ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The road that led to this book stretched and snaked its way among many places, almost too many to count. At each stop I picked up intellectual debts. Those debts, more surely innumerable, deserve mention.

Two unforgettable years at Stanford University's Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies (FSI) helped me fashion my work into a book of which I could be proud. Special thanks go out to my mentor and friend David Holloway, who diligently read every word and shaped key portions of the text, especially my evolving thought on the “Interplanetary School of IR.” Members of FSI's Nuclear Reading Group—especially Jeffrey Ding, Ryan Musto, Sulgiye Park, and Scott Sagan—made invaluable suggestions for chapter 5, “The Cosmic Bomb.” I also thank Rose Gottemoeller and Harold Trinkunas for their advice and support. Kathy and Justin Welsh made California feel like home.

As an Ernest May Fellow in 2022–2023, I spent a fantastic year at the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard, where my research benefited from judicious colleagues in the Applied History Working Group. I thank Fred Logevall in particular for poring over the entire manuscript and for his guidance.

At Indiana University, Bloomington, where this project began, Nick Cullather was a steady hand on what was often a veering ship. He provided a reliable stream of advice, redirection, and reassurance—all from his trusty typewriter. De Witt Kilgore, Ed Linenthal, and Stephen Macekura supplied numerous comments and suggestions. Michael McGerr saw the germ of something worthwhile in an earlier work and helped it grow. During that time, I had the opportunity to share early stages of my project with the International Policy Scholars Consortium (IPSCON), a network of historians, political scientists, and area studies scholars attempting to bridge the gap between academic research and contemporary issues in world affairs. For their comments and encouragement, I thank IPSCON's Hal Brands, Frank Gavin, Jim Steinberg, and Phil Zelikow.

Scholars from across the United States and around the world helped me through the years and time zones. I thank especially Aaron Bateman, Megan Black, Mark Bradley, Greg Eghigian, Michael Falcone, Anne Foster, Alexander Geppert, Daniel Immerwahr, Neil Maher, Patrick McCray, Teasel Muir-Harmony, Brian Odom, Stephen Walt, and Salim Yaqub.

This book would have floundered, too, without financing. A travel grant from the Eisenhower Foundation kickstarted my research in Abilene, Kansas. The Indiana University History Department supplied several small research awards that allowed me to attend conferences and visit archives. An Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr. Fellowship from the Kennedy Presidential Library allowed me to spend an extended period in Boston combing through national security files. In 2019, I received an Aerospace History Fellowship from the American Historical Association and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Without it, completing this book would have been impossible.

For breaking up the solitude of writing I thank my family and friends. Jacob Hagstrom was a sounding board for ideas and laughs. My siblings Jonathan, Kevin, and Sarah were a constant source of encouragement. My parents—Jeff and Cheryl Buono—cheered on a roving, penniless child. The Eilenberg Family—Heléna, Steven, Michael, and Jenna—celebrated every milestone. And my wife, Samantha, showed unerring faith in my work. I dedicate this book to her.

Last, I want to acknowledge the late Martin J. Sherwin, thanks to whom I became a historian. Avanti, Marty!