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FROM LIVING WORLD TO A DEAD EARTH: MARS IN AMERICAN SCIENCE SINCE THE SPACE AGE

Varga, Ian Jasper
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1461578235

Abstract Details

2016, MA, Kent State University, College of Arts and Sciences / Department of History.
Since the 1960s, Mars has become a nearly constant fixture within American space science. The planet has garnered an exceptional status that puts it above other planets and space science projects, receiving far more investment from NASA than any other planet. In the twenty-first century, NASA has stated that Mars is one of its top priorities, and the planet continues to receive constant enthusiasm from the American media. This work seeks to explain Mars's rise to prominence within American space science, and, in particular, it asks why Mars has grown into such an emblematic topic over the course of five decades. In general, this set of chapters examines American Martian research from the 1960s through the year 2000 from the perspective of scientists. It concentrates on the development of interplanetary probes and missions that NASA sent to Mars during this period and the way these projects impacted American space science. Overall, this work argues that the growth of scientific interest in Mars is a result of the way scientists incorporated Martian research into broader principles within American society. Interplanetary Martian research began in the 1960s because of advocacy by a new group of scientists called exobiologists that argued that searching for life on Mars was important for science and society. This rhetoric appealed to an American culture already fascinated by notions of aliens and other habitable worlds. Exobiologists situated Martian research within American society, allowing it to garner scientific and public support despite a political climate focused on Cold War military priorities. Scientists invested in these Martian missions, such as Mariner IV, Viking, and Pathfinder, generally reinforced the importance of extraterrestrial life as the main priority in their research despite the evidence these missions provided. When Mariner IV did not portray any signs of Martian life in its images, exobiologists questioned the mission's comprehensiveness instead of altering their theories on extraterrestrial life. Likewise, when Viking's data showed Mars was lifeless, some scientists continued to believe Mars was a lucrative source of knowledge on life and its evolution. Other scientists worried that, without any sign of life on Mars, the planet was no longer a priority. The notion of Martian life, so popular with space scientists and American society, was necessary for Martian research to continue. As enthusiasm grows for further Martian projects or even manned missions, these chapters explain how Mars has become a symbol of American space science despite changing political climates. This work extends from both the height of the Cold War through its end to show that Mars depended more on social circumstances rather than political context. Overall, Mars is a useful topic for historians seeking to understand the connection between science and society.
Matthew Crawford (Advisor)
Kenneth Bindas (Committee Member)
Mary Ann Heiss (Committee Member)
David Pereplyotchik (Committee Member)
156 p.
Astronomy; History; Science History
Mars; space science; exobiology; history of space science; history of science; Viking; extraterrestrial life;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Varga, I. J. (2016). FROM LIVING WORLD TO A DEAD EARTH: MARS IN AMERICAN SCIENCE SINCE THE SPACE AGE [Master's thesis, Kent State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1461578235

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Varga, Ian. FROM LIVING WORLD TO A DEAD EARTH: MARS IN AMERICAN SCIENCE SINCE THE SPACE AGE . 2016. Kent State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1461578235.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Varga, Ian. "FROM LIVING WORLD TO A DEAD EARTH: MARS IN AMERICAN SCIENCE SINCE THE SPACE AGE ." Master's thesis, Kent State University, 2016. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=kent1461578235

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

kent1461578235
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© 2016, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Kent State University and OhioLINK.