Peter J. Westwick
- Published in print:
- 2006
- Published Online:
- October 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780300110753
- eISBN:
- 9780300134582
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- Yale University Press
- DOI:
- 10.12987/yale/9780300110753.003.0004
- Subject:
- History, History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
This chapter shows how the triangular relationship among the lab, Caltech, and NASA—a central characteristic of JPL—was highlighted by Murray's political activity in the early 1980s. Like the ...
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This chapter shows how the triangular relationship among the lab, Caltech, and NASA—a central characteristic of JPL—was highlighted by Murray's political activity in the early 1980s. Like the previous directors of JPL, Murray came to the job from Caltech, and he took office with the explicit intention of building up relations with campus. As the only NASA center operated by a contractor, JPL maintained a delicate balance between the independence offered by the Caltech association and the accountability demanded of government programs. The maturation of the aerospace industry added a fourth leg to the triangle making it a square and introduced basic questions about JPL's identity. All the while, JPL itself was evolving in its internal organization and culture in response to changing contexts.Less
This chapter shows how the triangular relationship among the lab, Caltech, and NASA—a central characteristic of JPL—was highlighted by Murray's political activity in the early 1980s. Like the previous directors of JPL, Murray came to the job from Caltech, and he took office with the explicit intention of building up relations with campus. As the only NASA center operated by a contractor, JPL maintained a delicate balance between the independence offered by the Caltech association and the accountability demanded of government programs. The maturation of the aerospace industry added a fourth leg to the triangle making it a square and introduced basic questions about JPL's identity. All the while, JPL itself was evolving in its internal organization and culture in response to changing contexts.
