Scientific Debates in Space Science

Warren David Cummings was the first PhD to graduate from the Space Science Department of Rice University. He then joined the faculty of the Department of Planetary and Space Science at UCLA. Dr. Cummings later served as Head of the Department of Physics at Grambling StateUniversity before becoming the Executive Director of the Universities Space Research Association (USRA). He served in this latter capacity for 31 years. He is the author of books on the history of theories of the origins of Earth’s moon and of the history of USRA.Louis J. Lanzerotti is a Distinguished Research Professor of Physics at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He is retired from Alcatel Lucent Bell Laboratories. He has had a long career in space research, both ground-based and satellite-based, and has one co-authored and five coeditedvolumes.

“This book, it is highly recommended for early-career scientists. By offering a historical perspective on scientific debates, it helps young researchers develop the right attitude towards controversies and disagreements. I personally find this to be particular necessary for those who grew up in Asian cultures like myself, where harmony is emphasized and conflicts are avoided. Secondly, for senior researchers, the book serves as a reminder to remain objective during controversies.” (Huixin Liu, HGSS, History of Geo- and Space Sciences, September 24, 2024)“The authors, both well-known practitioners of the art and practice of the space sciences, provide fascinating insight into the nature and consequence of debates arising from disparities between theoretical prediction and observation, and between competing theories moderated by observation, in the early NASA era. … The value of this book to the wider historical and scientific astronomical communities.” (David DeVorkin, HAD NEWS, Historical Astronomy Division of the American Astronomical Society, Issue 103, May, 2024)

• Chapter 1 Introduction.- Chapter 2 Solar Wind or Solar Breeze?.- Chapter 3 Open versus Closed Magnetosphere.- Chapter 4 Influx of Small Comets into Earth’s Atmosphere.- Chapter 5 Origin of the Moon.- Chapter 6 Lunar Dust.- Chapter 7 Did the Chicxulub Impact Cause the Cretaceous Extinctions?.- Chapter 8 Size of the Solar System.- Chapter 9 Sources of Gamma-Ray Bursts.- Chapter 10 Reflections on Space Science Research.- Name Index.- Subject Index.