[FPSPACE] Volume 3 now available

Mon Nov 10 09:34:49 EST 2008

Hello - 

I have retrieved and prepared Volume 3 of my History of Cosmonautics, and as usual a copy of it is available to fpspace readers simply by writing to me and asking for a copy of it.

I am going to take a minute here to try to answer some of the questions some of you have sent to me about Volume 1 and Volume 2, as since my stroke it is difficult for me to type individual answers for each of you.

Volume 4 of my History, "One Month's Salary", which covered the Moon race, was the first part of the history that I wrote, in about 1990, and it was translated into Russian. I ended up being one of the last samizdat wrtiers of the Soviet Union, and if you can find a copy of it (particularly in Russian) you probably have a collectable. Before the general declassification under Yeltsin, you'll see some of the senior scientists from that program writing in articles about wanting to correct the errors and mistakes of some writers, and I think that some of them were probably referring to that piece.

Many of the western historians who worked through the materials which were later declassified had access to copies of my Volume 4 before they started to work their way through those materials. Of course, so much has been released since then, probably Asif Sadiqi's book is the technical standard now, but then it leaves out the political context in which many of the decisions were made.  Since I've had my stroke I don't plan to "fix" Volume 4, and once again, if you can find a copy of it then you may have a collectible, or will ultimately end up with one.

I had some time in 1992, and started in on what became Volume 3, which covered the beginning of manned flight. Saunders Kramer took a look at it and was p.o.'d that I didn't give the CIA's Mexico City snatch more play, but like I told him, that really wasn't essential to the story.

Mike Neufeld took a look at Volume 2, on Hitler, von Braun, and the nerve gases, and could not believe that Hitler had intended to use the nerve gases. I haven't read his bio of von Braun yet, so I don't know if he was ever able to handle it mentally. 

I found another report of Hitler's own words on his planned nerve gas attack in "Hitler's Mistress, Eva Braun", a great post war paperback by a great American reporter who investigated Hitler's love life immediately after the Second World War, including many first person interviews. For some strange reason the academic historians continue to ignore his book. I had hoped to include that material in Volume 2, including in particular the details of Hitler's love life, but oh well...

Another bizarre thing that occurred while I was doing Volume 2 was that I found that in their haste to capture Nazi war criminals the people who released the US papers on the nerve gases had left in instructions on how to manufacture them. This was about 2 to 3 weeks before the Tokyo subway attack, and after that happened, given that group's interest in Hitler I was quite alarmed. I raised every flag I could at the time, and I don't know if the materials which I used for Volume 2 have since been "cleaned up" and are available through the National Archives, or not. It was strange seeing some names removed from the document copies while nerve gas manufacturing instructions remained. I still wonder to this day where the cult that did the Tokyo subway attack got their manufacturing instructions from.

For any of you still having problems understanding this: 
http://www.noblis.org/OceanDumpingOfChemicalWeapons.htm

Volume 1 on the revolution and the beginnings you've seen.

When it came to the section after the Moon race, the material was at first just lumped into a pile. Later I started to sort it out into a Volume 5, which covered the shuttles, and a Volume 6, which covered the stations.

Then there was the material on proliferation to the smaller nations. But as I went along I realized that the west Africa materials could easily start off riots in US cities, and about that time I stumbled into impact events, which are a great historical force that was unstudied, as well as being a major hazard that was not being dealt with. I left my "History of Cosmonautics" sitting to deal with more urgent matters.

Initially I planned to write 3 volumes on impact events, "Man and Impact in the Americas", "Man and Impact in the Ancient Near East" (using Chicago's Oriental Institute's collection of near eastern texts, which is probably the finest in the world, and conveniently located near Hyde Park) and then "Man and Impact In Europe". But I got hit with a stroke in 2005 after finishing the manuscript for "Man and Impact in the Americas", and though I was able to get it out its type is too small and it does not have enough pictures, and distribution "fell through". 

Volume 7 of my History of Cosmonautics would probably be called "The Cult of Mars", and would cover more recent events here in the United States. 

Dropping in the footnotes now to my History of Cosmonautics would be a major effort taking many months and a whole pile of money, and even setting up Print on Demand versions is beyond me now. The file for Volume 6 appears to have been corrupted, so the sort into Volume 5 and Volume 6 may likely never be completed. My main reason for going back through Volumes 1 to 3 has been to reconnect those parts of my brain. The fellow who wrote them is no longer with us; I'm here now instead. 

While this material is fascinating to some of you, I don't know about the interest level of the general public. If some major television company came along with some big dollars, then I think the whole thing could be made into a great history of the twentieth century.  

In closing, I'd like to remind everyone that fpspacers can get personally signed copies of my book "Man and Impact in the Americas" from me for a low special price.

PUBLICLY ACCESSIBLE WORKS BY E.P. GRONDINE: 

OS1 Lunar
http://www.astronautix.com/craft/os1lunar.htm

POLYUS
http://www.astronautix.com/craft/polyus.htm

MIR 2
http://www.astronautix.com/craft/miralyut.htm

CHINESE MANNED SPACE PROGRAM: BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
http://www.astronautix.com/articles/chidoors.htm
http://www.astronautix.com/craft/tsie1978.htm

LUNAR VARIANT KLIPER
http://www.astronautix.com/gallery/ckliper.htm

CHINA'S MOON PROJECT (CAPS):
http://www.friends-partners.org/pipermail/fpspace/2006-May/019800.html

CAMBRIDGE CONFERENCE, 1998 - 2003
MAJOR HISTORICAL WORKS

2000
Everything is Connected:
A survey of Man and impact in SE North America
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/ce090400.html

2001
Going Into the Water:
A survey of Man and impact 
in the Eastern North American coastal zone and Caribbean
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/ce010702.html

2002
Impact And The End Of The Roman Empire In The West 
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/ce082202.html

SHORTER HISTORICAL ESSAYS AND NOTES
1997
Benny Peiser's initial catalogue of Holocene impacts
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc052898.html

1998-2002
On the Joshua impact event
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc032098.html
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc032598.html
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc033098.html
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc012102.html
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc021202.html

1998
On the destruction of the Etruscan city of Volsinii by impact
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc043098.html

On the effects of blast waves
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc071098.html

An Impact Event Recorded In Ainu Folklore 
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc102898.html 

1999
The Song Of Ullikummi, a Hurrian account of the Tel Leilan impact
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc012099.html 

Note on Karen Reiter's "Die Metalle im Alten Orient":
An Essential Reference For Historical Work On Impact Events 
abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc020999.html 

Catalogue of Known and Suspected Historical impacts
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc031500.html

2000
Short note on sub-Roman impacts
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc042600.html

Updated Catalogue of Known and Suspected Historical impacts
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc070202.html

2001
Legends of a major South American impact
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc032601.html

Comparison of work done at Tunguska, Barringer Crater, and Rio Cuarto
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc082301.html

2002
Worknotes On Man In The Ancient Near East And Impact Events
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc041702.html 

Background On The Kaali Lake Impact Event  
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc062402.html 

REPORTAGE, 1997-2003
1997
On JPL's failure to mention impact craters on Mars
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc111497.html

1998
Review of "Deep Impact"
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc042098.html

Coverage of House Space Subcommittee hearing on NASA and the NEO hazard
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc052898.html

Miscellaneous items, including report on first US NEO defense system
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc061198.html

Don Yeoman's presentation at a Congressional luncheon
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc062298.html

Eleanor Helin named to Technology Hall of Fame
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc062698.html

On the establishment of NASA's NEO office
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc050598.html

Interview with Wesley Huntress
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc050898.html

On NASA Administrator Dan Goldin's strategic plan for NASA and his 
views on dealing with the NEO hazard
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc091598.html

On the Space Frontier Foundation's views on the NEO hazard
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc100798.html

The Deep Space 1 Briefing, 
and beginning of Newt Gingrich's attack on ISS
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc100198.htm

More on Newt Gingrich's attack
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc100298.html

Short interview with NASA Administrator Dan Goldin on the NEO hazard
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc100898.html 

The NEAR Briefing, and a Short Chat With Don Yeomans 
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc122198.html 

1999
The Problem Of Back Contamination From An Operational Perspective: 
An interview with John Rummel
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc011199.html 

On the Space Frontier Foundation Forming the "Watch" Committee
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc011399.html 

Budget for NASA NEO office
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc020499.html

On Russian work on the back contamination problem
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc011199.html

Interview with John Rummel of NASA's Planetary Protection Office 
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc021299.html 

ASTEROIDS, COMETS, METEORS & LOST LUGGAGE:
COVERAGE OF THE 1999 ASTEROIDS, COMETS, AND METEORS CONFERENCE
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/ccemenu.html 

2000

REPORT FROM THE AMERICAN ASTRONAUTICAL SOCIETY'S 
38th GODDARD MEMORIAL SYMPOSIUM 
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc040400.html 

On oil deposits and impact
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc060600.html

Interview with Colin Hicks on government response to 
the UK NEO Taskforce report
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc111600.html

2001
An improved English translation of 
THE RUSSIAN POSITION PAPER ON PLANETARY DEFENSE
by Anatoly V. Zaitsev 
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc020701.html 

Press Conference on Becker Team's development of test for impact 
fullerenes (and the loss of my Mercedes Benz)
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc031301.html

First interview with Ed Weiler
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc050201.html

Viking At 25: Report On The Symposium On Mars Exploration
With important observations on public support for manned Mars flight,
And interviews with James Garvin and Mike Malin 
on the state of Martian crater counts
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc072101.html

Interview with Colin Hicks
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc111301.html

2002
Dazed And Confused: 
In Search Of US Policies For Dealing With The Impact Hazard
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/ce021102.html

SLI downselect and interview with Ed Weiler
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc050702.html

CONTOUR briefing
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc061702.html

On interplanetary blast waves from Shoemaker Levy 9 impact
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc092602.html

Workshop for Mitigating the Effects of Public Concern on the NASA 
Bureaucracy: Two Days in Washington, 2002
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/ce091702.html

The NASA Bureaucrats' New Efforts To Try And Sandbag The Neo Problem
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc100102.html

Report on Congressional hearing on the NEO hazard
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc100802.html

2003
On the Challenger O-Ring failure
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc020503.html

COMMENTARY, 1998-2002 
1998
On relations between the MPC and NASA
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc040898.html

On relations between the MPC and NASA
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc061598.html

On the Washington Post's coverage of the NEO hazard
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc042298.html

2000
On JPL's estimates of the impact hazard
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc011700.html

On General Pete Worden's proposals
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc020800.html

Need for funding of historical research
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc032000.html

On the UK NEO Taskforce report
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc092600.html

2001
Suggestion to use video-conferencing
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc031201.html

2002
On the Australian Governments refusal to fund a NEO observatory
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc032502.html

Call for more money for historical impact search
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc051402.html

SATIRE, 1998-2002

1998
"Armageddon" versus "Deep Impact"
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc070698.html

Dale Carnegie Method versus Scientific Method
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc072198.html

2000
On the effects of Pissing on the Sphinx
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc012600.html

Live From The House Of Commons
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc092100.html

2001
Clarification Of The Government's Response, For Speakers 
Of English As A Second Language
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc022601.html

2002
Human Sacrifice as an
An Extremely Low Cost Approach To Dealing With The Neo Hazard
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc011502.html

My Campaign to be Elected Chairman of the IAU NEO Working Group
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc071802.html

Really Big News: Comet Shoemaker-Levy 9 Hits Jupiter
http://abob.libs.uga.edu/bobk/ccc/cc112602.html

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