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Organizing Space: Dutch Space Science Between Astronomy, Industry, and the Government

  • David BanekeEmail author
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Part of the Palgrave Studies in the History of Science and Technology book series (PSHST)

Abstract

This paper analyzes how scientists, private companies and the government in the Netherlands cooperated in the creation of the new field of space research. It examines especially the role of Philips Electronics and Fokker Aircraft, and the consequences of their different structure and corporate identities for their involvement in space projects. It also highlights the importance of management knowledge in addition to scientific and technological skill. Finally, I provide insights into the backgrounds of the new innovation policy of the 1980s and 1990s. The policy was supposed to stimulate new ways of cooperation between science and industry, but at the same time, it meant the end of some older forms of academic-industrial collaboration.

Keywords

Space science Systems management Astronomy Philips Fokker Industrial research Research management The Netherlands 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

This chapter is based on research that was supported by a Guggenheim Fellowship at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC and an NWO grant at the VU University of Amsterdam. I thank David DeVorkin, Frans van Lunteren, Harm Habing, and the editors of this volume for their helpful comments and suggestions.

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Copyright information

© The Author(s) 2016

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Utrecht UniversityUtrechtNetherlands

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