Beyond the Moon; A Golden Age of Planetary Exploration 1971-1978
Washington DC: Smithsonian Institution Press, 2000. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. xxix, [1], 270, [4] pages. Illustrations (some with color). Foreword by Roger D. Launius. Acknowledgments. List of Abbreviations. Introduction. On the Shoulders of Giants: Developing the Technology. 1971: Mariner 9 Mars Orbit. 1972 and 1973: Pioneer 10 and 11 Jupiter and Saturn Flybys. 174 and 1976: Helios 1 and 2 Solar Probes. 1973: Mariner 10 Venus and Mercury Flybys. 1975: Viking 1 and 2 Mars Orbits and Landings. 1977 Voyager 1 and 2 Flybys of the Outer Planets. 1978: Pioneer Venus 1 and 2 Orbit and Probes. Epilogue: From Gloom of Night to New Light of Dawn. Appendix. Notes. References. Index. This is one of the Smithsonian History of Aviation and Spaceflight Series. Robert Samuel Kraemer (October 21, 1928 – August 20, 2013) was an American aerospace engineer who served as Director of Planetary Programs at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration from 1971 to 1976. Robert Kraemer was hired by Rocketdyne where he designed rocket engines. Kraemer served as the head of Advanced Design at Rocketdyne, designing or overseeing the development of the engines that powered Jupiter, Thor, Atlas, and Saturn rockets. Kraemer joined NASA in 1967. He was appointed as manager of Advanced Planetary Programs and Technology, and immediately began plans for a Mars orbiter. Beginning in 1969, he also chaired the Outer Planets Working Group (OPWG), which met monthly to review mission plans under development to explore the outer planets, and make recommendations. In June 1970, Kraemer became the Director of Planetary Programs. During the 1970s, Americans launched twelve robot spacecraft on paths to the far corners of the solar system. Each mission was a resounding success, yielding detailed knowledge of Earth's neighboring planets and advancing human understanding of the solar system's origin and evolution. In 1971, Mariner 9 revealed a history of volcanic eruptions and flooding on Mars. Pioneer 10, launched in 1972, passed safely through the Asteroid Belt and accomplished the first successful flyby of Jupiter. The 1977 Voyager "grand tour" flybys of four of the outer planets revealed satellites that featured active volcanoes, fantastically tortured terrain, and ice-spewing geysers. Providing an insider's view of what has been called a golden era in space pioneering, Robert S. Kraemer describes the financial, political, and technical hurdles facing each mission. As NASA's director of planetary programs during those years, he witnessed rivalries between scientists, worked to ensure that projects remained in NASA and federal budgets, and reshaped missions to meet changing priorities, schedules, and vehicle configurations. The book also chronicles the technical problems that sometimes jeopardized missions and describes such successes as the first landings on Mars in 1976. Addressing many of the central themes that have affected space science during the past fifty years, Beyond the Moon documents the efforts of those who contributed to a burst of planetary exploration that laid the foundation for even more extraordinary voyages of discovery. Dozens of full color and black and white illustrations enhance the appeal for any space enthusiast. Condition: Very good / Very good.
Keywords: NASA, Planetary Programs, Space Exploration, Space Science, Voyager, Pioneer, Mariner, Flyby, Outer Planets, James Fletcher, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Carl Sagan, Viking Landers
ISBN: 1560989548
[Book #83252]
Price: $100.00