Into the black : JPL and the American space program, 1976-2004 / Peter J. Westwick.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Westwick, Peter J.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (U.S.)--History.

Jet Propulsion Laboratory (U.S.).

Astronautics--United States--History.

Astronautics.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (1 online resource (xviii, 392 p.) ) ill.

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

New Haven : Yale University Press, c2007.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

In the decades since the mid-1970s, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, has led the quest to explore the farthest reaches of the solar system. JPL spacecraft-Voyager, Magellan, Galileo, the Mars rovers, and others-have brought the planets into close view. JPL satellites and instruments also shed new light on the structure and dynamics of earth itself, while their orbiting observatories opened new vistas on the cosmos. This comprehensive book recounts the extraordinary story of the lab's accomplishments, failures, and evolution from 1976 to the present day. This history of JPL encompasses far more than the story of the events and individuals that have shaped the institution. It also engages wider questions about relations between civilian and military space programs, the place of science and technology in American politics, and the impact of the work at JPL on the way we imagine the place of humankind in the universe.

Contents:

Front matter

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Abbreviations

ONE. The Inheritance

TWO. Planetary Exploration Triumphant

THREE. Planetary Exploration In Extremis

FOUR. External Relations And The Internal Environment

FIVE. Diversifi Cation

SIX. Return To The Military

SEVEN. Space Technology

EIGHT. The Rise And Decline Of Defense Programs

NINE. The Dividends Of Defense Programs

TEN. Space And Earth Science

ELEVEN. Jpl Under Allen

TWELVE. Recovery Of Flight Projects

THIRTEEN. Voyager Redux, Galileo, And Magellan

FOURTEEN. Faster, Better, Cheaper

FIFTEEN. Reengineering Jpl

SIXTEEN. The Tilting Triangle And Commercialization

SEVENTEEN. A Break In The Storm

EIGHTEEN. Annus Miserabilis

NINETEEN. Epilogue, 2001-2004

TWENTY. Conclusion

Notes

Index

Notes:

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Includes bibliographical references (p. 315-381) and index.

ISBN:

1-281-72276-6

9786611722760

0-300-13458-4

OCLC:

1024018194