On Mars: Exploration of the Red Planet, 1958-1978--the NASA History - Brossura

Ezell, Edward Clinton; Ezell, Linda Neuman

Brossura

ISBN 10: 0486467570 ISBN 13: 9780486467573

Casa editrice: Dover Pubns, 2009

Riassunto

Although it was only designed for a ninety-day surface mission, the Viking 1 lander ultimately transmitted science messages to Earth for seven years. This authoritative history chronicles the remarkable achievements of the Viking program during its first three decades. Commissioned by NASA, it recounts the events surrounding the first planetary landing on Earth's closest neighbor and the first on-site search for evidence of extraterrestrial life. It also portrays a human drama in which thousands of professionals from government, industry, and academia joined together to accomplish the seemingly impossible.
This history begins with a survey of the qualities that make the surface and atmosphere of Mars prime targets for scientific investigation. A retrospective of NASA's Mariner program follows, detailing the series of robotic interplanetary probes that led to the initiation of the Viking program in 1968. The authors trace the ensuing technological developments, including the first lander vehicles and orbiter. They also profile the cooperation of managerial, technical, and scientific teams during the mission's data-gathering and analysis phases. The final chapters outline the scientific results of the Viking investigations, examine some of the unresolved questions, and consider possible future explorations. Dozens of photos taken byViking cameras illuminate the text.

Su questo libro

L'autore

Formerly a historian at NASA's Johnson Space Center, Edward Clinton Ezell  is a curator of military history at the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History. Linda Neuman Ezell is a historian at NASA Headquarters.

Contenuti

INTRODUCTION TO THE DOVER EDITION FOREWORD INTRODUCTION WHY MARS? THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE: MARINER SPACECRAFT AND LAUNCH VEHICLES THE SEARCH FOR MARTIAN LIFE BEGINS: 1959-1965 VOYAGER: PERILS OF ADVANCED PLANNING, 1960-1967 REORGANIZATION AND THE CREATION OF VIKING VIKING ORBITER AND ITS MARINER INHERITANCE VIKING LANDER: CREATING THE SCIENCE TEAMS VIKING LANDER: BUILDING A COMPLEX SPACECRAFT SAFE HAVENS: SELECTING LANDING SITES FOR VIKING SITE CERTIFICATION—AND LANDING ON MARS EPILOGUE APPENDIXES BIBLIOGRAPHIC ESSAY ERRATA SOURCE NOTES INDEX AUTHORS LIST OF NASA PHOTOGRAPH NUMBERS

Su questa edizione

• Editore: Dover Pubns
• Data di pubblicazione: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0486467570
• ISBN 13: 9780486467573
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero di pagine: 535