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Carl A. Wiley collection on solar sails
MS 315  
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Collection Overview
 
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Description
The collection contains working papers, articles, proposals, and other documents on solar sails created by Carl A. Wiley, an engineer and mathematician that authored one of the first accounts of how solar sails could be assembled in orbit and used as spacecraft propulsion devices.
Background
Carl A. Wiley was an American mathematician and engineer born on December 30, 1918, in Princeton, New Jersey. He graduated in 1944 with a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Antioch College, followed by graduate coursework through the Ohio State University Extension Program. He began working at the Air Force Aircraft Radiation Laboratory at Wright Field in 1941, rising from an engineer to becoming the Section Chief of the Research Advancement Unit by 1949. From 1949-1953 he worked at Goodyear Aerophysics, where he invented the first Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). He then founded his own company, Wiley Electronics, where he worked from 1953-1963, followed by positions at North American Aviation, Rockwell International, and the Hughes Aircraft Company.
Extent
0.83 linear feet (2 boxes)
Restrictions
Copyright Unknown: Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction, and/or commercial use, of some materials may be restricted by gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing agreement(s), and/or trademark rights. Distribution or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. To the extent other restrictions apply, permission for distribution or reproduction from the applicable rights holder is also required. Responsibility for obtaining permissions, and for any use rests exclusively with the user.