Books by Howard E. (American University) McCurdy

Comparing the space station decision to earlier decisions to go to the moon and to build the space shuttle, McCurdy shows how public officials responsible for long-term science and technology policy maneuvered in a political system that demanded short-term flexibility.

Changes imposed to accomplish the lunar landing-along with the normal aging process and increased bureaucracy in the government as a whole-gradually eroded NASA's original culture and reduced its technical strength.