Exploring The Solar System: The History And Science Of Planetary Exploration (palgrave Studies In The History Of Science And Technology)

Beginning in the early days of the Space Age - well before the advent of manned spaceflight - the United States, followed soon by other nations, undertook an ambitious effort to study the planets of the solar system. The remarkable fruits of this research revolutionized the public's view of their celestial neighbors, capturing the imaginations of people from all backgrounds like nothing else save the Apollo lunar missions. From the first space probes to the most recent planetary rovers, they have continually delivered impressive discoveries and reshaped our understanding of the cosmos. Offering fascinating investigations into this crucial chapter in space history, this collection of specially commissioned essays from leading historians opens new vistas in our understanding of the development of planetary science. Cover 1 Half-Title 2 Title 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 List of Figures and Tables 8 Introduction 11 Part I Managing Planetary Science 32 Chapter 1 Homer Newell and the Origins of Planetary Science in the United States 33 Chapter 2 The Survival Crisis of the US Solar System Exploration Program in the 1980s 53 Chapter 3 Faster, Better, Cheaper: A Sociotechnical Perspective on Programmatic Choice, Success, and Failure in NASA’s Solar System Exploration Program 85 Part II Developing New Approaches to Planetary Exploration 110 Chapter 4 Redefining Celestial Mechanics in the Space Age: Astrodynamics, Deep-Space Navigation, and the Pursuit of Accuracy 111 Chapter 5 Big Science in Space: Viking, Cassini, and the Hubble Space Telescope 134 Chapter 6 Visual Imagery in Solar System Exploration 154 Chapter 7 Returning Scientific Data to Earth: The Parallel but Unequal Careers of Genesis and Stardust and the Problem of Sample Return to Earth 170 Part III Exploring the Terrestrial Planets 186 Chapter 8 Planetary Science and the “Discovery” of Global Warming 187 Chapter 9 Exploring Planet Earth: The Development of Satellite Remote Sensing for Earth Science 207 Chapter 10 Venus-Earth-Mars: Comparative Climatology and the Search for Life in the Solar System 226 Chapter 11 Missions to Mars: Reimagining the Red Planet in the Age of Spaceflight 251 Part IV Unveiling the Outer Solar System 275 Chapter 12 Parachuting onto Another World: The European Space Agency’s Huygens Mission to Titan 276 Chapter 13 Pluto: The Problem Planet and its Scientists 323 Chapter 14 Transcendence and Meaning in Solar System Exploration 363 Index 375 Front Matter....Pages i-ix Introduction....Pages 1-21 Front Matter....Pages 23-23 Homer Newell and the Origins of Planetary Science in the United States....Pages 25-44 The Survival Crisis of the US Solar System Exploration Program in the 1980s....Pages 45-76 Faster, Better, Cheaper: A Sociotechnical Perspective on Programmatic Choice, Success, and Failure in NASA’s Solar System Exploration Program....Pages 77-101 Front Matter....Pages 103-103 Redefining Celestial Mechanics in the Space Age: Astrodynamics, Deep-Space Navigation, and the Pursuit of Accuracy....Pages 105-127 Big Science in Space: Viking, Cassini, and the Hubble Space Telescope....Pages 129-148 Visual Imagery in Solar System Exploration....Pages 149-164 Returning Scientific Data to Earth: The Parallel but Unequal Careers of Genesis and Stardust and the Problem of Sample Return to Earth....Pages 165-180 Front Matter....Pages 181-181 Planetary Science and the “Discovery” of Global Warming....Pages 183-202 Exploring Planet Earth: The Development of Satellite Remote Sensing for Earth Science....Pages 203-221 Venus-Earth-Mars: Comparative Climatology and the Search for Life in the Solar System....Pages 223-247 Missions to Mars: Reimagining the Red Planet in the Age of Spaceflight....Pages 249-272 Front Matter....Pages 273-273 Parachuting onto Another World: The European Space Agency’s Huygens Mission to Titan....Pages 275-321 Pluto: The Problem Planet and its Scientists....Pages 323-362 Transcendence and Meaning in Solar System Exploration....Pages 363-374 Back Matter....Pages 375-381 From the beginning of the Space Age the United States, followed soon by other nations, began an impressive effort to learn about the planets of the solar system. The data collected and analyzed by scientists has revolutionized understanding of our neighbors. These efforts also captured the imagination of people from all backgrounds like nothing else except the Apollo lunar missions. Through a succession of analytical essays on major aspects of the history of robotic planetary exploration, this book opens new vistas in the understanding of the development of planetary science in the Space Age Varied Perspectives On The Development Of Planetary Science And Exploration During The Space Age. Edited By Roger D. Launius.