History of Rocketry and Astronautics Vol 39

摘要

This volume contains the proceedings of the 42nd History Symposium of the International Academy of Astronautics, held in Glasgow in 2008, and carries a foreword by series editor Dr Rick W Sturdevant, from The History Office of the Air Force Space Command, and a preface by this volume's editor, the UK's very own John Harlow. This volume contains four sections devoted to papers on: the International Geophysical Year; Memoirs; Scientific and Technical Reviews; and UK Contributions to Astronautics. Two areas stand out, a paper in the section on the IGY and the section on UK space. Always a good read, former NASA Chief Historian Roger Launius provides a lucid argument for the US government response to Sputnik in setting up NASA as 'an unintended consequence' of the Russians beating the Americans to orbiting satellites.