The Birth of NASA: The Work of the Space Task Group, America's First True Space Pioneers (Springer Praxis Books) - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 3319284266 ISBN 13: 9783319284262

Publisher: Springer, 2016

Synopsis

This is the story of the work of the original NASA space pioneers; men and women who were suddenly organized in 1958 from the then National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) into the Space Task Group. A relatively small group, they developed the initial mission concept plans and procedures for the U. S. space program. Then they boldly built hardware and facilities to accomplish those missions. The group existed only three years before they were transferred to the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, in 1962, but their organization left a large mark on what would follow.

Von Ehrenfried's personal experience with the STG at Langley uniquely positions him to describe the way the group was structured and how it reacted to the new demands of a post-Sputnik era. He artfully analyzes how the growing space program was managed and what techniques enabled it to develop so quickly from an operations perspective. The result is a fascinating window into history, amply backed up by first person documentation and interviews.

About this title

About the Author

Dutch Von Ehrenfried has worked in both the space flight and aviation fields for about 25 years. He was a NASA Flight Controller in Mission Control for Mercury, Gemini and Apollo Missions and also worked on some of the experiments that went into Skylab from an Earth Resources experiment standpoint. He has also worked in the NASA Headquarters Space Station Program Office for about 10 years and the FAA Aviation Safety Office for a year.

From the Back Cover

This is the story of the work of the original NASA space pioneers; men and women who were suddenly organized in 1958 from the then National Advisory Committee on Aeronautics (NACA) into the Space Task Group. A relatively small group, they developed the initial mission concept plans and procedures for the U. S. space program. Then they boldly built hardware and facilities to accomplish those missions. The group existed only three years before they were transferred to the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston, Texas, in 1962, but their organization left a large mark on what would follow.

Von Ehrenfried's personal experience with the STG at Langley uniquely positions him to describe the way the group was structured and how it reacted to the new demands of a post-Sputnik era. He artfully analyzes how the growing space program was managed and what techniques enabled it to develop so quickly from an operations perspective. The result is a fascinating window into history, amply backedup by first person documentation and interviews.

Edition details

• Publisher: Springer
• Publication date: 2016
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 3319284266
• ISBN 13: 9783319284262
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 373
• Editor: Von Ehrenfried Manfred "Dutch"