Taking Science to the Moon: Lunar Experiments and the Apollo Program

A former NASA scientist shares a behind-the-scenes history of the Apollo space program and the fight to include science activities in the missions. In 1961, President Kennedy set a goal of putting a man on the moon in order to assert American dominance in the escalating Cold War. The mission's sole purpose was to beat the Soviets to the punch. So how did science get aboard the Apollo rockets? And what did scientists do with the space allotted to them? Donald A. Beattie served at NASA from 1963 to 1973 in several management positions, including as program manager of Apollo Lunar Surface Experiments. In Taking Science to the Moon, Beattie takes readers inside NASA headquarters and the struggle to include science payloads and lunar exploration as part of the Apollo program.

About the Author :
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.

Review :
"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 "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 "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 "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 "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 "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 "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 "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