History of rocketry and astronautics : proceedings of the Forty Second History Symposium of the International Academy of Astronautics Glasgow United Kingdom 2008 ; IAA history symposia volume 28 INTERNATIONAL GEOPHYSICAL YEAR: 50TH ANNIVERSARY AND ORGANIZATIONAL HISTORY An unintended consequence of the IGY: Eisenhower Sputnik and the founding of NASA Roger D. Launius The International Geophysical Year: The French participation its influence on the beginning of the National Space Program Hervé Moulin NASAs Office of Advanced Research and Technology and the emergence of the Space Station John C. Mankins Managing the unmanageable: Apollo space age management and American social problems Roger D. Launius MEMOIRS James H. Wyld (1912 1953): American rocket pioneer and the development of the Wyld Regeneratively Cooled Rocket Motor Frank H. Winter Robert L. Forward: A Scotland connection to tethers antimatter and propulsion Anne M. Coleman Casimir Coquilhats theory on rocket motion: The rocket equation established in 1871! Jean Jacques Serra Philippe Jung and Théo Pirard Ricardo Dyrgalla (1910 1970) pioneer of rocket development in Argentina Pablo de León Luigi Broglio: The first Italian space dreamer Daniela Cipollone Phase role of missile defense means in the Cold War history Irina Fedorenko SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL REVIEWS The Alfred Nobel Rocket Camera: An early aerial photography attempt Å. Ingemar Skoog The Soviet Meteo Rockets history 1946 1991 Christian Lardier The Argus Experiment Charles A. Lundquist Space autonomous navigation system of Soviet project for manned flyby of Moon Timur M. Eneev Vyacheslav V. Ivashkin Victor A. Sharov and Jury V. Bagdasaryan Wresat: Australias first satellite Kerrie Dougherty The propulsion system for the Ludion One Man Hopper: An Anglo French rocket engine cooperation 40 years ago Christophe Rothmund HISTORY OF UK CONTRIBUTIONS TO ASTRONAUTICS A review of UK space activity and historiography 1957 2007 Douglas Millard History of UK contribution to astronautics: Politics and government Colin Hicks Some beginnings of space activity in UK industry John Allen History of UK contribution to astronautics Stevenage A case study Alistair D. Scott This volume contributed another high quality edition to the series of Proceedings in that it reports a wide range of disciplines that contribute to astronautics. Of particular merit in this issue are chapters that report the politics and context of initiatives undertaken in the early years of the U.S. space program and the background behind the difficult birth of the British National Space Centre. The 2008 International Astronautical Congress held in Glasgow Scotland came at a key time in that it undoubtedly assisted in the reawakening and broadening of support by the British government to the wider UK space industry. One session was dedicated to the past heritage of the United Kingdom in space and astronautics and how this has evolved into the current position. It is one objective of the International Astronautical Federation in bringing congresses to particular countries that it energizes the host country to look seriously at the level of support given to space. By including such dedicated sessions with the specific focus on the history of the host countrys space related activities and initiatives the International Academy of Astronautics significantly contributes to this objective. It has been a privilege to have been part of the process that contributed to the reported histories of mankinds attempts to reach for the stars.