History of Science Society

First HSS/NASA Fellowship Awarded

Arturo Russo recently received the first fellowship in the history of space science.

Russo's work will cover the history of planetary research in the European Space Agency.

Arturo Russo is the first recipient of the HSS/NASA Fellowship in the history of space science.
Born in 1945 in Palermo, Italy, Russo studied physics at the University of Palermo, to which he returned as a teacher and researcher in 1968. Until the mid-1970’s he studied cosmic ray physics and high-energy astrophysics. Afterwards he turned to the social history of science, undertaking research on the history of 20th-century physics. His projects include: the origin of quantum theory in the context of the social and institutional changes in scientific activity produced by the industrial revolution in Germany; science and industry in the U.S. and Italy in the inter-war period; cosmic ray physics in the 1920’s and 1930’s; history of the European joint effort in space research and in satellite telecommunications.
Russo is a full professor of history of physics in the Faculty of Mathematical, Physical and Natural Sciences and a member of the Department of Physics and Physical Technologies of the University of Palermo.
He is a member of the Editorial Board of the journal History and Technology.
Russo’s fellowship project is titled “The History of Planetary Research in the European Space Agency.” Beginning with the ESA’s spectacular debut in 1986, when spacecraft Giotto arrived on time at its rendezvous with comet Halley, the project encompasses ongoing and planned missions.

There are three aspects to the research. First, is the changing political and institutional framework, which set the stage for the establishment and successful development of an important European effort in this field. Second, is the decision-making processes leading to the choice of the various space missions and to the definition of their scientific objectives. Third, is the peculiar scientific and technical character of ESA undertakings, with such highlights as the cometary missions Giotto and Rosetta; the Huygens probe that landed on the surface of Saturn’s satellite Titan; the planned ExoMars mission (2011), in search for signs of life on the red planet; and the BepiColombo mission to Mercury (2013).
The research work will be based on the ESA collection at the Historical Archives of the European Union in Florence and on documents made available in the working archives of the ESA Science Directorate in Paris. Moreover, interviews will be conducted with scientists and ESA policymakers who had a major role in the planetary program.

The HSS/NASA Fellowship begins 1 July 2007 and ends 30 June 2008. The fellowship was created at the behest of Steven Dick, chief historian of NASA (another NASA fellowship partners with the American Historical Association). The next call for proposals will be issued in December 2007.