This book details the lives of two married geniuses, Aden and Marjorie Meinel, who helped to pioneer modern optics and solar energy in the U.S.Aden B. Meinel and Marjorie P. Meinel stood at the confluence of several overarching technological developments during their lifetimes, including postwar aerial surveillance by spy planes and satellites, solar energy, the evolution of telescope design, interdisciplinary optics, and photonics. Yet, their incredible stories and their long list of scientific contributions have never been adequately recognized in one place. In this book, James Breckinridge and Alec M. Pridgeon correct this oversight by sharing the story of this powerful duo.The book follows their lives and covers large scientific developments between World War II to the Cold War. James B. Breckinridge, a previous advisee and later colleague to the Meinels, and historian and scientist Alec M. Pridgeon collected more than 200 hours of oral interviews with those who worked closely with the Meinels and some who built their careers around the findings made possible by their work. The book shares and analyzes the work done by the Meinels, and it also includes incredible insights from an unpublished Meinel autobiography.

PrefaceAcknowledgmentsChapter 1: From Tomahawks to TelescopesChapter 2: Rising StarsChapter 3: The RocketeersChapter 4: Foreign Intelligence Across the RhineChapter 5: Lights in the Night SkyChapter 6: Genius BloomsChapter 7: The People's ObservatoryChapter 8: Opportunity Knocks - Doors Open WideChapter 9: Inventing Modern Optical SciencesChapter 10: Power for the PeopleDonald E. OsbornChapter 11: A View to National SecurityChapter 12: In Space at LastChapter 13: Slowly Fades the SupernovaAppendix 1: List of Acronyms and AbbreviationsAppendix 2: Literature by Aden and Marjorie MeinelAppendix 3: Select publications of Edison Pettit, Hannah Steele Pettit, and Helen Pettit KnaflichReferencesIndex