Project Ranger: a Chronology. [By] R. Cargill Hall

Project Ranger: a Chronology. [By] R. Cargill Hall PDF Author: Jet Propulsion Laboratory (U.S.)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 581

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Project Ranger: a Chronology. [By] R. Cargill Hall

Project Ranger: a Chronology. [By] R. Cargill Hall PDF Author: Jet Propulsion Laboratory (U.S.)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 581

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Book Description


Project Ranger: a Chronology

Project Ranger: a Chronology PDF Author: R. Cargill Hall
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Project Ranger
Languages : en
Pages : 604

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Project Ranger

Project Ranger PDF Author: R. Cargill Hall
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Project Ranger
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Lunar Impact

Lunar Impact PDF Author: National Aeronautics and Space Administration
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781497451391
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 472

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Book Description
R. Cargill Hall has written a history. Readers not familiar with the state of writing about twentieth century technology and science may not realize his achievement. Accounts-so-called histories-of recent technology and science are often little more than simplistic narratives focusing almost entirely upon sequences in hardware development or upon scientific idea explication. In commendable contrast, Hall organized a coherent narrative and analysis of complex institutions, people, ideas, and machines changing in character and in relationship one to another over time. His history of the Ranger Project is also critical and mature. He avoided neither complexity and contradiction nor reasoned analysis and judgments about episodes and people. He allowed for accident, unintended consequences, shifting priorities, budgetary adjustments, and over-determined events. This is evidenced by a frank account of six superficially ignominious Ranger failures, an analysis of the effects of NASA management by committee, an appraisal of the impact of high-priority Project Apollo upon Ranger, and a consideration of the consequences of Ranger's being done at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, a university rather than an industrial laboratory. He comprehended how these and other factors generally influenced the project and shaped the automatic machine, the exploring spacecraft, at its hard core. Lunar Impact transforms the records of a technological project into history by applying the canons of historical scholarship. The techniques and modes of interpretation are the general historian's. Because of this, Ranger emerges from the study not simply as a machine designed and operated by technical specialists but, more complexly and convincingly, as the focus of activities resulting from the conflicting interests, the power struggles, and the contrasting objectives of individuals, groups, and institutions. Viewed in this way, the writing of the history of the Ranger project becomes a challenge similar to the writing of the history of political campaigns and business enterprises. The reader will recognize elements common to many kinds of history; he or she may also note the development of themes often encountered in large-scale technological and scientific projects. Most obvious is the tension between the values and goals of science and of engineering. Throughout Hall's history one encounters scientists striving to shape Ranger so that it could perform a number of complex scientific experiments; the reader also meets engineers endeavoring to design a machine realistically contrived to perform one or two priority tasks like photographing the surface of the moon. Another significant theme concerns the tension permeating the Jet Propulsion Laboratory between the academic spirit of free enquiry and loose disciplinary structure, and the industrial laboratory style of project-oriented organization and highly directed problem-solving. These tensions were severe, sometimes constructive and at other times frustrating. Hall succeeds in seeing the situations in the perspectives of the various principals and principles. Hall's book is also unusual and interesting because it reckons, as noted, with failure, the frequently ignominious inadequacy of the early machines, launches, and operations. Hall absorbed enough of the wisdom of experienced managers and engineers not to be startled or shocked into rash pronouncements and value judgments about failure. Wisely and considerately, he wrote about technical and scientific matters with his professed audience in mind-historians, interested laymen, and managers; he resisted the temptation to write for the highly sensitive, deeply involved, and specialized readers of the NASA "comment cycle." Also his technical and scientific information is related by him to general themes.

Lunar Impact

Lunar Impact PDF Author: R. Cargill Hall
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Moon
Languages : en
Pages : 476

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The Apollo Spacecraft

The Apollo Spacecraft PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Government publications
Languages : en
Pages : 488

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Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1975

Astronautics and Aeronautics, 1975 PDF Author: United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Scientific and Technical Information Branch
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aeronautics
Languages : en
Pages : 340

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Astronautics and Aeronautics

Astronautics and Aeronautics PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Aeronautics
Languages : en
Pages : 340

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The Apollo Spacecraft: Ertel, I. D. and Morse, M. L. Through November 7, 1962

The Apollo Spacecraft: Ertel, I. D. and Morse, M. L. Through November 7, 1962 PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Government publications
Languages : en
Pages : 310

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Lunar Impact

Lunar Impact PDF Author: R. Cargill Hall
Publisher: Courier Corporation
ISBN: 0486139719
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 482

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Book Description
America's first successful attempt at unmanned lunar exploration, Project Ranger culminated in close-up television images of the moon's surface. Sponsored by NASA and executed by the Jet Propulsion Lab, the project ran from 1959 to 1965 and produced management techniques, flight operating procedures, and technology employed by later space missions. This official NASA publication presents the complete history of the nine Project Ranger missions. Author R. Cargill Hall, the historian of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, offers an authoritative account of the evolution and operations of the continuing program of unmanned exploration of deep space. More than 100 photographs depict key personnel and illustrate rockets and a range of other equipment. Nine helpful appendixes feature a fascinating array of source documents.