Taking Science to the Moon

Donald A. Beattie is a former NASA engineer who has also worked with the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy. He currently works as a private consultant. He is the author of History and Overview of Solar Heat Technologies.

Taking Science to the Moon transports the reader behind NASAs facade, and into the 1960s' politics, planning sessions, turf battles, camaraderie, and jealousies of the world's major space agency. An absorbing, insightful, and revealing critical history of what eventually turned out to be a hugely successful scientific endeavor. -- David W. Hughes The Observatory Comprehensive yet thoroughly readable, it will hold great appeal for rocket enthusiasts, providing as it does a behind-the-scenes look at one of the greatest adventures in history. Publishers Weekly We get valuable insights into how committees worked and into the struggles for scientific payload space on lunar landers, and into how geological objectives were devised. We also discover how fears of contamination from lunar organisms led to the creation of an elaborate quarantine facility for the first men on the moon. This is a fascinating book. -- Martin Heath Astronomy Now This is a very detailed yet clearly written and interesting account of the tremendous effort involved in getting the greatest science return from the Apollo program, starting with having it included in the first place. -- Steven Simon Journal of Geology 2005

• Contents: 1 From the Jungle to Washington 2 Early Theories and Questions About the Moon 3 What Do We Do After Apollo? 4 The USGS Joins Our Post-Apollo Team 5 Science Payloads for Apollo - The Struggle Begins 6 Developing the Geological Equipment, Related Experiments and Sampling Protocols 7 The Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments Package (ALSEP), and Related Experiments 8 Walk, Fly, or Drive? 9 Astronaut Training and Mission Simulation 10 Studying the Moon from Orbit 11 On to the Moon - Science becomes the Focus 12 The "J" Missions - We Almost Achieve Our Early Dreams 13 The Legacy of Apollo