To see the unseen : a history of planetary radar astronomy

330 Pages·1996·15.9 MB·English

by  Butrica, Andrew J

Skf
'
A
of Radar Astrononr
History Planetary
Andrew Butrica
J.
To See
the
Unseen
A
of
History
Radar
Planetary Astronomy
The past50yearshave broughtforwardaunique capa-
bility to research and expand scientific knowledge of
the Solar System through the use of radar to conduct
planetaryastronomy. This technologyinvolves the aim-
ingofacarefullycontrolledradio signal ataplanet (or
some other Solar System target, such as a planetary
satellite, an asteroid, or a ring system), detecting its
echo, and analyzing the information that the echo car-
ries.
This capability has contributed to the scientific knowl-
edge of the Solar System in two fundamental ways.
Most directly, planetary radars can produce images of
target surfaces otherwise hidden from sight and can
furnishotherkindsofinformationabouttargetsurface
features. Radar also can provide highly accurate mea-
surements of a target's rotational and orbital motions.
Such measurements are obviously invaluable for the
navigation of Solar System exploratory spacecraft, a
principal activityofNASAsinceitsinceptionin 1958.
Andrew J. Butrica has written a comprehensive and
illuminating history of this little-understood but sur-
prisingly significant scientific activity. Quite rigorous
and systematic in its methodology, To See the Unseen
explores the developmentofthe radarastronomyspe-
cialtyin the largercommunityofscientists.
More than just discussing the development of this
field,however, Butricausesplanetaryradarastronomy
as avehicle forunderstandinglarger issues relative to
the planning and execution of "big science" by the
Federal government. His application of the "social
construction of science" and Kuhnian paradigms to
planetary radar astronomy is a most welcome and
sophisticated means of making sense of the field's
historical development.
AndrewJ. Butrica received his Ph.D. in the history of
science and technology at Iowa State University. He is
aresearch historian in Franklin Park, NewJersey, spe-
cializing in the history of science. In 1990, Praeger
Publishers issued his Out ofThin Air: A History ofAir
Productsand Chemicals,Inc., 1940-1990.
About the cover: "Big Dish Antenna" painting by Paul Arlt.
CourtesyoftheNASAArtProgram, no. 74-HC467.
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TO SEE THE UNSEEN

NASASP-4218
TO SEE THE UNSEEN
A
Radar
History ofPlanetary Astronomy
byAndrewJ. Butrica
The NASA
Series
History
National Aeronautics and Space Administration
NASA
HistoryOffice
Washington, D.C. 1996
LibraryofCongressCataloguing-in-PublicationData
Tp.ocSme.eth(eThUensNeAenS:AAhisHtiosrtyorseyroiefsP)l(anNeAtSarAySRPa:d4a2r18A)stronomy/AndrewJ.Butrica
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindexes.
1.Planetology UnitedStates. 2.Planets Exploration. 3.Radarin
Astronomy. I.Title. II.Series. III.Series: NASASP: 4218.
QB602.9.B87 1996 95-35890
523.2'028-dc20 CIP
ForsalebytheU.S.GovernmentPrintingOffice
SuperintendentofDocuments,MailStop:SSOP,Washington,DC 20402-9328
ISBN 0-16-048578-9
To my dearfriendsandformercolleaguesatthe CenterforResearch in
History ofScienceand Technology:BernadetteBensaude-Vincent,
ChristineBlondel, PauloBrenni, Yves Cohen,Jean-MarcDrouin,
Irina andDmitry Gouzevitch, Anna Guagnini, Andreas Kahlow,
StephanLindner, Michael Osborne, AnneRasmussen,
Mari Anna
Williams, Pusztai,
andaboveallRobertFox.