Vol.
20, No. 4 November
2003
In This Issue
·
NASA Employment
Opportunities
·
“Realizing the
Dream of Flight” Conference
·
Forthcoming NASA
History Publications
·
NASA History
Publications By Other Presses
·
Aerospace History
Publications By Other Presses
·
Non-NASA History
Information Online
·
Centennial of
Flight Activities
·
Non-NASA Employment
Opportunities and Fellowships
We are pleased to welcome NASA’s
new Chief Historian, Dr. Steven J. Dick.
Steve has worked as an astronomer
and historian of science at the U. S. Naval Observatory since 1979. He obtained
his Bachelor of Science in astrophysics (1971), Master of Arts and Ph.D. (1977)
in history and philosophy of science from Indiana University.
He is a well-known expert in the
field of astrobiology and its cultural implications. He spent three years at
the Naval Observatory's Southern Hemisphere station in New Zealand. Steve
served as the first Historian of the Naval Observatory, and has most recently
been the Acting Chief of its Nautical Almanac Office.
Steve has authored more than 100
publications, including: Plurality of Worlds: The Origins of the
Extraterrestrial Life Debate from Democritus to Kant (Cambridge University
Press, 1982); The Biological Universe: The Twentieth Century
Extraterrestrial Life Debate and the Limits of Science (Cambridge
University Press, 1996); and Life on Other Worlds (1998), the latter
translated into four languages. He was also editor of Many Worlds: The New
Universe, Extraterrestrial Life and the Theological Implications (2000).
The NASA Ames Research Center continues to build its history
program. John W. Boyd serves as Senior
Advisor for History. He will direct the
NASA Ames History Office and do a variety of projects on the cultural history
of the Center. Jack has been with the
Center since 1947, and most recently served as Executive Assistant to the
Director. Glenn Bugos, who wrote a
history of the Center a few years ago, returns as Historian with plans to write
a monograph on thermal protection systems.
Leilani Marshall, trained in archives and public history, joins the
office as Archivist. A NASA Ames
History Advisory Committee of representatives from the Center directorates is
helping to survey ongoing historical work at the Center. We welcome them all to the NASA history team.
The Air Force History Office is pleased to welcome their new Director, Mr. C. R. "Dick" Anderegg. He is a former USAF fighter pilot and squadron commander who retired as an O-6 in 1997
after 30 years of service. Anderegg flew more than 4,000 hours in USAF
fighters, including F-4s and F-15s. His
assignments have included instructor pilot, commander of an F-15 squadron, and
staff officer/executive officer at the Pentagon.
On 8 September 2003, the Federal Bureau of
Investigation (FBI) announced that Dr. John F. Fox, Jr., would be the agency’s
new Historian. Fox joined the FBI in 1999 as a paralegal specialist in the
Freedom of Information/Privacy Acts Section. He received his Ph.D. in American
history from the University of New Hampshire in 2001.
On 1 October
2003, President Bush signed Public Law 108-90, the Department of Homeland
Security Appropriations Act, 2004, that includes legislative language for the
establishment of an Office of History. The authorization language is the
culmination of a fourteen-month bipartisan effort by various members of
Congress and the National Coalition for History. Support for the History Office came from individual members of
the President's Homeland Security Advisory Council, as well as both Republican
and Democratic members of the House and Senate in the 107th and 108th
Congresses.
The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) is currently
looking to fill a $52,312-$105,664 salary range Historian position. The job is posted on the JPL Career site, http://careerlaunch.jpl.nasa.gov
under requisition number 509. A
qualified candidate would have extensive research and publishing experience,
excellent communication skills, and a Ph.D. in a related discipline and six
years work experience or a MA/MS in a related discipline with eight years work
experience. The JPL Historian is
responsible for working with the JPL Archivist to preserve JPL’s rich history,
overseeing JPL’s historical research program, participating in the NASA History
historical research program, and supporting the JPL oral history program.
“REALIZING THE DREAM OF FLIGHT” CONFERENCE
In conjunction with NASA’s Glenn Research Center, the NASA History Office held a one-day public conference entitled “Realizing the Dream of Flight.” It took place in the auditorium of the Great Lakes Science Center, 601 Erieside Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44114, on 5 November 2003. It was a great success with over 200 people in attendance.
The three panels for the conference featured approximately 12 presentations by leading historians including Tom Crouch, Roger Launius, William Leary, and Roger Bilstein on key American aviation and space pioneers of the last century such as Wernher von Braun, Amelia Earhart, Robert Gilruth, Donald Douglas, and Bessie Coleman.
FORTHCOMING NASA HISTORY
PUBLICATIONS
Wilbur and Orville Wright: A Chronology Commemorating the Hundredth Anniversary of the Birth of Orville Wright, August 19, 1871 (NASA SP-2003-4532, 2003), compiled by Arthur G. Renstrom. This is a reprint of the 1971 edition of the chronology which includes a flight log and a diary of significant events and accomplishments involving the Wright brothers. It is slated for distribution in November 2003.
The Wind and Beyond: Journey into the History of Aerodynamics in America; Volume I: The Ascent of the Airplane (NASA SP-2003-4409) edited by James R. Hansen. This first volume of a six-volume historical reference work will be an aeronautics companion to the highly regarded Exploring the Unknown series of documentary volumes on space flight. This book is expected November 2003.
Taming Liquid Hydrogen: The Centaur Upper Stage Rocket, 1958-2002 (NASA SP-2003-4230, 2003) by Virginia P. Dawson and Mark D. Bowles. This project history uses the Centaur as a case study in how technological knowledge has advanced, over the history of NASA, discusses the nature and development of technological R&D, and analyzes the role of technology transfer in the aerospace arena. This book also features an accompanying DVD, full of interesting and relevant media on the Centaur. The Centaur is a liquid hydrogen and oxygen fueled upper stage rocket that maintains shape through pressurization. This book should be published in December 2003.
The
Smell of Kerosene: A Test Pilot's Odyssey, by Donald Mallick, chronicles
his career as a naval aviator, as well as his 30 years as a NACA and NASA
research pilot. In total, Mallick flew
over 11,000 flight hours in 125 different aircraft, including general aviation,
sailplanes, the SR-71, the lifting bodies, the Lunar Landing Research Vehicle,
and many fighter, bomber, and transport vehicles. This articulate, well told story is due to be published in
December 2003.
Runway to Orbit: Reflections of A NASA Engineer, by Dr. Kenneth Iliff, ushers the reader through some of the pivotal aerospace projects undertaken by NASA since the early 1960s. Iliff made critical contributions to research on the X-15 aircraft, the lifting bodies, the XB-70 bomber, high angle-of-attack aircraft, and the Space Shuttle, among others. His highly personal and thoughtful narrative also describes his seminal contributions to parameter estimation. Runway to Orbit is scheduled for publication in January 2004.
NASA’s Nuclear Frontier: the Plum Brook Research Reactor (NASA SP-2003-4532), by Mark Bowles, is a short, heavily illustrated monograph about this unique Glenn Research Center facility. It is scheduled for distribution in February 2004.
NASA HISTORY PUBLICATIONS BY OTHER PRESSES
Reconsidering a Century of Flight
edited by Roger D. Launius and Janet R. Daly Bednarek. Leading historians contributed essays to the book about the role
of aviation in the twentieth century. The
book is available in clothback for $49.95 and in paperback for $19.95 from
the University of North Carolina Press. Please visit http://uncpress.unc.edu/FMPro?-DB=pubtest.fmp&-Format=a-detail.html&-RecID=12690621&-Script=visited&-Find
for more information.
Single Stage to Orbit:
Politics, Space Technology, and the Quest for Reusable Rocketry by Andrew J. Butrica. This book details the evolution of the single stage to orbit
concept. It is part of the John
Hopkins University New Series in NASA History.
It is available for $45.00 from Johns Hopkins University Press. Please visit https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title_pages/2359.html
for more information.
Stages to Saturn: A Technological
History of the Apollo/Saturn Launch Vehicles by Roger E. Bilstein. This
book, published by the University Press of Florida, is a reprint of the
original NASA SP-4206. The entire text as well as illustrations and pictures
are
included
in this publication. The publication may be ordered directly from the
University Press of Florida's website.
Please visit http://www.upf.com/fall2003/Bilstein.htm on the web for more
information.
AEROSPACE HISTORY PUBLICATIONS
BY OTHER PRESSES
Aerial
Navigation, to 1903 by J. LeCornu and translated by Henry C. Dethloff. This manuscript was originally published
before the Wright brothers’ 1903 flight.
It is available from Intaglio Press http://www.intagliobooks.com/intaglio/ on the web.
NON-NASA HISTORY INFORMATION ONLINE
The
Library of Congress has released an online exhibit of Wright brothers papers
and images. Included in the exhibit are
diaries detailing glides and powered flight, family correspondence, scrapbooks,
and drawings. The exhibit may be
accessed by visiting http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/wrighthtml/wrighthome.html online.
CENTENNIAL OF FLIGHT ACTIVITIES
This fall the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission and the Franklin Institute Science Museum are challenging students in grades K-12 to predict the weather conditions at Wright Brothers National Memorial in Kill Devil Hills, NC, for 17 December 2003. On that day, the world will watch man attempt to re-create the first flight with the most accurate reproduction of the 1903 flyer ever built.
Teachers will be able to access interactive Web learning modules, online quizzes, classroom activities and historical weather data that students can analyze as a basis for predicting the weather on 17 December, 2003. The site will highlight projects as 17 December draws closer and will announce the winners shortly after the event.
Registration for the 2003 Flight Forecast contest is available through the U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission Web site (www.centennialofflight.gov). Teachers may register their students for the contest from 26 September to 3 November. The Commission will accept forecast predictions by students, teams or entire classes between 3 November and 17 November. Once on the Web site, teachers also will find activities and information to help their students explore aviation and meteorology.
Forecasts will be collected in three grade groupings, K-4, 5-8, and 9-12, with the complexity of the forecast increasing at the higher grade levels. Forecasts must be submitted online no later than 17 November 2003, and prizes will be available for the most accurate forecasters within each grade group.
As of 17 October, 270 teachers have registered, representing 43 states and about 15,000 students.
This
fall, more than 4,300 hospitalized children nationwide battling cancer, heart
ailments, burn trauma and other medical conditions are taking on the tremendous
creative effort to paint a 25,200-pound Douglas DC-3 airplane to commemorate
the 100th anniversary of the Wright brothers’ first flight in Kill
Devil Hills, NC.
Children
and their families at more than 40 hospitals in major U.S. cities will paint
floral designs on self-adhesive panels that will be affixed to a DC-3 airplane.
The panels will be as large as 14 feet x 14 feet. Once the painted panels are
affixed to the vintage airplane in early December, the view of the DC-3 in the
air will be a jubilant field of flowers. Hospitalized children who participate
will be given commemorative bookmarks and foam gliders with a 2-foot wing span
as well as a set of paints to create their own history.
The
initiative is being lead by Portraits of Hope, which develops creative therapy
programs to unify the healing arts with public art to benefit children and
adults coping with adversity, trauma, disability and/or serious illness. The
U.S. Centennial of Flight Commission, NASA and the First Flight Centennial
Celebration also are supporting the effort.
The DC-3 for the program’s use is being donated by Dan Gryder in
conjunction with Steve Merritt of the NCDOT and use of the hangar is provided
by The North Carolina DOT.
The Portraits of Hope DC-3 will be on display 12-17 December at the First Flight Centennial Celebration at the Wright Brothers National Memorial Park in Kill Devil Hills, NC. The decorated DC-3 is also scheduled for 12 flyovers during the event, including a 100-plane flyover with aviation heroes on 17 December– the 100th anniversary of flight. These flyovers will allow visitors to see the children’s work of vibrant colors and floral designs in the air.
The History
Office recently received and added to its holdings several video tapes
including: Administrator O’Keefe’s press conference and congressional hearings
on the Columbia accident, O’Keefe’s briefing to NASA employees and the press
conference following release of CAIB report, the Stafford/Covey press briefing,
the House Science Committee Hearing on the “Future of Human Space Flight,” and
NASA’s 45th Anniversary Celebration. We received a number of oral
histories, a series of interviews conducted for the forthcoming “History of
Atmospheric Sciences” book; an interview with Ames biologist, Bonnie Dalton; an
interview with NASA Advisory Committee member Charles Kennel, and the Columbia
Recovery Oral History Project interviews.
We also received a copy of
Admiral Gehman’s testimony before the House Science Committee after the release
of the CAIB report and 6 cubic feet of material on Space Shuttle operations.
Processing of
the White House Collection and the Propulsion Files is ongoing. The White House Collection, 1958-present,
includes NASA reports to the White House, information on the National Space
Council, the President’s Science Advisory Committee, and the Office of Science
and Technology Policy, material on each Presidential Administration, and
Administration transition files. The
Propulsion Files, ca. 1952 present, include information on general topics as well
as material on liquid, solid, nuclear, and other forms of propulsion.
Scanning
activity has resumed with work beginning on the Administrator’s Chron Files,
1962-99. Selected years that lend
themselves well to scanning will be digitized; other copies (primarily
onionskins) will be maintained in hardcopy form in the History Office. The electronic copies will be available for
use in the History Office Online Catalog, a system (database) only accessible
in house with a staff-provided user ID and password.
NACA Lewis Flight
Propulsion Laboratory staff and Glenn Research Center hosted NACA Reunion X at
the Holiday Inn Select in Cleveland, Ohio 10-12 October 2003. More than 250 individuals from all of the
Centers attended.
The eagerly anticipated Udvar-Hazy Dulles extension of the
National Air and Space Museum will be opening
on 15 December 2003. The
extension will be home to more than 200 aircraft and 135 spacecraft. For more information please visit: http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/status.cfm on the Web.
“The Wright Brothers & the Invention of the Aerial Age”
exhibit has opened at the National Air and Space Museum. The exhibit contains artifacts, interactive
exhibits, photographs, and the Wright Flyer.
For more information, please see http://www.nasm.si.edu/galleries/gal209/wrights.htm on the Web.
NON-NASA EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND FELLOWSHIPS
The Space History Division of the
National Air and Space Museum is currently looking to fill a GS 11/12
curatorial position. The job is posted
on www.usajobs.opm.gov under
announcement number 03MH-1372. For more
information please visit http://jobsearch.usajobs.opm.gov/getjob.asp?JobID=19397234&AVSDM=2003%2D10%2D07+13%3A31%3A00&Logo=0&col=dltc&cy=&brd=3876&lid=17514&fn=&q=
or email Roger Launius at Launiusr@nasm.si.edu
if you have questions
The National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian
Institution, provides three residential fellowships to support research in aerospace history: the Guggenheim Fellowship for predoctoral
and recent postdoctoral scholars, the A.
Verville Fellowship, open to academic and non-academic historians, and
the Ramsey Fellowship in Naval Aviation
History, which is similarly open. Stipends range from $20,000 to $45,000
a year, plus money for travel and miscellaneous expenses. The application
deadline for the academic year 2002-2003 is 15 January 2004, and successful applicants will be notified in
mid-April. Further information can be found on at: http://www.nasm.si.edu/getinvolved/fellow/index.cfm on the Web. Potential applicants are also encouraged to
investigate the Smithsonian Institution’s Office of Fellowships program.
Information can be found at: http://web1.si.edu/ofg/ on the Web.
The
National Air and Space Museum is also offering
Aviation/Space Writer Award grants of $5,000 to support research toward
publication on aerospace topics. Funds
may be used to support research travel and expenses, or the publication of
research. Applicants for NASM or
Smithsonian Fellowships are encouraged to apply for the Aviation/Space Writers
Award, but recipients of the award need not be in residence at the National Air
and Space Museum. The deadline for
submission is 15 January 2004. For more
information, please see http://www.nasm.si.edu/getinvolved/fellow/writer_grant.cfm,
or contact: Dr. Dominick A. Pisano, Aeronautics Division, MRC 312, National Air and
Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, D.C.
20013-7012, dom.pisano@nasm.si.edu.
In addition, the Museum offers the Charles A. Lindbergh Chair in Aerospace History. Senior scholars with distinguished records of publication who are working on, or anticipate working on, books in aerospace history, are invited to write letters of interest for the academic year 2005-2006 or later. The Lindbergh Chair is a one-year appointed position; support is available for replacement of salary and benefits up to a maximum of $100,000 a year. Please visit http://www.nasm.si.edu/getinvolved/fellow/lindfellow.cfm or for topics in aviation contact, Dr. Dominick A. Pisano, Aeronautics Division (MRC 312), National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012, dom.pisano@nasm.si.edu; for space history topics, Dr. Michael J. Neufeld, Space History Division (MRC 311); National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution, P.O. Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013-7012; mike.neufeld@nasm.si.edu.
Quest: The History of Spaceflight
Quarterly seeks space
history articles on any facet of space history. Quest currently features space history articles related to
technology, international programs, human flight, robotic exploration, military
programs, space museums and archives, space business, oral histories and
interviews, culture and media relations, and space history book reviews. For information, contact Quest editor
Dr. Stephen Johnson at 719-487-9833, sjohnson@space.edu, or visit Quest
at http://www.spacebusiness.com/quest
on the Web.
The Canadian
Journal of Space Exploration publishes papers of an innovative yet
practical nature relating to the exploration and development of space. It
invites submissions in the following fields of study: astro/exobiology, small
bodies, atmospheric research, life support systems, analog studies, planetary
geology, astronomy and astrophysics, space law and policy, public outreach and
education, and Canadian space history. Inquiries or completed submissions
should be sent to: Chandra Clarke, Canadian Journal of Space Exploration, 4
Sherman St., Thamesville, Ontario, N0P 2K0 Canada, e-mail Chandra@scribendi.com, or fax
801-469-6206.
On
Thursday, 20 November 2003, 4:30-6:00
p.m. at 2110 Taliferro Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, Michael
Schiffer will be speaking about “Scientific Authority and Technological
Development: Electric Motors as a Motive Power in Mid-19th Century.” For more information, please contact David
B. Sicilia at dsicilia@umd.edu.
On Thursday, 20
November 2003, at 8p.m. join distinguished test pilot A. Scott Crossfield in
the National Air and Space Museum’s Lockheed Martin IMAX Theater for From
Mach 2 to Kitty Hawk. Tours of the
new exhibition “The Wright Brothers & the Invention of the Aerial Age” will
precede this lecture at 7 p.m. Free
tickets for this lecture are available by emailing: lectures@nasm.si.edu. For more
information, please visit http://www.nasm.si.edu
on the Web.
On Thursday, 4
December 2003, 4:30-6:00 p.m. at 2110 Taliferro Hall, University of Maryland,
College Park, Philip Scranton will be speaking about “Reinventing Specialty
Production: From World War II to Aerospace and Biomedical Engineering
Technologies”. For more information, please contact David
B. Sicilia at dsicilia@umd.edu.
On Thursday, 11 December 2003, Andrew
Butrica will be speaking about "National Politics and the Closing of
NASA's Electronics Research Center".
For
more information on this lecture, please contact Michael Neufeld at mike.neufeld@nasm.si.edu. Non-Smithsonian visitors must RSVP to
Michael Neufeld no later than 48 hours prior to the lecture.
The History of Science Society will have
their annual meeting 20-23 November 2003, in Cambridge, Massachusetts. For more information, please go to http://www.hssonline.org/meeting/mf_annual.html
on the Web.
The American Astronomical Society will
hold a meeting 4-8 January 2004, in Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, please visit http://www.aas.org/meetings/aas203/
on the Web.
The American Institute of Aeronautics and
Astronautics will hold an aerospace sciences meeting and exhibit 5-8 January,
2004, in Reno, Nevada. For additional
information, please visit: http://www.aiaa.org/calendar/index.hfm?cal=5&luMeetingid=665
on the Web.
The American Historical Association will
hold their annual meeting 8-11 January 2004 in Washington DC. For more information, please visit http://www.theaha.org/ANNUAL/index.cfm
on the Web.
The NASA History Office, Office of
External Relations, Code IQ, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546 publishes
NASA History News and Notes quarterly.
To receive NASA History: News and Notes via e-mail,
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More questions about NASA History in general? Please check out our NASA History Office Home Page at http://history.nasa.gov on the Web. The general public is also invited to come to our office to do research. For further information, please contact our office at 202-358-0384, fax 202-358-2866. Send e-mail to Steve Garber at steve.garber@hq.nasa.gov. We also welcome comments about the content and format of this newsletter.