National Aeronautics and 

Space Administration

Volume 36, Number 2 Second Quarter 2019

NASA HISTORY DIVISION

OFFICE OF COMMUNICATIONS

IN THIS ISSUE:

1 From the Chief Historian

1 Apollo in Real Time, 50 Years 

Later

4 Chief Archivist Jane H. Odom

8 29 January 1971: Apollo 11’s 

Columbia Lands in 

Montgomery, Alabama

11 News from Headquarters and 

the Centers

18 Other Aerospace History News

19 Upcoming Meetings

19 Recent Publications

22 “Old Viking” Angelo “Gus” 

Guastaferro Dies

23 Image in NASA History

FROM

THE CHIEF 

HISTORIAN

I

n the run-up to the 

50th anniversary of 

Apollo 11, historians 

across NASA have 

been responding to all 

kinds of questions from the press and public. 

The question I’ve heard in various forms most 

often is “From the perspective of 50 years, 

what is the legacy of Apollo?” So I thought I’d 

share my four-part answer with you here.

To me, the most important thing to remember about Apollo is that the primary goal was 

political—and Apollo was a stunning success 

by that measure. Historically, countries don’t 

spend substantial percentages of their national 

budgets on science or exploration. During 

Apollo, the United States invested $25 billion 

(in then-year dollars), in spending that peaked 

at over 4 percent of the national budget, to 

land people on the Moon and return them 

safely to Earth. While the technical objective 

was a safe trip to the Moon, the commitment 

of so much treasure (and blood) was based 

on the need to prove that Western market 

democracy was at least the equal of the Soviet 

communist command economy. The fact that 

you probably thought that last sentence was 

laughable is proof of the success of Apollo. But 

we need to remember that in the context of the 

early 1960s, when the Soviets appeared to be 

winning the space race, and newly free countries were looking to the Soviets for leadership, 

the question about what the political future 

continued on next page

APOLLO IN REAL TIME, 50 YEARS LATER

By Cat Baldwin

Over half of Earth’s current population was not alive for the first Moon landing. But even those who had the opportunity to watch the Apollo 11 mission live on television in 1969 only had a limited view of all that was happening. 

If we had been able to apply current, cutting-edge technology to the experience, 

what would it have been like?

Software developer Ben Feist has created a 

time machine that answers that question. 

Built over two years, https://apolloinrealtime.

org is an interactive, multimedia Web site 

that plays back the Apollo 11 mission as it 

happened in 1969. The Web site accounts 

for each second of the mission, from 

20 hours before launch to just after recovery. 

Feist synced all forms of media to mission 

time, giving visitors to the site the unique 

opportunity to experience the Apollo 11 

mission in its entirety. Every photo, video, 

and recording is organized chronologically 

and synced to mission time. The Web site 

includes 11,000 hours of Mission Control 

audio, 2,000 photographs, 240 hours of 

space-to-ground audio, and information on 

each of the lunar surface samples collected 

by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin. The 

timeline at the top of the page keeps track 

of your place in the mission and highlights 

interesting moments. A search function 

continued on page 5
2

NASA HISTORY DIVISION — News & Notes

From the Chief Historian (continued)

would hold for humanity was a real issue. President 

Kennedy’s key political insight was that besting the 

Soviet Union in space was a vital geopolitical need. 

Winning the race to the Moon (and there really was 

one) undermined the legitimacy of the Soviet Union 

both internally and externally. I believe that it is not 

too much of a stretch to say that their loss in the race 

to the Moon contributed significantly to the collapse 

of the Soviet Union two decades later.

Astronaut Edwin E. “Buzz” Aldrin, Lunar Module pilot, carries the Passive Seismic Experiments Package (left) 

and the Laser Ranging Retroreflector (right), to the deployment area on 20 July, 1969. (Credit: NASA)

The second major legacy of Apollo is the impact of 

the program on our understanding of the universe 

around us. In reviewing the records from the 1960s, 

I’ve been struck by how ignorant we were about the 

Moon. Even in 1969, there were respectable scientists 

who were concerned that the surface of the Moon 

was so soft and dusty that the 

lunar module would sink into 

the surface on touchdown and 

never be seen again. At the 

time, we really didn’t know 

where the Moon had come 

from, but the major theories 

were that either both Earth 

and the Moon had formed 

at the same time or that the 

Moon was an old object that 

had wandered by Earth and 

been captured by our gravity. 

The samples we brought back 

from the Moon supported a 

completely different understanding: that Earth and the 

Moon had formed at the same 

time, but not at the birth of 

our solar system. Instead, the 

proto-Earth was hit by an 

object the size of Mars, and 

Earth and the Moon were 

formed out of that collision. 

The implications of this finding are huge, and our first 

foray to a solar system body 

other than our own has completely rewritten our 

understanding of the origins and history of our solar 

system and the universe more generally.

The third major legacy of Apollo is the massive technological boost that the race to the Moon delivered to 

our economy on a broad front. You might think that 

the government spends a lot of money on technology, 

so what makes Apollo different? The way it was done. 

The space program was an open, public program, 

largely executed by U.S. industry. Unlike investments 

in military research and development, the vast majority of the technology developed for the space program 

by the 20,000 U.S. companies that were involved in 

Apollo could be incorporated immediately and directly 

into the public market. There are many examples, but I 
3

Volume 36, Number 2 Second Quarter 2019

think that the most striking is in the computer industry. The Apollo Guidance Computer contract was the 

very first contract signed as part of the Apollo program. 

The requirements for that 

computer, especially the 

limited space, drove the 

need to use integrated circuits. About the same time, 

IBM was developing a new 

mainframe computer, and 

they decided not to use 

integrated circuits because 

they were very expensive 

and highly unreliable. 

There was a military need 

for integrated circuits in 

ballistic missiles, so that 

technology was under 

development on a small 

and secretive scale. But the need for large numbers of 

highly reliable integrated circuits for Apollo pushed 

the nascent computer chip industry to create methods 

for high-volume, high-reliability, low-cost production. 

Did you know that Gordon Moore, author of the wellknown “Moore’s Law,” worked for one of the most 

prominent subcontractors (Fairchild Semiconductor) 

that built the integrated circuits for the Apollo 

Guidance Computer? If you read his 1965 paper that 

first laid out his observations about the trends in industry, you will notice that the only government project 

mentioned by name is the Apollo program. This is 

because Apollo Guidance Computer requirements 

consumed almost the entire output of the integrated 

circuit industry through the mid-1960s. Where would 

the digital revolution be today if this boost to the 

industry had not happened? On a larger scale, NASA 

also had to build the infrastructure that made success in Apollo possible. This meant the construction 

of high-technology facilities across the economically 

disadvantaged South—places like Johnson, Stennis, 

and Kennedy Space Centers, as well as Marshall Space 

Flight Center. It also meant huge investments in higher 

education to create the engineering and scientific 

workforce that was anticipated for the space program. 

It is easy to imagine that we live in an society that was 

largely inevitable, but think for a moment about how 

different our world might be if the race to the Moon 

had never happened.

...THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE 

TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPED FOR 

THE SPACE PROGRAM BY THE 

20,000 U.S. COMPANIES THAT 

WERE INVOLVED IN APOLLO 

COULD BE INCORPORATED 

IMMEDIATELY AND DIRECTLY 

INTO THE PUBLIC MARKET.

Finally, the Apollo program 

provided an inspiration to 

an entire generation—a 

group sometimes called 

“the children of Apollo.” I 

count myself in that group 

because much of my life 

has been driven in one way 

or another by a childhood 

marinated in a fascination 

with space exploration. 

Clearly, I wasn’t the only 

one, because there was a 

threefold increase in the 

number of science and 

engineering Ph.D.’s between the mid-1960s and 

mid-1970s. While many of those people were disappointed by the cutbacks in the space program and 

the cancellation of the supersonic transport airplane 

project, that training and those talents were put to 

use in other parts of the economy. But, perhaps more 

importantly, even people who did not pursue a career 

in science and engineering were infused with a belief 

in humanity’s ability to accomplish great things. How 

many times have you found yourself saying, “if we 

can put a person on the Moon, certainly we can (fill 

in the blank)?”

In the five decades that have passed since that “one 

giant leap for mankind,” the world is a very different 

place. One of the pleasures of being a historian is 

that I’m reminded regularly of how much things have 

changed and how even small steps can change the 

course of history.

Happy Apollo 11 anniversary and Godspeed,

William P. Barry

Chief Historian
4

NASA HISTORY DIVISION — News & Notes

CHIEF ARCHIVIST JANE H. ODOM

By Bill Barry

At press time, we learned of the death of former Chief Archivist Jane Odom. It is a bitter truth 

that after retiring three years ago, she did not get much 

time to pursue the active plans that I know she had 

for her well-deserved and long-awaited retirement. 

Instead, she spent the last two years in a battle with 

brain cancer. I was humbled by my interactions with 

her during these last years—she bravely endured difficult new treatments at the National Institutes of 

Health and maintained a positive demeanor throughout. A memorial service was held for Jane at her home 

church, the Fairlington United Methodist Church, 

in Arlington, Virginia, on 19 July 2019. I know that 

you join me and Jane’s many friends and family in 

mourning the passing of an outstanding archivist and 

a wonderfully brave and decent human being. Rest in 

peace, Jane.

Jane Odom, NASA Chief Archivist from 1999 to 2016, holds a Civil Service/Contractor Team Award granted to the NASA History Archival Team. Also 

pictured from left to right are BFJV Archivist John Hargenrader, Nadine Andreassen, Yvette Smith, Stephen Garber, Elizabeth Suckow, and Colin Fries.
5

Volume 36, Number 2 Second Quarter 2019

Apollo in Real Time, 50 Years Later (continued)

enables users to look through the transcripts, commentary, and samples.

Pictured is the main page of https://apolloinrealtime.org. Visitors can either begin the mission at the time of launch or choose to click “Now” and 

experience it 50 years later to the second.

Feist and his collaborator, archivist Stephen Slater, 

have done amazing things that will allow site visitors 

to hear and see things that even people working on 

the mission would not have been able to experience. 

There is a panel that contains the audio of every control position in Mission Control and several other 

communication loops. Visitors can open this panel 

at any second of the mission and be able to hear such 

things as the flight surgeon threatening to quarantine the entire USS Hornet (34:48:49).1

 The Mission 

Control audio has only recently been digitized, but 

creating the version of this audio you will hear on the 

site was one of the more difficult feats accomplished 

during the two-year process. According to Feist, “The 

digitized analog tapes suffered from both high-speed 

1 The article will refer to different points during the mission. These moments are marked by their time stamp and hyperlinked to https://

apolloinrealtime.org. This particular moment happened on the 34th hour, 48th minute, and 49th second of the mission and can be 

found here: https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/?t=034:48:47&ch=13.

2 All quotes from Ben Feist are taken from an e-mail interview between Feist and the author in June 2019.

3 Found at https://www.hq.nasa.gov/alsj/.

variations and overall playback speed problems. It was 

looking like it would be impossible to sync them to 

mission time, but with the help of others, I was able 

to crack the case.”2

This is not Feist’s first foray into space history. Inspired 

by the Apollo Lunar Surface Journal (ALSJ),3 a Web 

site that holds a vast collection of Apollo media, he 

had created a similar Web site that recreates the 

Apollo 17 mission. Feist wanted to make an experience with the same depth and breadth of information 

as the ALSJ, but one that had even more interactive 

capabilities. So, in 2009, he began a six-year project 

that would later become https://apollo17.org/. Like 

https://apolloinrealtime.org, every media element in 

https://apollo17.org is synced to mission time. The 

site https://apollo17.org ended up sharing much of its 

code with https://apolloinrealtime.org. However, for 
6

NASA HISTORY DIVISION — News & Notes

https://apolloinrealtime.org, Feist expanded his project by adding the new Mission Control audio and 

the information on lunar samples. Additionally, he 

developed a mobile version of the site that focuses on 

Mission Control.

Pictured is Apollo 11 in Real Time with its Mission Control panel open. Visitors can explore the audio by clicking on the console of the Mission Control 

position they want to hear.

Feist recently joined the Astromaterials Research and 

Exploration Science Division at Johnson Space Center 

(JSC) as a software engineer. Feist’s job is, in his own 

words, “to create new techniques to manage and visualize the large quantity of proliferating real-time scientific and operational data on future missions, with the 

aim of enabling future crews and mission managers to 

be able to quickly jump back to a previous moment 

during a mission in order to triage, understand, and 

act upon timely information.” His data visualization 

4 Found at https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/?t=-00:00:07.

5 Found at https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/?t=109:23:40.

6 Found at https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/?t=102:46:02.

in real-time work draws in no small part on his Apollo 

in Real Time projects.

Beginning 16 July, visitors to the Web site will be 

able to click the “Now” launch button and experience the mission exactly 50 years later to the second. 

The visitor will get to experience moments that have 

been immortalized in history books. The launch of 

the rocket (00:00:00),4 the first steps on the Moon 

(109:23:40),5 the landing of the Eagle (102:46:02):6

these are moments that are typically viewed in a global 

and historical context. However, it is Mission Control 

that is given the spotlight on https://apolloinrealtime.

org. Even 50 years later, the tension in Houston is 

palpable. When the Lunar Module (LM) touches 

the lunar surface, you can feel the collective exhalation and watch the anxious hands unclasp in relief. 
7

Volume 36, Number 2 Second Quarter 2019

The Web site reminds us that the response to “The 

Eagle has landed” was “You got a bunch of guys 

about to turn blue. We’re breathing again. Thanks a 

lot” (102:46:02).7

The site https://apolloinrealtime.org also captures 

the “smaller” moments of history. For example, one 

of Feist’s “mission highlights” is Mission Control’s 

morning delivery of Earth news to the astronauts, 

including an update on their families, a sports report, 

and a personalized horoscope (72:29:34).8 Another 

endearing moment is captured during the trip to the 

Moon when Buzz Aldrin decides that it is time to 

listen to some music and plays a tape of Peggy Lee 

and Barbra Streisand songs (83:48:57).9 Even before 

the rocket left the ground, some good old-fashioned 

teasing was caught on the recovery loop between a 

man in Mission Control who overslept and his 

amused colleagues (–02:27:33).10 These small human 

moments are a common thread throughout the mission, reminding us that the men and women who 

worked on the Apollo program were, as Feist puts it, 

“very likable, regular people just doing a job.” What 

7 Found at https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/?t=102:46:02.

8 Found at https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/?t=072:29:35.

9 Found at https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/?t=083:49:01.

10 Found at https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/?t=-02:27:33&ch=34.

this Web site truly highlights is the ordinary roots of 

extraordinary feats. THESE HUMAN MOMENTS 

ARE A COMMON THREAD 

THROUGHOUT THE MISSION, 

REMINDING US THAT THE MEN 

AND WOMEN WHO WORKED 

ON THE APOLLO PROGRAM 

WERE, AS FEIST PUTS IT, “VERY 

LIKABLE, REGULAR PEOPLE 

JUST DOING A JOB.”

Ben Feist has given us a gift in https://apolloinrealtime.

org. The Apollo 11 Moon landing was a once-in-alifetime experience, but now the mission in its full 

context is at the world’s fingertips. The Web site is so 

filled with material that there seems to be something 

new to discover every minute. So take a few minutes, 

take an hour, take nine days and explore this gem. 

There’s something for everyone. Feist says it best: “If 

you’re a space aficionado, researcher, historian, or anyone else with a deep interest in the topic, it should 

deliver new insight. If you’re just mildly interested it 

should pull you in a little and show you what humanity can achieve when we collectively put our minds 

to it.”

To explore more of the Apollo 11 mission in real time, 

visit: https://apolloinrealtime.org/11/.

This photo of Earth from the Moon was taken by Apollo 11 astronauts on 20 June 1969. It is one of many 

photos time-stamped and organized temporally on https://apolloinrealtime.org. (Photo credit: NASA)
8

NASA HISTORY DIVISION — News & Notes

29 JANUARY 1971:

APOLLO 11’S COLUMBIA LANDS IN MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA

On 24 July 1969, the Columbia Command Module splashed down in the Pacific Ocean, 

ending the incredible journey of Apollo 11 astronauts 

Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin, and Michael 

Collins. From the moment the powerful Saturn V

launched from Kennedy Space Center on 16 July until 

recovery by the aircraft carrier Hornet crew, the world 

had watched with pronounced anticipation as the 

bold mission unfolded on television sets in homes, 

bars, and storefronts across the globe.

In 1970 and 1971, the recovered Apollo 11 Command 

Module Columbia embarked on another journey—

this one consisting of a 13-month tour of the 50 

states and Washington, DC. The tour brought the 

celebrated space hardware directly to the communities 

of the men and women who had labored diligently to 

solve the lengthy list of difficult technical, logistical, 

and political challenges faced throughout the decade 

of the Apollo program to accomplish the astounding 

feat of engineering.

The tour of Columbia was not the first of its kind. 

The Apollo 11 Fifty-State Tour followed the model 

of previous traveling national exhibits, such as the 

21-state tour of the USS Constitution between 1930 

and 1934, and space hardware exhibits, including the 

tour of John Glenn’s Mercury Friendship 7 in 1962 

and Gordon Cooper’s Mercury Faith 7 tour in 1963 

and 1964. Altogether, the Apollo 11 tour covered 

approximately 26,000 miles nationwide—14,000 

by land and 12,000 by sea—opening in Sacramento, 

California, on 17 April 1970 and culminating in 

Anchorage, Alaska, the only non-capital city visited, 

in May 1971.

Visitors lined up for a tour of the Apollo 11 Command Module in front of 

the Alabama Capitol Building. (Photo courtesy of the Alabama Department 

of Archives and History)

A crowd of visitors gathers on the grounds of the Alabama Capitol Building 

in Montgomery to see the Apollo 11 Command Module in January 1971. 

(Photo courtesy of the Alabama Department of Archives and History)

Columbia was not the only Apollo 11 artifact included 

in the mobile exhibit. Displayed alongside the 6-ton 

spacecraft was a small lunar rock collected during the 
9

Volume 36, Number 2 Second Quarter 2019

mission, along with the spacesuits worn by all three 

of the Apollo 11 astronauts, a sampling of space food, 

Buzz Aldrin’s glove, a medical kit, a Norman Rockwell 

painting of the Lunar Module, and a pair of sunglasses. 

While Columbia received the bulk of the attention, a 

cutaway model spoke directly to Alabama’s primary contribution to the mission—the Saturn V launch vehicle.

The Apollo 11 Command Module arrived in 

Montgomery on 29 January 1971, just two days 

before the launching of the Apollo 14 lunar landing 

mission. The recently reelected Alabama Governor 

George Wallace spoke at the opening ceremony, 

with Alabama State Finance Director General Taylor 

Hardin presiding over the event. The 1970 Alabama 

Democratic primary had been a closely contested 

affair, with Wallace narrowly defeating the incumbent, 

Albert Brewer, in a runoff. While Brewer counted 

Marshall Space Flight Center Director Dr. Wernher 

von Braun among his close friends, Wallace was a 

longtime opponent of federal influence in the state—

particularly related to the battle over civil rights and 

the process of desegregation. The celebration of such 

a profound national achievement seemed to override 

the deep wounds of past conflicts.

With interest in the Apollo missions diminishing 

in the aftermath of the success of Apollo 11, NASA 

expended considerable public affairs efforts promoting the tour at each stop. As part of the Alabama 

tour advertising, Marshall employees Ludie Richards, 

Richard Smith, and Lucian Bell appeared on the 

Alabama Education Television Network to discuss the 

specifics of the Apollo 11 mission, including the state’s 

own role in the program. Meanwhile, the director of 

the space sciences laboratory at Marshall, Gerhard 

Heller, discussed scientific results from the lunar landing before two groups of Alabama science teachers on 

29 January in the auditorium of the State Department 

of Education in Montgomery.

Columbia tour director Ellwood Johnson guides Alabama Governor George C. Wallace and his wife 

Cornelia Wallace through the exhibit. Alabama Lieutenant Governor Jere Beasley is standing directly 

behind Wallace. (Photo courtesy of the Alabama Department of Archives and History)

This image shows the Apollo 11 Command Module exhibit before opening. 

(Photo courtesy of the Alabama Department of Archives and History)

Turnout for the first day of the exhibit exceeded 

even the highest expectations. Several civic leaders 

and NASA officials attended the opening, including 

Lieutenant Governor Jere Beasley and several Marshall 
10

NASA HISTORY DIVISION — News & Notes

administrators, including Deputy Director Richard 

W. Cook, Deputy Associate Director for Science 

Dr. George C. Bucher, Deputy Director for Public 

Affairs Foster A. Haley, and Gerhard Heller.

Alabama Governor George Wallace cuts the ribbon on the Apollo 11 Command Module Columbia exhibit in Montgomery, 

Alabama, on 29 January 1971. Pictured from left across front are Ellwood Johnson, Cornelia Wallace, Governor George Wallace, 

Richard Cook, and Alabama Junior Miss Gale Robertson. (Photo courtesy of the Alabama Department of Archives and History)

Over three days of the exhibit’s time in Montgomery, 

approximately 89,000 visitors arrived on the grounds 

of the State Capitol to pass through the lunar exhibit—a number NASA reported to be “among the best 

at any capital in the tour.” Alabamians took pride 

not only in the great national accomplishment of 

completing President John F. Kennedy’s monumental 

goal, but also in their state’s own vital contributions to 

the lunar landing. During the years 

of the Saturn program, the economy 

of North Alabama in particular transformed from one dominated by rural 

agriculture to a Sun Belt economy 

characterized by increasingly technical fields.

Of course, Montgomery was just one 

stop on the Apollo 11 Command 

Module’s pilgrimage across the country. The NASA final report produced 

in the aftermath of the tour proclaimed that everyone from “babes-inarms to senior citizens” had “regularly 

queued up in lines several blocks long” 

and waited for several hours to see 

firsthand the historic space hardware. 

The turnout of more than three and 

a quarter million spectators over the 

period from 1970 to 1971 spoke to 

the high level of national pride in the 

success of the Apollo program.

Following the final stop in Anchorage, 

Alaska, the Apollo 11 Command 

Module made its way back to 

Washington, DC, where it was displayed in the Smithsonian’s Arts 

and Industries Building before being 

installed as a permanent exhibit in 

1976 in the halls of the newly opened 

National Air and Space Museum. In 2017, the 

Command Module took to the road again, embarking on another tour that will carry it to Houston, St. 

Louis, Pittsburgh, and Seattle before finally returning 

home to the Air and Space Museum in 2020, where it 

will be part of a new exhibit: “Destination Moon: The 

Apollo 11 Mission.” From its original launch in July 

1969 to its eventual return to Washington, DC, the 

Apollo Command Module continues to inspire new 

generations of Americans and serve as a testament to 

a monumental national fulfillment of an audacious 

presidential objective.
11

Volume 36, Number 2 Second Quarter 2019

NEWS FROM HEADQUARTERS AND THE CENTERS

NASA HEADQUARTERS

Washington, DC

History Division

By Bill Barry

You might think that with the highly predictable 50th 

anniversary of Apollo 11 anchoring the middle of the 

year, life in the History Division might be busy, but 

largely a matter of executing long-standing plans. If 

any of us were thinking, or hoping, 

for that, we’ve been proven wrong. 

Change, and surprising demands, 

have continued to rule our days 

here. Perhaps the biggest change 

is that we lost Andres Almeida...

again. This time, though, he was 

poached away by our own NASA 

social media team. So Andres isn’t 

really gone this time. Even better, 

the company he worked for (TSI, 

Inc.) moved very quickly to hire 

an ARU (Andres Replacement Unit). We had a tremendous group of applicants for the position, so the 

final choice must have been hard. But we now have 

Catherine (she goes by Cat) Baldwin on the team. If 

that name seems somewhat familiar, it is probably 

because Cat was one of our summer interns three 

years ago. Since that time, she has graduated from 

St. John’s College (Annapolis) and was working in 

Baltimore before returning to the NASA History 

fold. After a few weeks’ gap between Andres’s departure and Cat’s arrival on 18 June, she had to jump 

in at the deep end. But, having been captain of the 

St. John’s crew team, she seems pretty comfortable 

in the water.

CHANGE, AND SURPRISING DEMANDS, 

HAVE CONTINUED 

TO RULE OUR DAYS 

HERE.

If you come by for a visit, you will notice some recent 

changes to our archival spaces. Chief Archivist Robyn 

Rodgers noted that our visiting researcher area did 

not meet current standards and implemented some 

changes that make for a more open, welcoming, 

and secure space. Just as we had implemented that 

change, we were informed that overcrowding on the 

fifth floor of Headquarters was going to force the 

movement of our interns and our ARU (i.e., Cat) 

downstairs into the archive office space. This took 

quite a bit of rearranging and caused no shortage of 

problems. But we now have a very full house in room 

CP72. The residents there now include our three 

contract archivists (Colin Fries, Liz Suckow, and 

Craig Haibon), Cat Baldwin, and our two (outstanding) summer interns (Gwendolyn 

Rak and Claire Smrt). Gone are 

the days when Colin and Liz were 

the only people in the space apart 

from the occasional researcher.

In early May, we held the annual 

History Program Review and 

Training at Armstrong Flight 

Research Center. We didn’t have a 

lot of lead time to plan the event, 

and Nadine Andreassen had some 

personal challenges that prevented her from traveling 

to the actual meeting. But, with outstanding support 

from our hosts at Armstrong and extra effort from 

Andres and the team here, the Program Review was 

a great success. I’d especially like to highlight the outstanding work by Christian Gelzer, Armstrong’s historian. We couldn’t have asked for a better host, and he 

really made maximum use of all the tools at his disposal. (I was particularly delighted to see that so many 

of our archivists and historians demonstrated amazing 

pilot skills when tossed into one of the Armstrong 

flight simulators.)

The rest of May and all of June were a blur of Apollo 

anniversary planning (and replanning) meetings, 

multiday meetings on the Mission Support Future 

Architecture Program (MAP), and work to keep the 

History Division functional. In that latter category, we 

finally got Steve Garber and Glen Asner’s new book, 

Origins of 21st-Century Space Travel, in print and out 
12

NASA HISTORY DIVISION — News & Notes

into distribution on the last day of June. The manuscript had been completed and ready to print last 

fall. Between problems with the government contract 

printers and the shutdown last winter, this project was 

pushed way past the originally planned release date. 

We’ll have more about the book in our next newsletter. 

The Monday after the book release, an article that 

Steve coauthored with Jim Vedda of the Aerospace 

Corporation was published in the Space Review. It was 

a great start to the Fourth of July holiday week for 

Steve. Regarding MAP, we’ve been looking at communications functions across the Agency, and one 

of the questions that came up early on was whether 

or not the history program was primarily focused on 

communications. That is a complicated question, and 

with the crush of anniversary work, the MAP team 

had agreed to defer the issue. However, the MAP plan 

for communications is supposed to be completed (at 

least the initial plan) by mid-August. So, as soon as 

the Apollo anniversary activities are over, we’ll be deep 

into working on MAP questions. There is much yet 

to be settled on the structure and operation of the 

history program.

Shown above is the redesigned home page for the NASA History Division.

One thing that is almost done is a revamp of the 

History Division Web site—http://history.nasa.gov. 

This site was one of the earliest of NASA’s efforts on 

the Internet and is an invaluable resource. It has also 

always been a shoestring effort, with the work being 

done either in-house (largely by Steve and Colin) or 

by outside volunteers. The last overhaul in the mid2000s was great for its time, but with the rapid evolution of the Web, the site has needed an update for 

the last 10 years. Several overhaul attempts have been 

foiled by budget cuts and other problems while we 

watched usage numbers stagnate and then begin to 

slide downward. Analysts told us that the big problem 

was that the site was not mobile-friendly. Moreover, in 

keeping with trends and open-government directives, 

we wanted to make the site more than a collection 

of links and static articles. We needed to make this a 

site where researchers could make use of the tremendous wealth of our Historical Reference Collection for 

their own research. Fortunately for us, Robyn Rodgers 

not only had some ideas about how to do this, but 

she also had an interest in coding (and an incredible 

appetite for tough problems). Robyn single-handedly 
13

Volume 36, Number 2 Second Quarter 2019

created a new, mobile- and researcher-friendly interface this spring. As I write this, the Headquarters 

Communications Support Services Center is finalizing testing on the site with Robyn. Very soon, when 

you go to http://history.nasa.gov, you will find a new 

site. We’ll be looking for your feedback on the site, so 

don’t be shy to let us know what we can do to make 

it even better.

AMES RESEARCH CENTER (ARC)

Moffett Field, California

By April Gage, Jonathan Ikan, and James Anderson

We are pleased to announce the arrival of a new 

Ames historian and introduce the Center’s Cultural 

Resources Manager (CRM).

James Anderson recently signed on as a new historian 

for NASA Ames Research Center. James returns to 

Ames after almost a decade. He spent a year in the former History Office as a research assistant after finishing 

his undergraduate studies in astrophysics and history. 

After completing his master’s degree in the history of 

science from the University of California, Berkeley, 

James moved to Los Angeles, where he received his 

master of fine arts in TV, film, and theater production 

from California State University, Los Angeles. His dual 

background in the history of science and in media and 

film production represent two passions that James 

is looking forward to bringing together to promote 

the unique history of Ames and to tell contemporary 

stories that reveal the past’s importance at ARC.

Anderson joins the Public Affairs Office as a KBRwyle 

contractor under the Fully Integrated Lifecycle 

Mission Support Services contract. He will collaborate 

with archivists April Gage and Danielle Lopez, who 

oversee the History Archives at Ames. Together, they 

will explore ways to make the Center’s past relevant to 

its future.

James Anderson. (Photo credit: Original tintype by Eric Mertens) Jonathan Ikan. (Photo credit: Jonathan Ikan)

As an early career architect, Jonathan Ikan has been 

serving Ames Research Center for five years now. 

Through NASA’s Pathways program, he is currently 

pursuing his graduate degree from the National 
14

NASA HISTORY DIVISION — News & Notes

Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB)–accredited 

Academy of Art University. In May 2019, Jonathan 

will graduate and receive his master of architecture 

degree. He aims to use his higher education to help 

bring to life Ames’s Campus of the Future. Since 

Keith Venter’s departure in 2017, Jonathan also has 

served as the Center’s Cultural Resources Manager 

(CRM). In this capacity, he oversees the preservation 

of Shenandoah Plaza Historic District and the newly 

nominated Historic Wind Tunnel District through the 

preparation and review of section 106 of the National 

Historic Preservation Act. As our Center’s new CRM, 

Jonathan’s goal is to promote public awareness of 

our historic properties and preserve them for future 

generations. Jonathan’s CRM efforts are supported 

by Senior Architectural Historian Trina Meiser and 

Senior Archivist April Gage.

Danielle K. Lopez and April Gage remain busy in 

the Ames History Archives and Life Sciences Data 

Archives. Highlights of their activities include their 

support of the NASA Astrobiology Institute’s efforts 

to prepare an archive of the institute’s history as it 

approaches its 20th anniversary and closure, as well as 

their assistance with a wide range of historical research 

projects on topics such as the formation of the field 

of astrobiology (researcher Ian Varga), the history of 

the Center’s Entry Systems and Technology Division 

(Branch Chief David Hash), the Galileo Project, a 

graphic novel geared toward young audiences (author 

Holly Thomason), and the Center’s contributions to 

the Apollo program and exploration of Earth’s Moon 

and Mars (Public Affairs Office). A processing milestone of note this period is the completion of significant updates to the Public Affairs Office Collection 

with an accrual of three sets of digital material (nearly 

16,000 digital items). The first two sets of material 

include a collection of press releases from 2006 to 

2013 and a set of Ames Center-wide announcements 

spanning 21 years, from 1997 to 2018. The third 

set of material comprises digitized video footage and 

audio recordings, primarily consisting of television 

news footage of a variety of Ames-managed programs 

and projects such as Pioneer missions and airborne 

science efforts. April and Danielle also assisted the 

San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in organizing a 

collection of space art from the History Archives that 

includes works by artists Rick Guidice, Roger Arno, 

and Chesley Bonestell. The museum plans to show 

them in an upcoming exhibition entitled Far Out: 

Suits, Habs, and Labs for Outer Space, which opens this 

July and will run through January 2020.

As the recently appointed Center Artifacts Manager, 

April formed an artifacts working group composed of 

representatives from Ames archives and the Logistics, 

Public Affairs, Historic Preservation, Records 

Management, and Director’s offices. The group is 

making progress toward formulating a coordinated 

artifacts management program at the Center. Other 

efforts include making historical artifacts available to 

U.S. institutions through the NASA Artifacts Module 

powered by the General Services Administration, 

where they will be accessible to a wider public audience. Through this module, objects related to the 

history of Ames have already been apportioned to the 

Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum, the 

Space Museum in Maryland, and a high school in 

South Dakota.

A MASSIVE NEW COLLECTION 

OF MEMOIRS DOCUMENTING 

TWENTY YEARS OF COLLABORATION BETWEEN NASA AND 

THE U.S. ARMY WAS RELEASED 

THIS PERIOD.

Finally, a massive new collection of memoirs documenting 20 years of collaboration between NASA 

and the U.S. Army was released this period. Entitled 

Memoir: Figures of Merit—Remembrances of Those Who 

Built an Army—NASA Collaboration and a New Age of 

Rotary-Wing Technology, 1965–1985 (NASA SP-2018-

3713), this work is the product of 40 scientists, 
15

Volume 36, Number 2 Second Quarter 2019

engineers, technicians, secretaries, test pilots, and 

leaders who participated in the interagency collaboration under an Army-NASA Joint Agreement at Ames. 

Edited by Robert Ormiston and Irving Statler, the 

book is available online in full text on both the NASA 

Ames Aeromechanics Branch and History Archives 

Web sites.

ARMSTRONG FLIGHT RESEARCH 

CENTER (AFRC)

Edwards Air Force Base, California

By Christian Gelzer

Following a request, the Armstrong History Office 

loaned a set of artifacts to the Richard M. Nixon 

Presidential Library in Yorba Linda, California, which 

wanted to host an exhibit on the space race and 

Apollo 11, as well as Nixon’s decision to cancel the 

remaining Apollo missions and invest in the Space 

Shuttle instead. The exhibit was scheduled to run for 

six months. Among the artifacts we loaned were the 

Lunar Landing Research Vehicle and Lunar Landing 

Training Vehicle’s side arm controller (plucked from 

Gemini VI-A and slightly modified) from which Neil 

Armstrong ejected in May 1968, a flown Shuttle tire, 

and Joe Walker’s X-15 MC-2 full-pressure suit (with 

mannequin) and helmet. Walker became the first X-15 

pilot to reach space and the first human to do so three 

times, achieving that on 17 January 1963, 19 July 

1963, and 22 August 1963, the last flight coming 

almost within a month of the previous spaceflight. 

The library is having a grand opening the weekend 

of 20 July, should anybody be in the area and want 

to participate.

Christian Gelzer was interviewed by a French television production company for an upcoming program 

on NASA aeronautics; during the show, he presented 

a talk on “lessons learned from going fast.” He discussed the transonic realm, the XB-70 and Mach 2 

and 3, the X-15 and Mach 6+, and hypersonic flight 

by NASA and the Air Force, along with other aircraft. 

He focused on information gleaned from these projects and programs that is not obvious or common 

knowledge. There is a lull in the digitization process 

as the vendor churns through the material it has (a 

backlog), after which we will resume shipping pallets. 

We have begun collecting material from existing engineers, the idea being not to wait for their departure 

to start this process. X-43 documents are the target in 

this first pass.

On 17 January 1963, NASA research pilot Joe Walker flew the X-15 rocket plane to an altitude of 

271,000 feet (51 miles), becoming the first civilian test pilot to exceed 50 miles in altitude. The flight 

was a precursor to his record altitude flights in July and August of the same year. (Photo credit: NASA)
16

NASA HISTORY DIVISION — News & Notes

GLENN RESEARCH CENTER (GRC)

Cleveland, Ohio

By Anne Mills

Glenn Research Center has kicked off its Apollo 

50th anniversary celebration. A special exhibit, 

“Apollo and the Next Giant Leap,” was on display 

in our employee services building. As part of the 

exhibit closing, 11 employees who started their 

careers during the Apollo program were recognized 

for their service. The highlight of our Apollo 50th 

anniversary celebration will be our participation in 

the Summer Moon Festival in Wapakoneta, Ohio, 

in July. If you are interested in learning more about 

Glenn’s contributions to the Apollo program, check 

out this site: https://www1.grc.nasa.gov/glenn-history/

glenn-impact-on-the-apollo-program/.

THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF 

THE FIRST RUN IN GLENN’S 

HISTORIC ICING RESEARCH 

TUNNEL (IRT) TOOK PLACE ON 

9 JUNE. GETTING THE IRT UP 

AND RUNNING QUICKLY WAS 

CRITICAL TO THE WAR EFFORT. 

THE TUNNEL REQUIRED COMPLEX ENGINEERING IN ORDER 

TO DUPLICATE THE CONDITIONS 

OF AIRCRAFT FLYING THROUGH 

CLOUDS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING ICE.

The 75th anniversary of the first run in Glenn’s historic 

Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) took place on 9 June. 

Getting the IRT up and running quickly was critical to the war effort. The tunnel required complex 

engineering in order to duplicate the conditions of 

aircraft flying through clouds capable of producing ice. 

Notably, Willis Carrier, the father of air conditioning, 

was personally involved with the development of the 

massive cooling system necessary for the wind tunnel. 

Over the next several years, the tunnel’s spray system 

was further improved to mimic the natural conditions in which ice is generated. Research on how ice 

builds up and impacts aircraft performance as well 

as mitigation techniques has had far-reaching impact 

for both military and civilian applications. Even 

75 years later, the IRT continues to have a significant 

impact on aircraft safety. In 1987, the IRT was designated an American Society of Mechanical Engineers 

International Historic Mechanical Engineering 

Landmark for its role in aviation safety.

JOHNSON SPACE CENTER (JSC)

Houston, Texas

By John Uri

Most of the issues first encountered after relocating 

the JSC History Portal to a new Web address (https://

historycollection.jsc.nasa.gov/JSCHistoryPortal/

history/) have been corrected. We encourage everyone 

to update their bookmarks to the new URL and ask 

for your help in advertising the new address. Also, 

please inform us if you run into any issues with the 

new site so that we may address them expeditiously. 

We are continuing efforts to upgrade the look and feel 

of the History Portal, which will provide the History 

Office with easier control over content updates and 

provide users with a more modern format.

We continue to expand our extensive oral history 

collection. While in Huntsville, Alabama, to attend 

the NASA in the South Symposium, Jennifer RossNazzal and Sandra Johnson interviewed James Splawn, 

co-developer of the concept of simulating weightlessness using neutral buoyancy in water. In Houston, 

they conducted several interviews with Janine Bolton, 

Supervisor of the JSC Scientific and Technical 

Information Center. JSC Deputy Director Vanessa 

Wyche will sit with the two-member team in May (her 

first interview, scheduled for January, needed to be 
17

Volume 36, Number 2 Second Quarter 2019

rescheduled due to the partial government shutdown). 

The annual interview with JSC Center Director Mark 

Geyer is scheduled for June. Sandra and Jennifer 

have made initial contacts with Dan Quayle’s assistant to arrange for an oral history with the former 

Vice President. A similar arrangement with former 

Vice President Al Gore is also under consideration. 

Jennifer and Sandra have processed the backlogged 

interview transcripts, which will be uploaded to the 

JSC History Portal once the subjects have approved 

them for release.

Jennifer provided a commencement address for the 

Girls in STEM (science, technology, engineering, 

and mathematics) (GIST) Program at the American 

Helicopter Museum in West Chester, Pennsylvania. 

She spoke via Skype and talked about her work for 

the Agency, focusing on her research about the first six 

female astronauts. The Education Program Manager 

at the Museum wrote to Jennifer with the following 

thanks: “I just wanted to drop a note of thanks for 

the outstanding presentation you gave to our GIST 

families yesterday. Several of them approached me 

and told me how much they enjoyed it (one GISTer 

told me that you were her favorite guest speaker of the 

whole cycle!).”

The History Office provided support to the JSC 

Women Excelling in Life and Leadership (WELL) 

Employee Resource Group (ERG). WELL’s mission 

is to leverage the unique perspectives of all women at 

JSC, attract diverse talent to JSC, and develop women 

in all careers across JSC. In celebration of Women’s 

History Month, WELL hoped to draw attention to 

some of NASA’s notable Apollo women and asked 

the History Office for assistance. During this month, 

the WELL ERG featured links to interviews with outstanding women conducted by the JSC Oral History 

Project and placed those links in Roundup Today, JSC’s 

daily electronic newsletter.

Sandra continued to respond to a series of ongoing 

requests for oral history audio and video from filmmakers working on projects related to upcoming 

Apollo anniversaries. Of note were the following:

• A request from a filmmaker working on a short 

educational documentary about Apollo 10 and 

the Peanuts connection for Tremolo Productions. 

The request was for audio and photo identification 

help, specifically about Jamye Flowers Coplin, 

a secretary working in the Astronaut Office at 

the time of the mission, and the Silver Snoopy 

Space Flight Awareness (SFA) award history. The 

documentary is being made by the Academy 

Award–winning director Morgan Neville and the 

Academy Award–winning producer and director 

Ron Howard.

• A request from the BBC Radio Science Unit in 

London for oral history audio for a series they are 

producing on the Apollo program. The 12-part 

audio series called 13 Minutes to the Moon is to 

mark the 50th anniversary of the first Moon landing, culminating with the final episode on 20 July.

• A request for help with access to oral histories and 

photos from an author working on a book about 

Apollo 11. Sandra provided the information, oral 

histories, photos, and help with her research. The 

author recognized the support she received, stating, “I accessed either the JSC oral histories, or 

the archived Roundups, all the images, or other 

info on the JSC history site almost every day for 

the past year! I couldn’t have done this without 

you! I’ll definitely emphasize the JSC History 

Office in any talks I give or articles I write. I will 

gladly also sing your praises in some of my social 

media posts I’m planning to do when the book 

comes out. You really provided so much help and 

info, and everything you did really means a lot to 

me!” The book titled Eight Years to the Moon will 

be available in July.

In April, two representatives of the Presbyterian 

Church (USA) (PC[USA]) came to Houston to 

capture and collect memories and information from 

members of the historic Webster Presbyterian Church, 

known as the “Church of the Astronauts,” where 

many early Apollo engineers, astronauts, and other 

NASA employees attended services during those years. 

More than a dozen congregants sat with the team 

and Jennifer for a series of video interviews about the 
18

NASA HISTORY DIVISION — News & Notes

church and the impact of the space program on the 

Webster congregation and surrounding community. 

The PC(USA) plans to place edited clips of the interviews on their Web site in July, as part of the Apollo 

celebration, and publish an article about the church 

in Presbyterian Today. Several congregants spoke 

with the PC(USA) about many space-related events, 

including lunar communion held on the surface of the 

Moon by church elder Buzz Aldrin. Jennifer intends 

to continue interviews with some participants and 

others for an in-depth study of NASA and the Clear 

Lake community.

Jennifer gave a talk at Space Center Houston on 

15 February 2019 about the decision to rename the 

Manned Spacecraft Center the Lyndon B. Johnson 

Space Center to honor the late President for his 

contributions to NASA and to human spaceflight 

in particular.

In recognition of significant space anniversaries leading up to the Moon landing, the JSC History Office 

is working with the JSC External Relations Office on 

a continuing series of articles posted on the https://

www.nasa.gov/topics/history/index.html Web site and 

JSC’s Facebook and Twitter accounts. Abstracts of 

the articles appear online in JSC’s Roundup Today. 

The features often highlight the anniversaries of 

less-celebrated events and people that were nevertheless crucial to achieving the Moon landing within 

President Kennedy’s timetable. Selected articles have 

also appeared as feature articles on the JSC Home 

Page’s “Roundup Reads.” We would like to thank history and archive personnel at other NASA Centers 

for their valued help and contributions to many of 

these products.

The History Office continues its effort to publish 

Jennifer’s book Making Space for Women, in collaboration with the JSC University Research, Collaboration 

and Partnership Office. The manuscript is currently 

undergoing peer review at Texas A&M University Press.

Jennifer and Sandra attended the “NASA in the South 

Symposium” in Huntsville, Alabama, in March, and 

the Annual Meeting of the Society for History in the 

Federal Government in Washington, DC, in April. 

John attended the American Productivity and Quality 

Center’s annual Knowledge Management conference 

in Houston in May. That same month, Jennifer and 

Sandra spent a day at Rice University to attend a 

Society of American Archivists course.

OTHER AEROSPACE HISTORY NEWS

AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETY 

(AAS) HISTORY COMMITTEE

By Michael Ciancone, Chair

Apollo 1 National Memorial

The Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) requested support from the AAS History 

Committee in national efforts to create an Apollo 1 

memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, as noted 

in the 2017 National Defense Authorization Act. 

Dr. Don Elder led a special panel of the AAS History 

Committee to prepare a study on the “availability and 

suitability on alternative locations outside of Arlington 

National Cemetery.” A national memorial to the 

Apollo 1 crew, some 50 years after their tragic deaths, 

will serve as a fitting tribute from our nation to three 

men who served their country in military uniform and 

at NASA. It will also recognize the importance of their 

sacrifice to the millions of Americans, including servicemen and -women, who supported NASA to make 

the triumph of the Apollo space program possible. 

The final study report was submitted in April 2019.
19

Volume 36, Number 2 Second Quarter 2019

UPCOMING MEETINGS

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) 

AirVenture will be held 22–28 July 2019 in Oshkosh, 

Wisconsin. Visit https://www.eaa.org/en/airventure

for details.

The 2019 Joint Annual Meeting of the Council of 

State Archivists and the Society of American Archivists 

will be held 31 July–6 August 2019 in Austin, Texas. 

Visit https://www2.archivists.org/conference for details.

The annual meeting of the Society for Social Studies 

of Science (4S) will be held 4–7 September 2019 in 

New Orleans, Louisiana. Visit http://www.4sonline.

org/meeting for details.

The 70th International Astronautical Congress will be 

held 21–25 October 2019 in Washington, DC. Visit 

https://www.iac2019.org for details.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

COMMERCIALLY PUBLISHED WORKS

Compiled by Chris Gamble

The Space Treaties at Crossroads: Considerations de 

Lege Ferenda, edited by George D. Kyriakopoulos 

and Maria Manoli (Springer, February 2019). This 

contributed volume addresses the future development 

of space law in light of our ever-growing space activities, the multiplicity of new space actors, and the 

challenges posed by novel space technologies.

The Moon Hoax?: Conspiracy Theories on Trial, by 

Thomas Eversberg (Springer, February 2019). This 

book addresses, analyzes, and debunks the conspiracy 

theories about the American Moon landings.

Exploring Planetary Climate: A History of Scientific 

Discovery on Earth, Mars, Venus and Titan, by Ralph 

D. Lorenz (Cambridge University Press, February 

2019). This book chronicles the history of climate 

science and planetary exploration, focusing on our 

ever-expanding knowledge of Earth’s climate, as well 

as the parallel research under way on some of our nearest neighbors: Mars; Venus; and Titan, Saturn’s moon.

Space 2.0: How Private Spaceflight, a Resurgent 

NASA, and International Partners Are Creating a 

New Space Age, by Rod Pyle (BenBella Books, March 

2019). The author, in collaboration with the National 

Space Society, gives an inside look at what the next few 

decades of spaceflight might look like and long-term 

plans for exploration, utilization, and settlement.

Earth from Space, by Michael Bright and Chloe Sarosh 

(BBC Books, March 2019). This book contains over 

200 images showing Earth’s surface, megastructures, 

weather patterns, and natural wonders in detail.

Afterglow: Reflections on the Golden Age of Moon 

Explorers, by Derek Webber (Curtis Press, April 

2019). This book provides a record of the human tales 

and complexity behind the technological triumph of 

Apollo, how going to the Moon affected the astronauts, and the lives they led upon returning to Earth.

Shoot for the Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 11, 

by James Donovan (Little, Brown and Company, 

March 2019). This book covers the dangers, the challenges, and the sheer determination that defined not 

only Apollo 11, but also the Mercury and Gemini 

missions that made it possible—as seen through the 

eyes of those who lived through those programs.

Space Utopia: A Journey in Space Exploration History 

from the Apollo and Sputnik Programmes to the Next 

Mission to Mars, by Vincent Fournier (Rizzoli, March 
20

NASA HISTORY DIVISION — News & Notes

2019). This unique collection of photographs features 

over 10 years’ worth of collaborations with the most 

important space and research centers in the world, 

resulting in a one-of-a-kind story of the human race 

to the stars.

The Color of the Moon: Lunar Painting in American 

Art, edited by Laura L. Vookles (Fordham University 

Press, March 2019). The Moon—its face, color, and 

power—threads through the tapestry of American 

landscape painting, holding timeless allure for artists 

and beloved by viewers of paintings everywhere. The 

Hudson River Museum has organized The Color of 

the Moon: Lunar Painting in American Art—the first 

major museum examination of the Moon in American 

visual arts from the 19th through the 20th centuries 

for a 2019 exhibition. This presentation also celebrates 

the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 mission.

Hasselblad & the Moon Landing, by Deborah Ireland 

(Ammonite Press, March 2019). This book looks at 

the history of the Apollo 11 mission through the lens 

of the Hasselblad camera while narrating the parallel 

tale of the challenge to create a camera that could work 

on the Moon.

Universe Manual: From 13.7 Billion Years Ago to 

Infinity and Beyond, by David M Harland (Haynes 

Publishing UK, March 2019). This book brings 

together the many fascinating theories of our universe, 

from the earliest philosophies to today’s cutting-edge 

scientific discoveries. Collectively, it aims to explain 

the origin and evolution of the universe at large, 

the processes by which planetary systems form, and 

the chances of life being ubiquitous beyond our 

own planet.

The Soviet Space Program: The Lunar Mission Years: 

1959–1976, by Eugen Reichl (Schiffer Publishing, 

March 2019). This book chronologically examines the 

59 missions the USSR sent or intended to send to the 

Moon from 1959 to 1976.

Mars, by Rod Pyle (Andre Deutsch, Ltd., March 

2019). With access to NASA’s archives, the author 

traces the exploration of Mars from fleeting telescopic 

examinations of the first flybys in the 1960s, through 

the landers of the 1970s, to the increasingly sophisticated rovers and orbiters now exploring every region 

of the planet.

The Space-Age Presidency of John F. Kennedy: A 

Rare Photographic History, by John Bisney and J. L. 

Pickering (University of New Mexico Press, March 

2019). This work captures the compelling story of 

John F. Kennedy’s role in advancing the United States’ 

space program, set against the Cold War with the 

Soviet Union.

American Moonshot: John F. Kennedy and the Great 

Space Race, by Douglas Brinkley (Harper, April 2019). 

This book discusses the extraordinary political, cultural, and scientific factors that fueled the birth and 

development of NASA and the Mercury, Gemini, and 

Apollo projects, which shot the United States to victory in the space race against the Soviet Union at the 

height of the Cold War.

Understanding Space Strategy: The Art of War in 

Space, by John J. Klein (Routledge, March 2019). This 

book examines the rise of great power competition 

in space, including the relevant and practical space 

strategies of China, Russia, the United States, and 

other countries. The work discusses the concepts and 

writings of past strategists, such as Thucydides, Sun 

Tzu, and Clausewitz, in relation to warfare initiated in 

or extending into space. This analysis underscores why 

policies initiate war based upon an assessment of fear, 

honor, and interest and explains why this will also be 

true of war in space.

Understanding Gaia: A Mission to Map the Galaxy, by 

Gabriella Bernardi and Alberto Vecchiato (SpringerPraxis, March 2019). This book provides a report 

on the European Space Agency’s Gaia mission that 

will provide a complete and high-precision map of 

the positions, distances, and motions of the stars in 

our galaxy.
21

Volume 36, Number 2 Second Quarter 2019

The Mission of a Lifetime: Lessons from the Men Who 

Went to the Moon, by Basil Hero (Grand Central 

Publishing, April 2019). The author chronicles the 

life lessons humanity can learn from the 12 remaining 

Apollo astronauts who went to the Moon.

Rockets and Missiles of Vandenberg AFB: 1957–2017, 

by Joseph T. Page II (Schiffer Publishing, April 2019). 

This book chronicles the launches by rocket/missile, 

launchpad location, and payload. The launches at 

Vandenberg helped drive the technological innovation 

and deterrence that helped the United States win the 

Cold War.

The Book of the Moon: A Guide to Our Closest 

Neighbor, by Dr. Maggie Aderin-Pocock (Abrams 

Image, April 2019). The author discusses the Moon’s 

topography, composition, formation, and orbit 

around Earth. She discusses humanity’s relationship 

with the Moon and how the Moon has influenced 

culture throughout the years—and then looks to the 

future, analyzing the pros and cons of continued space 

travel and exploration.

Apollo Expeditions to the Moon: The 50th Anniversary 

Edition, by Edgar M. Cortright (Dover Publications, 

April 2019). This special edition of Apollo Expeditions 

to the Moon is an official NASA publication with 

essays by participants—engineers, astronauts, and 

administrators—who recall the program’s unprecedented challenges.

Japanese Missions to the International Space Station: 

Help from the East, by John O’Sullivan (SpringerPraxis, April 2019). This book tells the story of the 

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronauts 

who have visited the International Space Station 

and how they have lived on board, helped construct the space laboratory, and performed valuable 

scientific experiments.

Disclaimer: The History Division wishes to thank volunteer Chris Gamble, who compiled this section for us. 

Please note that the edited descriptions here have been 

derived by Chris from promotional material and do not 

represent an endorsement by NASA.

NASA HEADQUARTERS HISTORY DIVISION 

STAFF CONTACT INFORMATION

William Barry bill.barry@nasa.gov

Chief Historian 202-358-0383

Nadine Andreassen nadine.j.andreassen@nasa.gov

Program Support Specialist 202-358-0087

Catherine Baldwin catherine.e.baldwin@nasa.gov

Editor 202-358-4397

Colin Fries colin.a.fries@nasa.gov

Archivist 202-358-0388

Stephen Garber stephen.j.garber@nasa.gov

Historian 202-358-0385

Craig Haibon craig.p.haibon@nasa.gov

Archivist 202-358-1033

Robyn Rodgers robyn.k.rodgers@nasa.gov

Chief Archivist 202-358-2798

Elizabeth Suckow elizabeth.suckow-1@nasa.gov

Archivist 202-358-0375

Gwendolyn Rak gwendolyn.g.rak@nasa.gov

Intern 202-358-1738

Claire Smrt claire.m.smrt@nasa.gov

Intern 202-358-0478
22

NASA HISTORY DIVISION — News & Notes

“OLD VIKING” ANGELO “GUS” GUASTAFERRO DIES

By Cat Baldwin

On 9 June 2019, the aerospace world lost 

an influential member of 

its community. Angelo 

“Gus” Guastaferro, the 

former Deputy Director 

of NASA Ames Research 

Center, passed away in 

Williamsburg, Virginia, 

at the age of 85. He is 

survived by his three sons 

and eight grandchildren.

Angelo “Gus” Guastaferro’s personnel portrait for the Viking Program 

taken in 1977. (Photo courtesy of 

NASA’s Viking Archives Collection)

Angelo Guastaferro was 22 when he held one of his 

first leadership roles. The young man, known to many 

as Gus, began his distinguished managerial career as a 

project manager at Eglin Air Force Base, where he was 

tasked with converting the B-47 to fly as a remotely 

controlled drone. He took the responsibility very seriously, an attitude that would inform his career.

Guastaferro went on to be the Deputy Manager on 

the Viking Program at Langley Research Center. The 

Viking program was the United States’ most ambitious early mission to Mars, and Viking 1 became the 

first American spacecraft to land on another planetary 

body since the Apollo program. Guastaferro’s leadership was invaluable to the success of this program.

After working on the Viking Program for eight 

years, Guastaferro went on to become the Director 

of Planetary Programs at NASA Headquarters 

in Washington, DC, and subsequently the Deputy 

Director of NASA Ames Research Center. Guastaferro 

retired from NASA in the early 1990s and transitioned into the role of vice president of civil space 

for Lockheed Martin. Despite being retired, Gus 

remained involved with NASA. He served as a consultant on future space systems and lent his project 

management expertise to creating professional development programs for new NASA employees.

Guastaferro’s leadership had a reach that extended 

far past his professional life. Throughout his life, he 

gave back to the community in various leadership 

and volunteer roles. He served as board chairman for 

the Hampton Roads Technology Council, a board 

member of Catholic Student Ministries at St. Bede 

Catholic Church in Williamsburg, a board member of 

the Virginia Symphony Orchestra of Williamsburg, as 

well as many other organizations.

Gus commenting on the “Viking 40th Anniversary: Legacy of Viking” podcast in 2016. (Photo courtesy of NASA)

Gus Guastaferro was a guiding force at NASA for 22 

years. His philosophy on leadership and his “people 

first” attitude shaped everything he touched, from 

his time with the Air Force to his role in the Viking 

missions and into his tenure at Lockheed Martin. In 

his own words, “a process doesn’t get the spacecraft 

built. A logo or motto doesn’t make it happen. It’s 

the people.”1

1 Angelo “Gus” Guastaferro, “A Lengthy Career’s Lessons on Risk,” NASA Academy of Program/Project & Engineering Leadership 

(APPEL) Knowledge Services, 1 January 2005, available at https://appel.nasa.gov/2005/01/01/a-lengthy-careers-lessons-on-risk/ (accessed 

3 July 2019).
23

Volume 36, Number 2 Second Quarter 2019

IMAGE IN NASA HISTORY 

J

ubilant flight controllers at the Mission Control Center’s Mission Operations Control Room celebrate the 

successful conclusion of the Apollo 11 Moon landing mission.
CREATED AND PRODUCED BY:

Andres Almeida and Catherine Baldwin, Newsletter Editors

Lisa Jirousek, Editor

Michele Ostovar, Graphic Designer

Trenita Williams, Mail Coordinator

Carl Paul, Distribution

DOWNLOAD THIS AND OTHER RECENT 

EDITIONS OF NEWS & NOTES AT 

http://history.nasa.gov/histnews.htm.

JOIN THE

NASA HISTORY 

DIVISION 

ONLINE ON 

OUR SOCIAL 

NETWORKS! 

Get short, timely messages and stay updated on a wide 

variety of topics by following @NASAhistory on Twitter.

Learn the history of NASA’s exploration of the universe 

and its many discoveries about our home planet by 

liking the Facebook page at 

https://www.facebook.com/NASAHistoryOffice.

Find our collection of great images from NASA 

history at NASA on the Commons on Flickr: 

https://www.flickr.com/photos/nasacommons.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NASA Headquarters

300 E Street SW 

Washington, DC 20546

www.nasa.gov