Into the Black: JPL and the American Space Program, 1976-2004

Description

In the decades since the mid-1970s, the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California, has led the quest to explore the farthest reaches of the solar system. JPL spacecraft—Voyager, Magellan, Galileo, the Mars rovers, and others—have brought the planets into close view. JPL satellites and instruments also shed new light on the structure and dynamics of earth itself, while their orbiting observatories opened new vistas on the cosmos. This comprehensive book recounts the extraordinary story of the lab's accomplishments, failures, and evolution from 1976 to the present day. This history of JPL encompasses far more than the story of the events and individuals that have shaped the institution. It also engages wider questions about relations between civilian and military space programs, the place of science and technology in American politics, and the impact of the work at JPL on the way we imagine the place of humankind in the universe. Contents Preface Acknowledgments Abbreviations ONE. The Inheritance Part I. Acclaim And Agitation: The Murray Years, 1976–1982 TWO. Planetary Exploration Triumphant THREE. Planetary Exploration In Extremis FOUR. External Relations And The Internal Environment FIVE. Diversifi Cation SIX. Return To The Military SEVEN. Space Technology Part II. Restoration: The Allen Years, 1982–1991 EIGHT. The Rise And Decline Of Defense Programs NINE. The Dividends Of Defense Programs TEN. Space And Earth Science ELEVEN. Jpl Under Allen TWELVE. Recovery Of Flight Projects THIRTEEN. Voyager Redux, Galileo, And Magellan Part III. Beyond The Cold War: The Stone Years, 1991–2001 FOURTEEN. Faster, Better, Cheaper FIFTEEN. Reengineering Jpl SIXTEEN. The Tilting Triangle And Commercialization SEVENTEEN. A Break In The Storm EIGHTEEN. Annus Miserabilis NINETEEN. Epilogue, 2001–2004 TWENTY. Conclusion Notes Index