NASA's History Office has published a comprehensive history of NASA's Space Science program. Titled Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in the History of the U.S. Civil Space Program, Volume V: Exploring the Cosmos, the book is the fifth volume in an ongoing series of reference books that are useful for those interested in both space history and space policy. The documents in Volume V are grouped into three thematic chapters, with an introductory essay for each subject.

The introductory essays are available as Adobe Acrobat .pdf files:

1. "Space Science: Origins, Evolution, and Organization", John E. Naugle and John M. Logsdon
2. "NASA and Planetary Exploration", Amy Paige Snyder
3. "Exploring the Universe: Space-Based Astronomy and Astrophysics", Nancy Grace Roman

In a long space science career, John E. Naugle served as NASA's Associate Administrator for Space Science and its Chief Scientist. John M. Logsdon is Director of the Space Policy Institute at the George Washington University. Amy Paige Snyder is a space transportation analyst in the Federal Aviation Administration's Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Nancy Grace Roman had scientific responsibility for NASA's astronomy program from 1959 to 1979.

The hardcover book is for sale for $70.00 (domestic postpaid), $87.50 (non-U.S.) from the U.S. Superintendent of Documents. By Mail: Superintendent of Documents, P.O. Box 371954, Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954. FAX: (202) 512-2250. Phone: (202) 512-1800 (7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Eastern time). Order stock number 033-000-01238-1. This book also may be purchased from the NASA Information Center, Code CMI-1, NASA Headquarters, 300 E Street SW, Room 1H23, Washington, DC 20546-0001, (202) 358-0000. Order NASA SP-4407, Volume V.