James Van Allen : The First Eight Billion Miles - Abigail Foerstner

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James Van Allen

The First Eight Billion Miles

By: Abigail Foerstner

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Hardcover | 30 November 2007

At a Glance

Hardcover
396 Pages

Hardcover

$92.75

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Astrophysicist and space pioneer James Van Allen (1914-2006), for whom the Van Allen radiation belts were named, was among the principal scientific investigators for twenty-four space missions, including "Explorer I "in 1958, the first successful U.S. satellite; "Mariner 2'"s 1962 flyby of Venus, the first successful mission to another planer; and the 1970's "Pioneer 10" and "Pioneer 11," missions that surveyed Jupiter and Saturn. Drawing on Van Allen's correspondence and publications, years of interviews with him as well as with more than a hundred other scientists, and declassified documents from such archives as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the Kennedy Space Center, and the Applied Physics Laboratory. Often called the father of space science, Van Allen led the way to mapping a new solar system based on the solar wind, massive solar storms, and cosmic rays. Foerstner's compelling biography charts the eventful life and times of this trailblazing physicist.

Industry Reviews

"A distinct contribution, long overdue, this most satisfying biography sets the subject within the context of his time, place, and profession. It not only illuminates the early history of space science but addresses the larger history of the scientific enterprise and even American history. The scientific basics and the open questions and controversies with which Van Allen was involved are well articulated, and the contextual look at the birth of space science will be useful to scientists."--Tom Crouch, senior curator, Aeronautics, National Air and Space Museum, Smithsonian Institution
"Abigail Foerstner's life of James Van Allen reads like an exciting novel as we participate in Van Allen's growth in the field of space science, using rocketry to explore the rich structure of our planet in and above the layer of our atmosphere. It is crammed with very literate expositions of the dramatic years following World War II, years of epochal events: scientific, technological, political, and academic. James Van Allen was a superb figure upon which to trace this important era in the history of the nation."--Leon M. Lederman, Nobel Laureate, Physics

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You Can Find This Book In

Non-Fiction Biographies & True Stories Biographies Science, Technology & Medicine Biographies Science Physics Applied Physics Astrophysics

Preface and Acknowledgments	p. ix
Introduction	p. xv
Abbreviations and Acronyms	p. xix
Frontier Roots	p. 1
Heartland Boyhood	p. 16
The Making of a Scientist	p. 35
Physicists to the War Effort	p. 50
Enter Abigail Fithian Halsey	p. 67
The Dawn of Space Exploration	p. 75
The Mighty Little Aerobee	p. 93
It's a Rocket! It's a Balloon! It's a Rockoon!	p. 106
Sputnik and the Space Race	p. 122
Countdown to Explorer I	p. 142
Celebrity Scientist and the Birth of NASA	p. 161
Discovery of the Radiation Belts	p. 175
Space Shield for the Cold War	p. 187
Space as a Cottage Industry	p. 200
The Mariners	p. 213
Pioneers to the Outer Planets	p. 229
Space Politics	p. 248
Journey to the Edge of the Solar System	p. 265
Notes	p. 277
Selected Bibliography	p. 295
Index	p. 301
Table of Contents provided by Ingram. All Rights Reserved.

James Van Allen

The First Eight Billion Miles

At a Glance

Hardcover

Industry Reviews

Shipping

How to return your order

Defective items

You Can Find This Book In

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