Opening space research : dreams, technology, and scientific discovery / George H. Ludwig.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ludwig, George H.

Series:

Special Publications

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Astronautics and state--United States.

Astronautics and state.

Space sciences--Iowa.

Space sciences.

Outer space--Exploration.

Outer space.

University of Iowa.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (491 p.)

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Washington, DC : American Geophysical Union, c2011.

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Published by the American Geophysical Union as part of the Special Publications Series. Opening Space Research: Dreams, Technology, and Scientific Discovery is George Ludwig's account of the early development of space-based electromagnetic physics, with a focus on the first U.S. space launches and the discovery of the Van Allen radiation belts. Narrated by the person who developed many of the instruments for the early Explorer spacecraft during the 1950's and participated directly in the scientific research, it draws heavily upon the author's voluminous collection of labor

Contents:

Cover; Title Page; Contents; Foreword; Prologue; Introduction; Special acknowledgments; Chapter 1: Setting the Stage at the University of Iowa; Initiating the Iowa cosmic ray program; Inventing the rockoon; Chapter 2: The Early Years; Entering opportunity's door; The summer 1953 rockoon expedition; McDonald's and Webber's balloon programs, 1953-1955; The summer 1954 third rockoon expedition; A great personal adventure, summer 1955; Discovery of the auroral soft radiation; Anderson's Canadian balloon flights in early 1956; Iowa City balloon flights in March 1956

Chapter 3: The International Geophysical Year IGY inception and early planning; Adding rockets to the program; Artificial Earth satellites; A retrospective view of the IGY; Chapter 4: The IGY Program at Iowa; Ground-launched rockets; Projects sometimes failed; Large balloons; Rockoons; Chapter 5: The Vanguard Cosmic Ray Instrument; Van Allen's cosmic ray experiment proposals; Major challenges; Evolution of the instrument design; Assembling and testing the instrument; Final work on the Vanguard instrument; Additional notes on the data recorder; Chapter 6: Sputnik!

Early indications of Soviet intentions Scientists gather to review IGY progress; A memorable cocktail party: The announcement; Closing the conference; Continuing reactions; Chapter 7: The U.S. Satellite Competition; Competing launch vehicle proposals; The Stewart Committee and the Vanguard decision; Keeping the Orbiter dream alive; Chapter 8: Go! Jupiter C, Juno, and Deal I; Obtaining the approvals; Preparations at Huntsville and Pasadena; A call from the Jet Propulsion Laboratory; A hurried move to California; Building the Deal I satellite; Instrument calibration

The corona discharge problem, again Environmental testing; Chapter 9: The Birth of Explorer I; The first countdown attempts; The Deal I launch: Explorer I in orbit!; Public jubilation; Returning from the Cape; Chapter 10: Deal II and Explorers II and III; Building the Deal II instruments; To Cape Canaveral for the Deal II launch; A heartbreaking failed launch attempt; The crash effort for a second try; The Vanguard I launch; A successful Explorer III launch!; Chapter 11: Operations and Data Handling; Explorer I operation; Explorer I data acquisition; Explorer III operation

Explorer III data acquisition Data flow; The ground network; Data tape logistics; Making the data intelligible; Reading and tabulating the information; Chapter 12: Discovery of the Trapped Radiation; Iowa's cosmic ray experiment; Early hints of the high-intensity radiation; Examining the Explorer I data; From perplexity to understanding with Explorer III; My hurried move back to Iowa City; The announcement; The Soviets missed the discovery; Chapter 13: Argus and Explorers IV and V; Nuclear weaponry and the cold war; The Argus effect and project; NOTSNIK; The Iowa cosmic ray group and Argus

Explorer IV and V preparation and launch

Notes:

At head of title: Geopress.

Includes bibliographical references and indexes.

Description based on metadata supplied by the publisher and other sources.

ISBN:

1-118-66763-8

1-118-67164-3

1-118-67234-8

OCLC:

845256256