Astrophysics in the Next Decade

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 1402094574
Total Pages : 523 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (2 download)

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Book Synopsis Astrophysics in the Next Decade by : Harley A. Thronson

Download or read book Astrophysics in the Next Decade written by Harley A. Thronson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-02-03 with total page 523 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope (JWST), planned for operation in about five years, will have the capability to investigate – and answer – some of the most challenging questions in astronomy. Although motivated and designed to study the very early Universe, the performance of the observatory’s instruments over a very wide wavelength range will allow the world’s scientific community unequaled ability to study cosmic phenomena as diverse as small bodies in the Solar System and the formation of galaxies. As part of preparation to use JWST, a conference was held in Tucson, Arizona in 2007 that brought together astronomers from around the world to discuss the mission, other major facilities that will operate in the coming decade, and major scientific goals for them. This book is a compilation of those presentations by some of the leading researchers from all branches of astronomy. This book also includes a “pre-history” of JWST, describing the lengthy process and some of the key individuals that initiated early work on the concepts that would evolve to become the premier space observatory of the next decade.

From Jars to the Stars

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Publisher : Earthview Media
ISBN 13 : 0982958315
Total Pages : 482 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (829 download)

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Book Synopsis From Jars to the Stars by : Todd Neff

Download or read book From Jars to the Stars written by Todd Neff and published by Earthview Media. This book was released on 2016-01-01 with total page 482 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: How did a company best known for its glass jars hit a comet 83 million miles away? The answer involves technical expertise, heroic dedication, an industrial giant’s push to modernize, Hitler’s V-2 rocket, speakers destined for a Hall & Oates summer concert tour, and the search for life’s origins. In “From Jars to the Stars: How Ball Came to Build a Comet-Hunting Machine,” award-winning science journalist Todd Neff presents an inside look at the backgrounds and motivations of the men and women who actually create the spacecraft on which the American space program rides. A timeless story of science, engineering, politics and business strategy intertwining to bring success in the brutal business of space, “From Jars to the Stars” is a lively account of one of mankind’s great modern achievements. It is a story about people, foremost those on the Deep Impact mission, which smashed a spacecraft into the comet Tempel 1. “From Jars to the Stars” explores the improbable beginnings of Ball Aerospace & Technologies Corp., which built the comet hunter, and the evolution of the American space agency that funded it. The book begins with the story of a group of University of Colorado students who built a “sun seeker” for the noses of sounding rockets studying the home star. The pathbreaking device sparked the creation and development of both Ball Aerospace and the University of Colorado’s formidable Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics. “From Jars to the Stars” describes how Ed Ball, president of the Ball Brothers Company of Muncie, Indiana, ended up owning a space business in Boulder, Colorado, through a combination of strategic intent and serendipity. Neff explores the personalities and the technologies behind Ball’s pioneering spacecraft, the Orbiting Solar Observatory launched in 1962. The Ball orbiter prepares the ground for Deep Impact, showing readers how much—and how little—changed across four decades of American space exploration. Neff goes on to show how Ball Aerospace evolved into an organization capable of building seven Hubble Space Telescope instruments as well as the comet hunter at the center of the story. The author describes the development of the American space enterprise as it went from emphasizing big-budget “gigabuck” missions to “faster, better, cheaper” spacecraft of the sort Ball specialized in. Neff pays special mind to NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the world leader in interplanetary space exploration and Ball’s partner on Deep Impact. It was often a rocky marriage. Throughout, Neff makes clear that robotic space missions are indeed manned: the people just happen to stay on the ground.

Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life

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Author :
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
ISBN 13 : 9781107412866
Total Pages : 334 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (128 download)

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Book Synopsis Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life by : Ralph Pudritz

Download or read book Planetary Systems and the Origins of Life written by Ralph Pudritz and published by Cambridge University Press. This book was released on 2013-01-17 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Several major breakthroughs have helped contribute to the emerging field of astrobiology. Focusing on these developments, this fascinating book explores some of the most important problems in this field. It examines how planetary systems formed, and how water and the biomolecules necessary for life were produced. It then focuses on how life may have originated and evolved on Earth. Building on these two themes, the final section takes the reader on a search for life elsewhere in the Solar System. It presents the latest results of missions to Mars and Titan, and explores the possibilities of life in the ice-covered ocean of Europa. This interdisciplinary book is an enjoyable overview of this exciting field for students and researchers in astrophysics, planetary science, geosciences, biochemistry, and evolutionary biology. Colour versions of some of the figures are available at www.cambridge.org/9780521875486.

Powering Apollo

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Publisher :
ISBN 13 :
Total Pages : 296 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (91 download)

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Book Synopsis Powering Apollo by : W. Henry Lambright

Download or read book Powering Apollo written by W. Henry Lambright and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 296 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: When President Kennedy issued his well-known challenge to reach the moon and return safely before the end of the 1960s, the immediate responsibility for undertaking the task fell to 54-year-old NASA director James E. Webb. Eight years later, when the Apollo 11 spacecraft splashed down safely in the Pacific and the screens in NASA's Mission Control at Houston flashed the words "Task Accomplished," it was Webb who deserved much of the credit. In Powering Apollo, W. Henry Lambright explores Webb's leadership role in NASA's spectacular success--success that is rare in ambitious government policies and programs. A North Carolina native and Congressional staff member, Jim Webb had served in Congress, worked in the Truman administration, and risen to high office in the defense and energy industries by 1961 when Kennedy named him to head the new National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Examining Webb's role as both Washington insider and government program director, Lambright probes the skills and experience that equipped him to handle his enormous responsibilities. He also shows how Webb's performance reflected important changes in twentieth century public life, including the concentration of political power in Washington; expansion of the federal bureaucracy; the rise of big science; and visions of cooperation among government, industry, and higher education.

Out There

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Publisher : Grand Central Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1538729385
Total Pages : 170 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (387 download)

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Book Synopsis Out There by : Michael Wall

Download or read book Out There written by Michael Wall and published by Grand Central Publishing. This book was released on 2018-11-13 with total page 170 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the vein of Randall Munroe's What If? meets Brian Green's Elegant Universe, a senior writer from Space.com leads readers on a wild ride of exploration into the final frontier, investigating what's really "out there." We've all asked ourselves the question. It's impossible to look up at the stars and NOT think about it: Are we alone in the universe? Books, movies and television shows proliferate that attempt to answer this question and explore it. In Out There Space.com senior writer Dr. Michael Wall treats that question as merely the beginning, touching off a wild ride of exploration into the final frontier. He considers, for instance, the myriad of questions that would arise once we do discover life beyond Earth (an eventuality which, top NASA officials told Wall, is only drawing closer). What would the first aliens we meet look like? Would they be little green men or mere microbes? Would they be found on a planet in our own solar system or orbiting a star far, far away? Would they intend to harm us, and if so, how might they do it? And might they already have visited? Out There is arranged in a simple question-and-answer format. The answers are delivered in Dr. Wall's informal but informative style, which mixes in a healthy dose of humor and pop culture to make big ideas easier to swallow. Dr. Wall covers questions far beyond alien life, venturing into astronomy, physics, and the practical realities of what long-term life might be like for we mere humans in outer space, such as the idea of lunar colonies, and even economic implications. Dr. Wall also shares the insights of some of the leading lights in space exploration today, and shows how the next space age might be brighter than ever./DIV

The Very First Light

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Publisher : Basic Books
ISBN 13 : 0786726474
Total Pages : 386 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (867 download)

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Book Synopsis The Very First Light by : John Boslough

Download or read book The Very First Light written by John Boslough and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2008-10-20 with total page 386 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the early 1990s, a NASA-led team of scientists changed the way we view the universe. With the COBE (Cosmic Background Explorer) project, they showed that the microwave radiation that fills the universe must have come from the Big Bang -- effectively proving the Big Bang theory beyond any doubt. It was one of the greatest scientific findings of our generation, perhaps of all time. In The Very First Light, John Mather, one of COBE's leaders, and science writer John Boslough tell the story of how it was achieved. A gripping tale of big money, bigger egos, tense politics, and cutting-edge engineering, The Very First Light offers a rare insider's account of the world of big science.

Forging the Future of Space Science

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Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309215897
Total Pages : 166 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (92 download)

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Book Synopsis Forging the Future of Space Science by : National Research Council

Download or read book Forging the Future of Space Science written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2010-03-08 with total page 166 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From September 2007 to June 2008 the Space Studies Board conducted an international public seminar series, with each monthly talk highlighting a different topic in space and Earth science. The principal lectures from the series are compiled in Forging the Future of Space Science. The topics of these events covered the full spectrum of space and Earth science research, from global climate change, to the cosmic origins of life, to the exploration of the Moon and Mars, to the scientific research required to support human spaceflight. The prevailing messages throughout the seminar series as demonstrated by the lectures in this book are how much we have accomplished over the past 50 years, how profound are our discoveries, how much contributions from the space program affect our daily lives, and yet how much remains to be done. The age of discovery in space and Earth science is just beginning. Opportunities abound that will forever alter our destiny.

The Contact Paradox

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Publisher : Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1472960440
Total Pages : 337 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (729 download)

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Book Synopsis The Contact Paradox by : Keith Cooper

Download or read book The Contact Paradox written by Keith Cooper and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2019-10-31 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: What will happen if (perhaps when) humanity makes contact with another civilisation on a different planet? In 1974 a message was beamed towards the stars by the giant Arecibo telescope in Puerto Rico, a brief blast of radio waves designed to alert extraterrestrial civilisations to our existence. Of course, we don't know if such civilisations really exist. For the past six decades a small cadre of researchers have been on a quest to find out, as part of SETI, the search for extraterrestrial intelligence. So far, SETI has found no evidence of extraterrestrial life, but with more than a hundred billion stars in our Galaxy alone to search, the odds of quick success are stacked against us. The silence from the stars is prompting some researchers to transmit more messages into space, in an effort to provoke a response from any civilisations out there that might otherwise be staying quiet. However, the act of transmitting raises troubling questions about the process of contact. In The Contact Paradox, author Keith Cooper looks at how far SETI has come since its modest beginnings, and where it is going, by speaking to the leading names in the field and beyond. SETI forces us to confront our nature in a way that we seldom have before – where did we come from, where are we going, and who are we in the cosmic context of things? This book considers the assumptions that we make in our search for extraterrestrial life, and explores how those assumptions can teach us about ourselves.

Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos

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Publisher : Little, Brown
ISBN 13 : 0316434795
Total Pages : 464 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (164 download)

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Book Synopsis Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos by : Dennis Overbye

Download or read book Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos written by Dennis Overbye and published by Little, Brown. This book was released on 2021-12-21 with total page 464 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award: the "intensely exciting" story of a group of brilliant scientists who set out to answer the deepest questions about the origin of the universe and changed the course of physics and astronomy forever (Newsday). In southern California, nearly a half century ago, a small band of researchers — equipped with a new 200-inch telescope and a faith born of scientific optimism — embarked on the greatest intellectual adventure in the history of humankind: the search for the origin and fate of the universe. Their quest would eventually engulf all of physics and astronomy, leading not only to the discovery of quasars, black holes, and shadow matter but also to fame, controversy, and Nobel Prizes. Lonely Hearts of the Cosmos tells the story of the men and women who have taken eternity on their shoulders and stormed nature in search of answers to the deepest questions we know to ask. "Written with such wit and verve that it is hard not to zip through in one sitting." —Washington Post

The Sun, Stars, and Galaxies

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Publisher : Britannica Educational Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1615305688
Total Pages : 98 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (153 download)

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Book Synopsis The Sun, Stars, and Galaxies by : Britannica Educational Publishing

Download or read book The Sun, Stars, and Galaxies written by Britannica Educational Publishing and published by Britannica Educational Publishing. This book was released on 2011-05-01 with total page 98 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Most avid sky gazers wait until nightfall to catch a glimpse of the stars that are scattered across the heavens. The fact of the matter is that one needs only to feel the Sun’s rays in order to experience the presence of a star. The Sun is an ordinary star, a ball of hot gas much like millions of others in the universe, but as the center of the solar system, it is critical to the survival of all life forms on Earth. This comprehensive volume examines the nature of the Sun and details the properties and types of various stars, as well as the greater galaxies of which they are a part.

Ultraviolet Astronomy and the Quest for the Origin of Life

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Author :
Publisher : Elsevier
ISBN 13 : 0128191716
Total Pages : 178 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (281 download)

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Book Synopsis Ultraviolet Astronomy and the Quest for the Origin of Life by : Ana I. Gomez de Castro

Download or read book Ultraviolet Astronomy and the Quest for the Origin of Life written by Ana I. Gomez de Castro and published by Elsevier. This book was released on 2021-03-27 with total page 178 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ultraviolet Astronomy and the Quest for the Origin of Life addresses the use of astronomical observations in the ultraviolet range to better understand the generation of complex, life-precursor molecules. The origin of RNA is still under debate but seems to be related to the generation of pools of complex organic molecules submitted to heavy cycles of solution in water and drying. This book investigates whether these cycles require a planetary surface or may occur in space by examining both the theoretical and observational aspects of the role of UV radiation in the origin of life. This book offers the latest advances in these studies for astronomers, astrobiologists and planetary scientists. - Addresses both the theoretical and observational aspects of the role of Ultraviolet (UV) radiation in the origin of life - Builds on the requirements to produce prebiotic molecules in space and the implications for the origin of RNA - Investigates the use of ultraviolet observations related to planetary system formation, the evolution of young planetary disks, and the interaction of stars with planetary atmospheres

The Lavender Scare

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Publisher : University of Chicago Press
ISBN 13 : 0226825736
Total Pages : 334 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (268 download)

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Book Synopsis The Lavender Scare by : David K. Johnson

Download or read book The Lavender Scare written by David K. Johnson and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2023-03-22 with total page 334 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new edition of a classic work of history, revealing the anti-homosexual purges of midcentury Washington. In The Lavender Scare, David K. Johnson tells the frightening story of how, during the Cold War, homosexuals were considered as dangerous a threat to national security as Communists. Charges that the Roosevelt and Truman administrations were havens for homosexuals proved a potent political weapon, sparking a “Lavender Scare” more vehement and long-lasting than Joseph McCarthy’s Red Scare. Drawing on declassified documents, years of research in the records of the National Archives and the FBI, and interviews with former civil servants, Johnson recreates the vibrant gay subculture that flourished in midcentury Washington and takes us inside the security interrogation rooms where anti-homosexual purges ruined the lives and careers of thousands of Americans. This enlarged edition of Johnson’s classic work of history—the winner of numerous awards and the basis for an acclaimed documentary broadcast on PBS—features a new epilogue, bringing the still-relevant story into the twenty-first century.

The Evolution of The Milky Way

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Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media
ISBN 13 : 9401009384
Total Pages : 605 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (1 download)

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Book Synopsis The Evolution of The Milky Way by : Francesca Matteucci

Download or read book The Evolution of The Milky Way written by Francesca Matteucci and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2012-12-06 with total page 605 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This review of the most up-to-date observational and theoretical information concerning the chemical evolution of the Milky Way compares the abundances derived from field stars and clusters, giving information on the abundances and dynamics of gas.

Handprints on Hubble

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Publisher : MIT Press
ISBN 13 : 0262355949
Total Pages : 301 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (623 download)

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Book Synopsis Handprints on Hubble by : Kathryn D. Sullivan

Download or read book Handprints on Hubble written by Kathryn D. Sullivan and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2019-11-05 with total page 301 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The first American woman to walk in space recounts her experience as part of the team that launched, rescued, repaired, and maintained the Hubble Space Telescope The Hubble Space Telescope has revolutionized our understanding of the universe. It has, among many other achievements, revealed thousands of galaxies in what seemed to be empty patches of sky; transformed our knowledge of black holes; found dwarf planets with moons orbiting other stars; and measured precisely how fast the universe is expanding. In Handprints on Hubble, retired astronaut Kathryn Sullivan describes her work on the NASA team that made all this possible. Sullivan, the first American woman to walk in space, recounts how she and other astronauts, engineers, and scientists launched, rescued, repaired, and maintained Hubble, the most productive observatory ever built. Along the way, Sullivan chronicles her early life as a “Sputnik Baby,” her path to NASA through oceanography, and her initiation into the space program as one of “thirty-five new guys.” (She was also one of the first six women to join NASA’s storied astronaut corps.) She describes in vivid detail what liftoff feels like inside a spacecraft (it’s like “being in an earthquake and a fighter jet at the same time”), shows us the view from a spacewalk, and recounts the temporary grounding of the shuttle program after the Challenger disaster. Sullivan explains that “maintainability” was designed into Hubble, and she describes the work of inventing the tools and processes that made on-orbit maintenance possible. Because in-flight repair and upgrade was part of the plan, NASA was able to fix a serious defect in Hubble’s mirrors—leaving literal and metaphorical “handprints on Hubble.” Handprints on Hubble was published with the support of the MIT Press Fund for Diverse Voices.

Assessment of Options for Extending the Life of the Hubble Space Telescope

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Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309095301
Total Pages : 160 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (9 download)

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Book Synopsis Assessment of Options for Extending the Life of the Hubble Space Telescope by : National Research Council

Download or read book Assessment of Options for Extending the Life of the Hubble Space Telescope written by National Research Council and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2005-03-28 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Hubble Space Telescope (HST) has operated continuously since 1990. During that time, four space shuttle-based service missions were launched, three of which added major observational capabilities. A fifth â€" SM-4 â€" was intended to replace key telescope systems and install two new instruments. The loss of the space shuttle Columbia, however, resulted in a decision by NASA not to pursue the SM-4 mission leading to a likely end of Hubble's useful life in 2007-2008. This situation resulted in an unprecedented outcry from scientists and the public. As a result, NASA began to explore and develop a robotic servicing mission; and Congress directed NASA to request a study from the National Research Council (NRC) of the robotic and shuttle servicing options for extending the life of Hubble. This report presents an assessment of those two options. It provides an examination of the contributions made by Hubble and those likely as the result of a servicing mission, and a comparative analysis of the potential risk of the two options for servicing Hubble. The study concludes that the Shuttle option would be the most effective one for prolonging Hubble's productive life.

Eyes on the Sky

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Author :
Publisher : Oxford University Press
ISBN 13 : 0198734271
Total Pages : 252 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (987 download)

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Book Synopsis Eyes on the Sky by : Francis Graham-Smith

Download or read book Eyes on the Sky written by Francis Graham-Smith and published by Oxford University Press. This book was released on 2016 with total page 252 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Astronomy is experiencing a golden age, with a new generation of innovative telescopes yielding a flood of information on the Universe. This book traces the development of telescopes from Galileo to the present day, and explains the basic principles of telescopes that operate in different parts of electromagnetic spectrum.

Powering Science

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Author :
Publisher : National Academies Press
ISBN 13 : 0309463831
Total Pages : 127 pages
Book Rating : 4.3/5 (94 download)

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Book Synopsis Powering Science by : National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

Download or read book Powering Science written by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and published by National Academies Press. This book was released on 2018-01-29 with total page 127 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD) currently operates over five dozen missions, with approximately two dozen additional missions in development. These missions span the scientific fields associated with SMD's four divisionsâ€"Astrophysics, Earth Science, Heliophysics, and Planetary Sciences. Because a single mission can consist of multiple spacecraft, NASA-SMD is responsible for nearly 100 operational spacecraft. The most high profile of these are the large strategic missions, often referred to as "flagships." Large strategic missions are essential to maintaining the global leadership of the United States in space exploration and in science because only the United States has the budget, technology, and trained personnel in multiple scientific fields to conduct missions that attract a range of international partners. This report examines the role of large, strategic missions within a balanced program across NASA-SMD space and Earth sciences programs. It considers the role and scientific productivity of such missions in advancing science, technology and the long-term health of the field, and provides guidance that NASA can use to help set the priority of larger missions within a properly balanced program containing a range of mission classes.