Orders of Magnitude; A History of NACA and NASA, 1915-1980. The NASA History Series, NASA SP-4403
Washington, DC: National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Scientific and Technical Information Branch, 1981. Second Edition [stated]. Presumed first printing thus. Trade paperback. ix, [1], 106, [4] pages. Wraps. Illustrations. Map. Bibliography. Index. NASA maintains an internal history program for two principal reasons: (1) Sponsorship of research in NASA-related history is one way in which NASA responds to the provision of the National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958 that requires NASA to "provide for the widest practicable and appropriate dissemination of information concerning its activities and the results thereof." (2) Thoughtful study of NASA history can help agency managers accomplish the missions assigned to the agency. Understanding NASA's past aids in understanding its present situation and illuminates possible future directions. The role of NASA and its predecessor organization, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics, in the development of aeronautics and space exploration. In 1965, Eugene M. Emme, historian for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), wrote a brief survey of the agency entitled Historical Sketch of NASA (EP-29). It served its purpose as a succinct overview useful for Federal personnel, new NASA employees, and inquiries from the general public. Because people were so curious about the nascent space program, the text emphasized astronautics. By 1976, a revision was in order, undertaken by Frank W. Anderson, Jr., publications manager of the NASA History Office. With a different title, Orders of Magnitude: A History of NACA and NASA, 1915-1980 (SP-4403), the new version gave more attention to NASA’s predecessor, the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA), although astronautics was still accorded the lion’s share of the text. After a second printing, Anderson prepared a revised version, published in 1980, which carried the NASA story up to the threshold of Space Shuttle launches. Anderson retired from NASA in 1980. Condition: Very good.
Keywords: Space, NASA, Aeronautics, NACA, Spaceflight, Astronauts, Langley Research, Rocket, Satellites, Aviation, Apollo Project, Space Shuttle
[Book #11341]
Price: $37.50