Remembering the Space Age: Proceedings of the 50th Anniversary Conference (The NASA History Series) - Softcover

Administration, National Aeronautics And Space

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1493692488 ISBN 13: 9781493692484

Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2013

Synopsis

There is no doubt that the last 50 years have witnessed numerous accomplishments in what has often been termed “the new ocean” of space, harkening back to a long tradition of exploration. Earth is now circled by thousands of satellites, looking both upward into space at distant galaxies and downward toward Earth for reconnaissance, weather, communications, navigation, and remote sensing. Robotic space probes have explored most of the solar system, returning astonishing images of alien worlds. Space telescopes have probed the depths of the universe at many wavelengths. In the dramatic arena of human spaceflight, 12 men have walked on the surface of the Moon, the Space Shuttle has had 119 flights, and the International Space Station—a cooperative effort of 16 nations—is almost “core complete.” In addition to Russia, which put the first human into space in April 1961, China has now joined the human spaceflight club with two Shenzhou flights, and Europe is readying for its entry into the field as well. After 50 years of robotic and human spaceflight, and as serious plans are being implemented to return humans to the Moon and continue on to Mars, it is a good time to step back and ask questions that those in the heat of battle have had but little time to ask. What has the Space Age meant? What if the Space Age had never occurred? Has it been, and is it still, important for a creative society to explore space? How do we, and how should we, remember the Space Age?

About this title

About the Author:

Steven J. Dick is the Chief Historian for NASA. He obtained his B.S. in astrophysics (1971) and his M.A. and Ph.D. (1977) in history and philosophy of science from Indiana University. He worked as an astronomer and historian of science at the U.S. Naval Observatory in Washington, DC, for 24 years before coming to NASA Headquarters in 2003. Among his books are Plurality of Worlds: The Origins of the Extraterrestrial Life Debate from Democritus to Kant (1982), The Biological Universe: The Twentieth Century Extraterrestrial Life Debate and the Limits of Science (1996), and Life on Other Worlds (1998). The latter has been translated into Chinese, Italian, Czech, Polish and Greek. His most recent books are The Living Universe: NASA and the Development of Astrobiology (2004) and a comprehensive history of the U.S. Naval Observatory, Sky and Ocean Joined: The U.S. Naval Observatory, 1830–2000 (2003). The latter received the Pendleton Prize of the Society for History in the Federal Government. He is editor of Many Worlds: The New Universe, Extraterrestrial Life and the Theological Implications (2000), editor (with Keith Cowing) of the proceedings of the NASA Administrator's symposium Risk and Exploration: Earth, Sea and the Stars (2005), and (with Roger Launius) of Critical Issues in the History of Spaceflight (2006) and Societal Impact of Spaceflight (2007). He is the recipient of the Navy Meritorious Civilian Service Medal. He received the NASA Group Achievement Award for his role in NASA’s multidisciplinary program in astrobiology. He has served as chairman of the Historical Astronomy Division of the American Astronomical Society as president of the History of Astronomy Commission of the International Astronomical Union, and he as president of the Philosophical Society of Washington. He is a member of the International Academy of Astronautics.

Review:

Space Coalition blog by Leonard David http://www.spacecoalition.com/blog/index.cfm/2009/4/22/Review%20-%20Remembering%20the%20Space%20Age posted April 22, 2009 5:24pm

"This is a superb collection of papers, drawn from a co-convened NASA History Division and National Aire and Space Museum Space History Division conference on October 22-23, 2007.

As the editor, Steven Dick, NASA's Chief Historican suggests, the reader will find this volume full of thought-provoking ideas, views, and speculative reasoning.  The book itself is divided into three parts: National and Global Dimensions of the Space Age; Remembrance and Cultural Representation of the Space Age; and Reflections of the Space Age.

This look back in time will give the reader a much better foothold on the decades ahead -- and a tool to help gauge -and balance --vision and reality."

About this edition

• Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1493692488
• ISBN 13: 9781493692484
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 480
• Editor: Dick Steven J.