The birth of NASA
Subtitle: the work of the space task group, America's first true space pioneers
By: Manfred "Dutch" von Ehrenfried
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 358
ISBN-13: 9783319284262
Subjects: United States; Astronautics; Space flight; United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration; History
Description: "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." -- Publisher's description
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 335-336) and index.
Table of contents: title: The Sputnik reaction; title: The president; title: The National Security Council; title: The Congress; title: The Department of Defense and other agencies; title: Creation of the Space Task Group; title: The AVRO Canadians; title: The STG organization; title: Representatives and contractors; title: The need for more people; title: The end of the Space Task Group; title: Some key project Mercury decisions and lessons learned. Facilities created for Project Mercury; title: Mission designs and concepts; title: The impact of NASA and the STG on history; title: Appendix 1: STG organization lists, charts, and manning; title: Appendix 2: Biographies; title: Appendix 3: STG technology; title: Appendix 4: Some photos; title: Appendix 5: Quotes; title: Appendix 6: Stories and trivia; title: Appendix 7: Author's STG experience.