The Last of the Great Observatories: Spitzer and the Era of Faster, Better, Cheaper at NASA

It's a rare science book that reads like a thriller, but Rieke's intimate chronicle of the 20-year effort to put an infrared telescope (named after the pioneer of space-based astronomy, Dr. Lyman Spitzer) into orbit around the Earth does just that. Rieke infuses his story of technical struggles and accomplishments with the personalities of the scientists, engineers and NASA managers who got the Spitzer Telescope funded, built and into space. Along the way, the reader receives an education in the politics of space science, the rivalries among private contractors (even within units of the same corporation) and the agonies of the scientists who make the astronomical discoveries happen. Because the academic researchers and the private contractors were integrated into a management system untried for any previous NASA mission, the book also serves as a primer on scientific management. Rieke's excellent skills in organizing the text, describing difficult technical concepts, and the light, witty touch of never taking himself too seriously result in a book that informs while it entertains.