Atmospheric Science at NASA: A History PDF
Preview Atmospheric Science at NASA: A History
Atmospheric Science at NASA New Series in NASA History Steven J. Dick, Series Editor Atmospheric Science at NASA A History erik m. conway The Johns Hopkins University Press Baltimore ©2008 The Johns Hopkins University Press All rights reserved. Published 2008 Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 The Johns Hopkins University Press 2715 North Charles Street Baltimore, Maryland 21218-4363 www.press.jhu.edu Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Conway, Erik M., 1965– Atmospheric science at NASA : a history / Erik M. Conway. p. cm. — (New series in NASA history) isbn-13:978-0-8018-8984-4 (hardcover : alk. paper) isbn-10:0-8018-8984-7 (hardcover : alk. paper) 1. Atmospheric sciences—History. 2. Satellite meteorology—History. 3. Astronautics in meteorology—History. 4. United States. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. I. Title. qc855.c662008 551.50973—dc22 2008007633 A catalog record for this book is available from the British Library. Special discounts are available for bulk purchases of this book. For more information, please contact Special Sales at 410-516-6936 or [email protected]. The Johns Hopkins University Press uses environmentally friendly book materials, including recycled text paper that is composed of at least 30 percent post-consumer waste, whenever possible. All of our book papers are acid-free, and our jackets and covers are printed on paper with recycled content. To my grandparents, for the new world This page intentionally left blank A satellite vehicle with appropriate instrumentation can be expected to be one of the most potent scientifi c tools of the Twentieth Century. —RAND, 1946 We did these industrial activities for perfectly understandable reasons, and we discover that we have outsmarted ourselves, that we haven’t understood the fragility of the Earth’s atmosphere and the power of our technology. —Carl Sagan, 1992 This page intentionally left blank Contents Acknowledgments xi List of Abbreviations xiii Introduction 1 1 Establishing the Meteorology Program 11 2 Developing Satellite Meteorology 39 3 Constructing a Global Meteorology 64 4 Planetary Atmospheres 94 5 NASA Atmospheric Research in Transition 122 6 Atmospheric Chemistry 154 7 The Quest for a Climate Observing System 198 8 Missions to Planet Earth: Architectural Warfare 243 9 Atmospheric Science in the Mission to Planet Earth 276 Conclusion 312 Epilogue 321 Notes 325 Index 375 Color illustrations follow page 140
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