Space Astronomy and Astrophysics

APR 01, 1991

A revitalized program with a balance of large, moderate and small missions, frequent access to space and improved scientific management will lead to major advances in our understanding of the universe.

DOI: 10.1063/1.881306

Claude R. Canizares

Blair D. Savage

Nearly everything we know about the cosmos comes from studying celestial electromagnetic radiation over roughly 16 decades of wavelength from radio to gamma ray. But most radiation is totally absorbed by our atmosphere—only radio and optical waves penetrate to Earth, and even these are subject to distortion or interference. The ability of space astronomy to escape the effects of Earth’s atmosphere has literally opened new windows on the heavens, windows through which we have glimpsed a universe far more diverse than previously known and tantalizingly rich with information about its structure and evolution.

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References

1. Summary and Principal Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on the Future of the US Space Program, NASA, Washington D.C. (1990).
2. A Strategic Plan for the Office of Space Science and Applications, NASA, Washington, D.C. (1989).
3. Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 1980s, Vol. 1, report of the Astronomy and Astrophysics Survey Committee, Nat. Acad. P., Washington, D.C. (1982).
4. The Hubble Space Telescope Optical Systems Failure Report, NASA, Washington, D.C. (1990).

More about the Authors

Claude R. Canizares. Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Blair D. Savage. University of Wisconsin, Madison.