Taking Science to the Moon
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Taking Science to the Moon by Donald A Beattie
How did science get aboard the Apollo rockets, and what did scientists do with the space allotted to them? This volume describes, from the perspective of NASA headquarters, the struggles that took place to include science payloads and lunar exploration as part of the Apollo program. Author Donald A. Beattie - who served at NASA from 1963 to 1973 in several management positions and finally as programme manager, Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments - supplies a detailed, insider's view of the events leading up to the acceptance of science activities on all the Apollo missions. Beattie tells this story within the context of what we knew about the moon in the 1960s, the ongoing programmes that looked ahead to the first successful landing, and the objections that had to be overcome within NASA's entrenched engineering culture. Beattie concentrates on activities directly related to science, including behind-the-scenes controversies. He also discusses the important contributions of some of the lesser-known participants and contractors, who he says played a much larger role than previous books on the programme have acknowledged. The book provides the early history of on-site lunar experiments, raising important questions about a shift in NASA policy which led to some of the most dramatic planetary-science developments of our time.
Taking Science to the Moon transports the reader behind NASAs facade, and into the 1960s' politics, planning sessions, turf battles, camaraderie, and jealousies of the world's major space agencyAn absorbing, insightful, and revealing critical history of what eventually turned out to be a hugely successful scientific endeavor.
—David W. Hughes, The Observatory
Comprehensive yet thoroughly readable, it will hold great appeal for rocket enthusiasts, providing as it does a behind-the-scenes look at one of the greatest adventures in history.
—Publishers Weekly
We get valuable insights into how committees worked and into the struggles for scientific payload space on lunar landers, and into how geological objectives were devised. We also discover how fears of contamination from lunar organisms led to the creation of an elaborate quarantine facility for the first men on the moon. This is a fascinating book.
—Martin Heath, Astronomy Now
This is a very detailed yet clearly written and interesting account of the tremendous effort involved in getting the greatest science return from the Apollo program, starting with having it included in the first place.
—Steven Simon, Journal of Geology
—David W. Hughes, The Observatory
Comprehensive yet thoroughly readable, it will hold great appeal for rocket enthusiasts, providing as it does a behind-the-scenes look at one of the greatest adventures in history.
—Publishers Weekly
We get valuable insights into how committees worked and into the struggles for scientific payload space on lunar landers, and into how geological objectives were devised. We also discover how fears of contamination from lunar organisms led to the creation of an elaborate quarantine facility for the first men on the moon. This is a fascinating book.
—Martin Heath, Astronomy Now
This is a very detailed yet clearly written and interesting account of the tremendous effort involved in getting the greatest science return from the Apollo program, starting with having it included in the first place.
—Steven Simon, Journal of Geology
Donald A. Beattie is a former NASA engineer who has also worked with the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. He currently works as a private consultant. He is the author of History and Overview of Solar Heat Technologies.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780801865992 |
| ISBN 10 | 0801865999 |
| Title | Taking Science to the Moon |
| Author | Donald A Beattie |
| Series | New Series In Nasa History |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Hardback |
| Publisher | Johns Hopkins University Press |
| Year published | 2001-08-30 |
| Number of pages | 352 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |