NASA's Scientist-Astronauts (eBook)

Shayler David, Colin Burgess (Autoren)

eBook Download: PDF

2007 | 2007
XLV, 543 Seiten
Springer New York (Verlag)
978-0-387-49387-9 (ISBN)

Infos

This book provides unique access to the story of how scientists were accepted into the American Space Programme, and reveals how, after four difficult decades, the role of the heroic test pilot astronaut has been replaced by men and women who are science orientated space explorers.

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Mounting pressure in the early 1960s from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) to study ways of expanding the role of astronauts to conduct science on future space missions led to NASA's conclusion that flying scientifically trained crewmembers would generate greater returns from each mission. NASA and industry studies continued investigating possibilities that could lead to the eventual creation of the first space stations using surplus Apollo hardware, through the Apollo Applications Programme (AAP). There was also a growing interest within the military to create their own manned space station programme, conducting on-orbit experiments and research with strategic advantages for national security. In October 1964 the Soviets launched Voskhod 1 whose 3-man crew were identified as the first 'scientific passengers' in space. A few days later NASA and the NAS had completed joint studies into the possibility of using scientists in the manned space programme, and invited scientists to apply for astronaut training. In selecting the first group of scientist-astronauts, NASA had one firm requirement; any person accepted into the programme would have to qualify as a military jet pilot. While the second group of scientists were completing their academic, survival and flight training programme, the remaining members of the first scientist-astronaut group were involved in supporting the developing Apollo Applications programme and the Apollo lunar programme.

Inhalt

Contents 5
Foreword 14
Author's Preface 16
Acknowledgements 21
List of Illustrations 24
List of Tables 30
List of Abbreviations 31
Other works 37
Prologue 39
The Wrong Stuff 42
Scientists as Astronauts 65
The Scientific Six 90
School for Scientists 131
The Excess Eleven 155
"Flying Is Just Not My Cup of Tea" 209
A Geologist on the Moon 236
Laboratories in the Sky 279
Shuttling into Space 319
The Long Wait 368
Ending of Eras 466
Science Officers on ISS 512
Appendix 1 532
Appendix 2 540
Appendix 3 542
Appendix 4 545
Appendix 5 553
Bibliography 560
Index 565

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 19.9.2007
• Reihe/Serie: Space Exploration
• Reihe/Serie: Space Exploration
• Reihe/Serie: Springer Praxis Books
• Reihe/Serie: Springer Praxis Books
• Zusatzinfo: XLV, 543 p.
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik ► Weltraum / Astronomie
• Themenwelt: Naturwissenschaften ► Physik / Astronomie ► Astronomie / Astrophysik
• Themenwelt: Technik ► Luft- / Raumfahrttechnik
• Schlagworte: Moon • Nation • space
• ISBN-10: 0-387-49387-5 / 0387493875
• ISBN-13: 978-0-387-49387-9 / 9780387493879