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Beyond the Atmosphere:
Early Years of Space Science
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- AUTHOR
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- [499] Homer Edward
Newell was born in Holyoke, Massachussetts, 11 March 1915. During
the years of his primary and secondary education in Holyoke's
public school system, the city was undergoing a substantial
transition. Formerly known as "Paper City," Holyoke was losing its
foremost position in paper manufacture to the Midwest, while its
considerable textile industry was similarly losing out to mills in
the South. Newell's early interest in science was fostered by his
paternal grandfather's extensive technical library, by competent
and interested teachers in Holyoke High School, and by a home
chemistry laboratory, the nucleaus of which had been contributed
by a local sulfite wood pulp mill.
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- At Harvard Newell studied science courses
including mineralogy, physics,a nd astronomy and pursued a major
in mathematics to an A.B. and an A.M.T. from Harvard and a Ph.D.
from the University of Wisconsin in 1940. He then taught
mathematics at the University of Maryland until 1944, when he
joined the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory. From 1946, as a
mathematician-turned physicist, he was one of a group of
scientists and engineers who used their World War II experience
with missiles and radio communications to instrument rockets for
high-altitude research and then to launch them at White Sands, New
Mexico. In the Fall of the 1947 he became head of the Rocket Sonde
Research Section (later Branch). In September 1955, when the Naval
Research Laboratory was assigned the task of developing the
Vanguard launch vehicle for the International Geophysical Year
satellite program, he became Vanguard Science Program Coordinator.
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration opened for
business in October 1958; Newell joined its headquarters the same
month and remained for 15 years. He guided the space science
program through much of the 1960s and was NASA's Associate
Administrator from 1967 until his retirement at the end of
1973.
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- In 1953 his book High Altitude Rocket Research was published. Six more books followed, as well as
hundreds of articles on such subjects as space science, vector
analysis, sounding rockets, missiles, and astronomy. Several of
the books were directed specifically to young people. Since
leaving NASA, Newell has retained this interest and is preparing a
book for the young reader on mineralogy and rock-hounding.
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