Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. CONTENTS vii
3. Preface ix
4. 1. GALCIT: Seedbed of American Rocketry 1
5. 2. The Wartime Roots of a Permanent JPL 18
6. 3. From Basic Research to Weaponry 30
7. 4. Weapons for the Cold War 43
8. 5. Maturation of the Missile Program 62
9. 6. Window to Space: Explorers and Pioneers 78
10. 7. The Terrestrial Politics of Outer Space 94
11. 8. JPL's Faltering Start in the Prestige Race 113
12. 9. JPL, Caltech, and NASA: The Troubled Triangle 134
13. 10. Mastering the Art of Building Spacecraft 161
14. 11. The Flowering of Planetary Exploration 185
15. 12. The End of the Beginning 218
16. Epilogue: JPL and the Future of the American Space Program 243
17. Abbreviations Used in Notes 253
18. Notes 255
19. A Note on Sources 287
20. Name Index 289
21. Subject Index 293