The Hubble Wars

Astrophysics Meets Astropolitics in the Two-Billion-Dollar Struggle over the Hubble Space Telescope

With a New Preface

Eric J. Chaisson

  • Winner of the American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award in Physics and Astronomy

[A]n absorbing personal history of the Hubble project...The Hubble WarsThe Double Helix.
   --Chet Raymo, New York Times Book Review

There are many interesting nuggets in the book and much of it is good reading.
   --Bob Dryden, Astronomy Now

This book recounts the inside story of how the mission to fix the telescope was undertaken, recreating the day-to-day problems of scientists and others involved as they determined how to fix the telescope as well as controlling the political aspects with 'damage-limitation' actions. This second edition, which comes at the halfway point in the HST's planned mission of 15 years, now brings the Hubble story up to date by sorting out the spectacular from the mundane contributions it has made to our knowledge of the Solar System, the Milky way and the distant galaxies over that period.
   --Spaceflight

  • Cover: The Hubble Wars
  • A photo of the author

Eric J. Chaisson is Research Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Director of the H. Dudley Center for Innovative Science Education at Tufts University. He is the author of Cosmic Dawn, nominated for the National Book Award for distinguished science writing.