9781422283301

Introduction

Center in 2010, President Barack Obama stressed the im- portance of the chosen field of those space science pioneers. Space research has, he asserted, “contributed to immeasur- able technological advances that have improved our health and well-being, from satellite navigation to water purifica- tion, from aerospace manufacturing to medical imaging. And leading the world to space helped America achieve new heights of prosperity here on Earth, while demonstrat- ing the power of a free and open society to harness the in- genuity of its people.” As NASA scientists outline ambitious future goals of landing humans on Mars, providing Internet access to ev- ery corner of the globe (no matter how remote), better pre- dicting catastrophic weather events, and a host of others, more people will be needed to do the research, invent and build essential equipment, provide technical support, and perform innumerable other tasks. Some of those people will have African ancestry about which they are just as proud as they are about goals they achieve in space science. The in- crease in knowledge in this and all scientific fields can only be complete when everyone has a chance to play a part and make a contribution. •

Introduction

11