Centers on National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) career but includes early life, professional training at Swarthmore College and University of Chicago; staff position at Yerkes Observatory, work and relations with William Morgan, and later the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL). Identifies development of astronomical interests at NASA, early advocates of space astronomy, and the evolution of the NASA astronomy programs and relationships with other space interests at Kitt Peak, National Science Foundation (NSF),and elsewhere. The Orbiting Astronomical Observatory (OAO) numbering and history. Discussion includes how priorities are established and the role of technological limitations. Also prominently mentioned are: William Pendry Bidelman, Adriaan Blaauw, Ira Sprague Bowen, Arthur D. Code, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Friedman, Riccardo Giacconi, Jocelyn Gill, Leo Goldberg, Lyndon B. Johnson, Frank Low, Aden Meinel, Jesse Mitchell, William Wilson Morgan, Homer Edward Newell, Georgia Frances Smith Roman, Allan Sandage, Gary Schilling, Abe Silverstein, Lyman Spitzer, Otto Struve, Harry S. Truman, Peter van de Kamp, Alan Tower Waterman, Jerrold Reinach Zacharias; Ames Laboratory, Brookings Institution, Copernicus (Satellite), Einstein (Satellite), Goddard Space Flight Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Kitt Peak National Observatory, Land Satellite, National Science Foundation (U.S.), Naval Research Laboratory (U.S.), Pennsylvania State University, Scout (Rocket), Small Astronomy Satellite Program, Swarthmore College Observatory, Uhuru (Satellite), United States Air Force, United States Congress, United States Federal Executive Institute, United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration Marshall Space Flight Center, United States Office of Naval Research, and X-15 (Rocket).