1960 Ballistic Missile and Space Technology Symposium, Los Angeles, 1960 on “hypersonics, aerodynamic heating, material structures, propulsion, communications, computers, bio-astronautics, guidance, etc.”

Space Technology

First Edition

[Space and Aviation] [Military] LeGalley, Donald P., ed. Ballistic Missile and Space Technology: Fifth Symposium on Ballistic Missile and Space Technology – Invited Addresses. New York and London: Academic Press, 1960. First edition. 4to. Volume IV (of four), titled Re-entry and Vehicle Design. 46 pages. Brown cloth boards with gilt title lettering. Published proceedings from the Fifth Symposium on Ballistic Missile and Space Technology, held August 29–31, 1960 at the University of Southern California, this volume documents high-level invited addresses from a watershed Cold War gathering of over 1,000 military scientists, engineers, and corporate contractors. The symposium was co-sponsored by the U.S. Air Force Ballistic Missile Division, Space Technology Laboratories, and the newl Aerospace Corporation. It marks a critical moment in the integration of Cold War military strategy with emerging space exploration infrastructure, as the field transitioned from classified weapons development toward publicly visible space initiatives. The preface recounts that the symposium was conceived to provide “a free exchange of technical information and ideas among the engineers and scientists working on the United States ballistic missile and space programs.” In 1960, this included domains such as “hypersonics, aerodynamic heating, material structures, propulsion, communications, computers, bio-astronautics, guidance, etc.” The featured keynote address by Lt. Gen. Bernard A. Schriever—widely regarded as the architect of the U.S. Air Force's ballistic missile program—is titled “The Importance of Management in the Ballistic Missile and Space Vehicle Programs.” In it, Schriever offers a revealing fiscal and institutional overview, noting, “Our budget at BMD this year, for ballistic missile and space activities, is just about $3 billion... in the last six years, something on the order of $10 billion has been put into the program.” He underscores that the technical marvels of the nuclear rocket age were matched by vast logistical and bureaucratic scale: “This means people, organizations, policies, procedures—many things.” Minor shelfwear, light rubbing to cloth, but internally clean and tightly bound. Overall very good condition.

Item #22430

Price: $350.00