This edition brings up to date the history of U.S. agencies for space exploration, the NACA and NASA, from 1915 through 1990. Early aviation and aeronautics research are described, with particular emphasis on the impact of the two world wars on aeronautics development and the postwar exploitation of those technologies. The reorganization and expansion of the NACA into NASA is described in detail as well as NASA's relationship with industry, the university system, and international space agencies such as the ESA. The dramatic space race of the 1950 and 1960s is recounted through a detailed history of the Gemini and Apollo programs and followed by a discussion of the many valuable social/scientific application of aeronautics technologies, many of which were realized through the launching of successful satellite projects. The further solar system explorations of the Voyager missions are described, as is the Challenger tragedy and the 1988 return to space of the Shuttle program. Future plans are outlined for a cooperatively funded international space station to foster the ongoing study of space science.
Orders of Magnitude: A History of the NACA (National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics) and NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration), 1915-1990
1989
171 pages
Report
No indication
English
Astronautics , International cooperation , Manned space flight , Space exploration , Histories , Industries , Nasa programs , Project management , Universities , Apollo project , Gemini project , Landsat satellites , Mariner space probes , Skylab program , Space shuttles , Spacelab , Voyager project , NASA