EDITORIAL INFORMATION

Exploring The Unknown is a three-volume series including a selection of key documents in the history of the NASA civil space program. This first volume deals with the organizational development of NASA and includes many previously unpublished documents, together with some edited ones for ease of use.

(Extracted from the dust jacket)

GENERAL TABLE OF CONTENTS

-Contents.

-Acknowledgements.

-Introduction.

-Biographies of Volume I Essay Authors.

-Glossary.

-Chapter One.

-Essay: Prelude to the Space Age, by Roger D. Launius.
-Documents:
-I-1 and I-2 Medieval Universe at the Time of Dante; and The Infinite Universe of Thomas Digges.
-I-3 Edward E. Hale, The Brick Moon.
-I-4 Percival Lowell, Mars.
-I-5 K.E. Tsiolkovskiy, Reactive Flying Machines.
-I-6 Hermann Oberth, Rockets in Planetary Space.
-I-7 and I-8 Robert H. Goddard, A Method of Reaching Extreme Altitudes, and Topics of the Times.
-I-9 Robert H. Goddard, Liquid-Propellant Rocket Development.
-I-10 H.E. Ross, The B.I.S. Space-ship.
-I-11 Frank J. Malina and A.M.O. Smith, Flight Analysis of the Sounding Rocket .
-I-12 Theodore von Kármán, Memorandum on the Possibilities of Long-Range Rocket Projectiles, and H.S. Tsien and F.J. Malina, A Review and Preliminary Analysis of Long-Range Rocket Projectiles.
-I-13 What Are We Waiting For?, and Dr. Wernher von Braun, Crossing the Last frontier.
-I-14 Dr. Wernher von Braun, Man on the Moon: The Journey.
-I-15 Dr. Fred L. Whipple, Is There Life on Mars?
-I-16 Dr. Wernher von Braun with Cornellius Ryan, Can We get to Mars?
-I-17 IGY Statement by James C. Hagerty, The White House, July 29, 1955.
-I-18 F.C. Durant III, Report of Meetings of Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects Covered by Office of Scientific Intelligence, CIA, January 14-18, 1953.
-I-19 Air Force's 10 Year Study of Unidentified Flying Objects. Department of Defense Office of Public Information.

-Chapter Two.

-Essay: Origins of U.S. Space Policy: Eisenhower, Open Skies, and Freedom of Space, by R. Cargill Hall.
-Documents:
-II-1 Louis N. Ridenour, Pilot Lights of the Apocalypse: A Playlet in One Act.
-II-2 Douglas Aircraft Co., Preliminary Design of an Experimental World-Circling Spaceship.
-II-3 J.E. Lipp, et. al., The Utility of a Satellite Vehicle for Reconaissance.
-II-4 R.M. Salter, Engineering Techniques in Relation to Human Travel at Upper Altitudes.
-II-5 A. V. Grosse, Report on the Present Status of the Satellite Problem.
-II-6 J.E. Lipp and R.M. Salter, Project Feed Back Summary Report.
-II-7 Wernher von Braun, A Minimum Satellite Vehicle: Based on components available from missile developments of the Army Ordnance Corps.
-II-8 On the Utility of an Artificial Unmanned Earth Satellite.
-II-9 U.S. National Committee for the International Geophysical Year 1957-58, Summary Minutes of the Eigth Meeting.
-II-10 National Security Council, NSC 5520, Draft Statement of Policy on U.S. Scientific Satellite Program.
-II-12 Memorandum of Discussion at the 322d. Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, D.C., May 10, 1957.
-II-13 Allen W. Dulles, Director of Central Intelligence, to Donald Quarles, Deputy Secretary of Defense, July 5, 1957.
-II-14 Announcement of the First Satellite, Pravda, October 5, 1957.
-II-15 John Foster Dulles to James C. Hagerty, October 8, 1957.
-II-16 President's Science Advisory Committee, Introduction to Outer Space.
-II-17 National Aeronautics and Space Act of 1958.
-II-18 National Security Council, NSC 5814, U.S. Policy on Outer Space.
-II-19 Nathan F. Twining, Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff, Memorandum for the Secretary of Defense, U.S. Policy on Outer Space (NSC 5814).
-II-20 National Security Council, NSC 5814/1, Preliminary U.S. Policy on Outer Space
-II-21 National Aeronautics and Space Council, U.S. Policy on Outer Space.
-II-22 Cyrus Vance, Deputy secretary of Defense, Department of Defense Directive Number TS 5105.23, National Reconaissance Office.

-Chapter Three.

-Essay: The Evolution of U.S. Space Policy and Plans, by John M. Logdson.
-Documents:
-III-1 Special Committee on Space Technology, Recommendations to the NASA Regarding a National Civil Space Program.
-III-2 Office of Program Planning and Evaluation, The Long Range Plan of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
-III-3 President's Science Advisory Committee, Report of the Ad Hoc Panel on Man-in-Space.
-III-4 Richard E. Neustadt, attachment to the Memorandum for Senator Kennedy, Problems of Space Programs.
-III-5 Report to the President-Elect of the Ad Hoc Committee on Space.
-III-6 John F. Kennedy, Memorandum for Vice President, April 20, 1961.
-III-7 Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of Defense, Memorandum for the Vice President, Brief analysis of Department of Defense Space Program Efforts.
-III-8 Lyndon B. Johnson, Vice President, Memorandum for the President, Evaluation of Space Program.
-III-9 Wernher von Braun to the Vice President of the United States, April 29, 1961.
-III-10 Vice President's Ad Hoc Meeting, May 3, 1961.
-III-11 James E. Webb, NASA Administrator, and Robert S. McNamara, Secretary of Defense, to the Vice President, May 8, 1961, with attached: Recommendations for our National Space Program: Changes, Policies, Goals.
-III-12 John F. Kennedy, Excerpts from Urgent National Needs, Speech to a Joint Session of Congress, May 5, 1961.
-III-13 Director, Bureau of the Budget, Memorandum for the President, Draft, November 13, 1962, with attached: Space Activities of the U.S. Government.
-III-14 James E. Webb, Administrator, NASA, to the President, November 30, 1962.
-III-15 John F. Kennedy, Memorandum for Vice President, April 9, 1963.
-III-16 Lyndon B. Johnson, Vice President, to the President, May 13, 1963.
-III-17 NASA, Summary Report: Future Programs Task Group, January 1965.
-III-18 James E. Webb, Administrator, NASA, to the President, August 26, with attached: James E. Webb, Administrator, NASA, to Honorable Everett Dirksen, U.S. Senate, August 9, 1966.
-III-19 James E. Webb, (NASA) Administrator, Memorandum to Associate Administrator for Manned Spaceflight, Termination of the Contract for Procurement of Long Lead Time Items for Vehicles 516 and 517. August 1, 1968.
-III-20 Bureau of the Budget, National Aeronautics and Space Administration: Highlight Summary. October, 30, 1968.
-III-21 Charles Townes, et. al., Report on the Task Force on Space.
-III-22 Richard Nixon, Memorandum for the Vice President, the Secretary of Defense, the Acting Administrator, NASA, and the Science Adviser, February 13, 1969.
-III-23 T.O. Paine, Acting Administrator, NASA, Memorandum for the President, Problems and Opportunities in Manned Space Flight.
-III-24 Robert C. Seamans Jr., Secretary of the Air Force, to Honorable Spiro T. Agnew, Vice President, August 4, 1969.
-III-25 Space Task Group, The Post-Apollo Space Program: Directions for the Future.
-III-26 Robert P. Mayo, Director, Bureau of the Budget, Memorandum for the President, Space Task Group Report.
-III-27 Peter M. Flanigan, Memorandum for the President, December 6, 1969.
-III-28 Caspar W. Weinberger, Deputy Director, Office of Management and Budget, via George P. Schultz, Memorandum for the President, Future of NASA.
-III-29 James C. Fletcher, (NASA) Administrator, Memorandum to Dr. Low, Meeting with Ed David.
-III-30 Klaus P. Heiss and Oskar Morgenstern, Memorandum for James C. Fletcher, Administrator, NASA, Factors for a Decision on a New Reusable Space Transportation System.
-III-31 James C. Fletcher, The Space Shuttle.
-III-32 George M. Low, Deputy Administrator, NASA, Memorandum for the Record, Meeting with the President on January 5, 1972.
-III-33 Nick MacNeil, Carter-Mondale Transition Planning Group, to Stuart Eizenstat, al Stern, David Rubensteins, Barry Blechman, and Dick Steadman, NASA Recommendations.
-III-34 Presidential Directive/NSC-37, National Space Policy.
-III-35 Zbigniew Brzezinski, Presidential Directive/NSC-42, Civil and Further National Space Policy.
-III-36 George M. Low, Team Leader, NASA Transition Team, to Mr. Richard Fairbanks, Director, Transition Resources and Development Group, December 19, 1980, with attached: Report on the Transition Team, NASA.
-III-37 Hans Mark and Milton Silveira, Notes on Long Range Planning, August 1981.
-III-38 National Security Decision Directive Number 42, National Space Policy. July 4, 1982.
-III-39 National Security Decision Directive 5-8, Space Station.
-III-40 Revised Talking Points for the Space Station Presentation to the President and the Cabinet Council. November 30, 1983, with attached: Presentation on Space Station.
-III-41 Caspar W. Weinberger, Secretary of Defense, to James M. Beggs, Administrator, NASA, 1984.
-III-42 Office of the Press Secretary: Fact Sheet: Presidential Directive on National Space Policy. 1988.

-Chapter Four.

-Essay: Organizing for Exploration, by Sylvia K. Kraemer.
-Documents:
-IV-1 J.R. Killian, Jr., Memorandum on Organizational Alternatives for Space Research and Development.
-IV-2 L.A. Minnich, Jr., Legislative Leadership Meeting, Supplementary Notes.
-IV-3 S. Paul Johnston. Memorandum for Dr. J.R. Killian, Jr. Activities, Feb. 21, 1958, with attached: Memorandum for Dr. J.R. Killian, Jr., Preliminary Observations on the Organization for Exploration.
-IV-4 James R. Killian, Jr., Special Assistant for Science and Technology, et.al., Organization for Civil Space Programs.
-IV-5 Maurice H. Stans, Responsibility for 'Space' Programs.
-IV-6 W.H. Pickering, Director, JPL, to Dr. T. Keith Glennan, NASA, 1959.
-IV-7 T. Keith Glennan, The Birth Of NASA: THe Diary of T. Keith Glennan.
-IV-8 Anonymous, Ballad of Charlie McCoffus, n.d.
-IV-9 Report to the President on Government Contracting Research and Development.
-IV-10 Albert F. Siepert to James E. Webb, Length of Tours of Certain Military Detailees.
-IV-11 U.S. Congress House Committee on Science and Astronautics, Subcommittee on NASA Oversight, Staff Study, Apollo Program Management.
-IV-12 George M. Low, NASA Deputy Administrator, Memorandum for the Administrator, NASA As a Technology Agency.
-IV-13 George M. Low, NASA Deputy Administrator, Memorandum to Addressees, Space Vehicle Cost Improvement.
-IV-14 E.S. Groo, Associate Administrator for Center Operations, NASA, to Center Directors, Catalog of NASA Center Roles.
-IV-15 James C. Fletcher, NASA Administrator, Memorandum to Bob Frosch, Problems and Opportunities at NASA.
-IV-16 Task Force on the Study of the Mission of NASA, NASA Advisory Council, Study on the Mission of NASA.
-IV-17 Report on the Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident, Vol. I.
-IV-18 Samuel C. Phillips, NASA Management Study Group, Summary Report of the NASA Management Study Group Recommendations.
-IV-19 NASA, The Hubble Space Telescope Optical Systems Failure Report. 1990.
-IV-20 Report on the Advisory Committee on the Future of the U.S. Space Program. December, 1990.

-Biographical Appendix.

-Index.

-The NASA History Series.

OUR REVIEW

A must for those readers wishing first-hand access to the documents that shaped the history of the NASA Space Program, this first volume includes an introductory essay to each chapter providing context, bibliographical information and background information for a better understanding of each document, all of them carefully selected by John M. Logsdon and his team. Once again, the NASA History Series proves to be an invaluable source for information on the rich history of the American civil space program, from its beginnings to our present days.