LOOKING BACK: BUILDING THE VAB 15 American Astronautical SocietY EXPLORER NEWSLETTER OF THE AAS HISTORY COMMITTEE WHAT YOU’LL FIND ¢ FROM THE CHAIRMAN’S DESK elcome to the second issue of Explorer — the occasional INSIDE newsletter of AAS History DECEMBER 2006 | ISSUE 2 Committee (HistComm). Since quite a few folks Whave asked to be added to our distribution . Emme Award 2 list since our premiere issue, let me reiterate the purpose of this newsletter. This newslet- Societal Impact ter is primarily intended to provide of Spaceflight HistComm members with an opportunity for . communicating with one another, as well as Conference 3 with the wider audience of folks interested in space history, whether as private citizens, professional or amateur historians, or practicing members of the aero- History Committee space profession (academia, commercial, federal, civilian or military). We contin- Annual Meeting . 4 ue to strive to provide information that is unique, interesting and informational. I hope we have succeeded in your eyes. News Briefs . 5 We have added several new features to this issue: a Q&A “Spotlight” on one of our members (which we plan to include as a regular feature), news briefs of an Upcoming Meetings assortment of space-related items that have come across our virtual desks, and a and Events . 7 “cyberSPACE” section for members to share some of their favorite space-related Web sites. AAS History The past year has seen renewed interest in the heritage of Apollo as NASA’s Constellation Program prepares to take us back to the moon, to Mars ... to infini- Series . 9 ty and beyond. I’m sure that there are opportunities for spaceflight historians to provide program personnel with a historical understanding of various aspects of ....... 2006 Publications 10 the Apollo Program, including hardware designs, management principles and operations concepts, thus allowing historians to play a role in shaping the future. cyberSPACE 13 As an end-of-the-year treat, we have included a listing of space-related books Committee Contact that were published in 2006. I appreciate the input from a number of sources Information . 14 CONTINUED ON PAGE 12 ® A Q&A with Gideon Marcus of Vista, Calif., who joined IN THE SPOTLIGHT the AAS History Committee last fall | 8 AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETY | AMERICA’S NETWORK OF SPACE PROFESSIONALS EXPLORER 2 Newsletter of the AAS History Committee ¢ Emme Award for astronautical literature History professor wins 2005 EMME AWARD WINNER second Emme Award First Man – The Life of for Armstrong biography Neil A. Armstrong by James R. Hansen The first repeat winner of the Eugene M. Emme Award for Hardcover: 769 pages Astronautical Literature was announced at the American Publisher: Simon & Schuster Astronautical Society’s National Conference ISBN: 074325631X in Pasadena, Calif., in November. Auburn University history professor James R. Hansen is the recipient of the PREVIOUS WINNERS 2005 Emme Award for First Man – The Life 1983 Global Talk, by Joseph N. Center from Sputnik to of Neil A. Armstrong (Simon & Schuster), Pelton Apollo, by James R. Hansen the second time he has received the prize. 1984 2010: Space Odyssey Two, 1996 Blind Watchers of the Sky – Hansen received the award in 1995 for by Arthur C. Clarke The People and Ideas that Spaceflight Revolution: NASA Langley 1985 Beachheads in Space, by Shaped Our View of the Research Center from Sputnik to Apollo Jerry Grey Universe, by Rocky Kolb (published by NASA as SP-4308). 1986 Pioneering the Space 1997 Space and the American The Emme Award, named in recogni- Frontier. Report of the Imagination, by Howard E. Hansen tion of Eugene M. Emme, the first NASA National Commission on McCurdy historian, was established in 1982 to annu- Space 1998 This New Ocean – The Story ally recognize an outstanding book serving public understanding 1987 Before Lift Off, by Henry S.F. of the First Space Age, by Cooper, Jr. William E. Burrows about the impact of astronautics on society and its potential for 1988 No Award Given 1999 America’s Space Sentinels: the future. 1989 Journey Into Space: The DSP Satellites and National The following citation accompanied the award: First 30 Years of Space Security, by Jeffrey T. Richelson “Armstrong, one of the most famous individuals of the 20th Exploration, by Bruce C. 2000 Challenge to Apollo – The century, remains one of the least familiar personages due to his Murray Soviet Union and the Space modesty and reserved nature. In First Man – The Life of Neil A. 1990 The Home Planet, by Kevin Race 1945 - 1974, by Asif Armstrong, Hansen has done a superb job of bringing the first W. Kelley A. Siddiqi man to walk on the Moon into multidimensional focus. 1991 Exploring the Sun: Solar 2001 Moon Lander – How We Famously reticent, Armstrong gave Hansen an unprecedented Science Since Galileo, by Developed the Apollo Lunar Module, by Thomas J. Kelly amount of interview time for this first authorized biography. Karl Hufbauer 2002 The Secret of Apollo: Hansen made the most of this opportunity, succeeding in 1992 Blueprint for Space: From Science Fiction to Science Systems Management in getting Armstrong to shed light on many myths, controversies, Fact, by Frederick I. Ordway American and European and questions that surrounded this iconic symbol of American and Randy Liebermann Space Programs, by Stephen prowess in outer space. But First Man is far more than simply a 1993 The Sputnik Challenge: B. Johnson recapitulation of the words of Armstrong; rather, Hansen inter- Eisenhower’s Response to 2003 Leaving Earth: Space viewed an astonishing number of individuals about the pilot- the Soviet Satellite, by Stations, Rival engineer-astronaut-professor, and made excellent use of inter- Robert A. Divine Superpowers, and the views about Armstrong conducted by others. This obviously 1994 International Cooperation in Quest for Interplanetary Travel, by Robert allowed Hansen to construct an authentic portrait of Armstrong Space: The Example of the European Space Agency, by Zimmerman as people remembered him after his famous accomplishment, Roger M. Bonnet and Vittorio 2004 Right Stuff, Wrong Sex: but the author went to great length to place these reminisces Manno America’s First Women in 1995 Spaceflight Revolution: Space Program, by Margaret CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE ® NASA Langley Research Weitekamp PAGE 2 WWW.ASTRONAUTICAL.ORG december 2006 | issue 2 ¢ conference reports THE SOCIETAL IMPACT OF SPACEFLIGHT Excellent turnout may lead to second gathering WASHINGTON,D.C.—The Societal Impact of Spaceflight Conference, organized by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and the National Air & Space Museum, was held at the Hirshhorn Museum in Washington, D.C., in September. The purpose of the conference was to examine with rigor- ous scholarly research both the effects of spaceflight on society and the effects of society on spaceflight. As a result of the excellent turnout and enthusiastic response, there have already been suggestions for a follow-on conference at some point in the not-to-distant future. Academicians, federal employees and free-lancers writers, as well as members of the American Astronautical Society History Committee (see photo) were among more than 200 participants who attended. A full list of topics and abstracts is found at the NASA History Office Web site. An extensive review of the conference written by Dwayne Day for The Space Review is available online (www.thespacereview.com/article/713/1). The proceedings of the conference will be published as a NASA special publication in 2007. AAS History Committee members in attendance: (From L to R) — Steven J. Dick Steve Dick, Rick Sturdevant, Roger Launius, Stephen Johnson and NASA chief historian Mike Ciancone. Nominations sought for 2006 Emme ¢ EMME AWARD | CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2 Award for Astronautical Literature into the context of the actual time periods in question by exhaus- tively consulting archival collections. The author also made ample The American Astronautical Society History use of the secondary sources pertaining to Armstrong. Hansen’s Committee is soliciting nominations for the 2006 work could easily have descended into hagiography, but he proved Eugene M. Emme Award for Astronautical Literature. able in First Man to portray both Armstrong’s great strengths with Please send nominations to: [email protected]. his personal and professional foibles. By the end of First Man, Please be sure to identify the title, author, and include Hansen has created both an indelible portrait of a heroic space publisher contact information, if known, such as mail- pioneer and a painstaking examination of the path that brought ing address or Web site URL. the young Ohioan to his rendezvous with history.” Hansen also received the Outstanding Book Award for First Man from the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He is a native of Fort Wayne, Indiana, and earned his Ph.D. at Ohio State University in 1981. WWW.ASTRONAUTICAL.ORG PAGE 3 EXPLORER 2 Newsletter of the AAS History Committee ¢ conference reports AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETY NATIONAL MEETING AAS History Committee members in attendance: (From L to R) Steve Dick, Bob Jacobs, Trevor Sorensen, Kathy Sturdevant, Mike Ciancone, Don Elder and Steve Doyle. (Rick Sturdevant also was in attendance.) Focus on History Series, Space Age anniversary PASADENA—The American Astronautical Society History Committee awareness of the publications that Univelt publishes for the IAA. convened on Nov. 14 during the AAS National Meeting in Pasadena, ® Roger Launius reported that the National Aeronautics and Calif. The meeting was well attended and included telecon participa- Space Administration and the National Air & Space Museum are tion from several members (see photo of meeting attendees). gearing up for activities in recognition of the 50th anniversary of The History Committee discussed the response to its first the Space Age (as defined in this case by the launch of Sputnik in newsletter published in September and preparations for the second 1957).