, Satellites, and the Planets Lunar and Planetary Exploration Colloquium Space Science Board Space Sciences Steering Committee Cloudcroft--The Air Force Lunar and Planetary Observatory The Air Force Cambridge Research Laboratory The JPL Optical Astronomy Group Kuiper and the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory Three: Funds and a Focus (1963-1970) Ad Hoc Solution: Supporting Research and Technology A Planetary Astronomer at Headquarters The Critical Need for Telescopes--Major Facilities Construction Mars Pressure The McDonald 107-inch The Mauna Kea, Hawaii, 88-inch Four: The Program Matures (1965-1970) Optical Telescopes and Other Research Facilities for Planetary Astronomy JPL and Table Mountain Mount Wilson and Palomar-Horse Trading Lowell Observatory--Old Directions, New Vigor The Hall Report on Planetary Astronomy--Rising Voices The Planetary Flight Program The Lunar and Planetary Missions Board The Astronomy Missions Board--1967-1970 Ambitious Plans for Planetary Astronomy and Exploration--1969 Five: Conclusion: A Home for Planetary Science? Impact of NASA Funding and Demands on Astronomy--The Received Wisdom Discipline Studies--Scientific Journals and Scientific Societies Geophysicists Astronomers Discipline Studies--Statistics and Demographics Dependency of Planetary Astronomy on NASA Policy--Levers of Control and Government-Supported Science Cognitive vs. Institutional Factors Potential Recruits Diffuse Identity Conclusion Appendixes 1. A Note on Sources and Abbreviations Used 2. Planetary Exploration--Flight Program Summary 3. NASA Policy on Support to Ground-Based Astronomy 4. Major Optical Facilities for Planetary Astronomy Funded by NASA 5. NASA Research Grants and Contracts for Planetary Astronomy, 1959-1963 Notes Index
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