This collection includes Stewart's accumulated files covering the Committee's activities from Fall 1955 until its termination in May 1958, after the launch of the first US satellite. These papers give useful insights into the secret deliberations on the progress of selecting the Vanguard proposal and highlights the considerable problems of that satellite project.
Biographical / Historical:
This collection is a complete set of copies of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) Archives microfilm reel 10-3, which represents Dr. Homer Stewart's file on the so-called 'Stewart Committee.' This Committee was established during the summer of 1955 by Donald Quarles, Assistant Secretary of Defense, as the Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Special Capabilities with the specific task of picking between three contending proposals for the first US satellite. The committee chose the Naval Research Laboratory's Vanguard proposal to be the first American satellite project and after their decision, they continued in an advisory capacity regarding the project.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, transfer, 1997, 1998-0010, Public Domain
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
This collection consists of photographs, correspondence, reports, clippings and press kits, mostly centering on the following ballooning topics: Project Skyhook, Project Helios, Stratoscope I and II and Stratolab. There is also material on general ballooning events, the Vanguard satellite and the VTOL.
Biographical / Historical:
The stratospheric balloon flights of Auguste Piccard in 1931-1932 changed the way people thought about conquering the stratosphere and began a race to the stratosphere via the balloon which rivaled the race to the moon in the 1960s. The ballooning of the 1930s, including Auguste and Jean Piccards' work and the Explorer flights, led to Project Helios during the 1940s. Project Helios, in turn, led to Skyhook, Stratolab and modern scientific ballooning. These modern projects, i.e., Project Skyhook, allowed longer look times than sounding rockets and were far more economical. Furthermore, they were valuable in obtaining data for both scientific missions and military interests.
General:
NASMrev
Provenance:
Office of Naval Research, Gift, 1993, 1993-0050, Public Domain
Restrictions:
No restrictions on access
Rights:
Material is subject to Smithsonian Terms of Use. Should you wish to use NASM material in any medium, please submit an Application for Permission to Reproduce NASM Material, available at Permissions Requests
