Something New Under the Sun: Satellites and the Beginning of the Space Age by Helen Gavaghan (1998 first edition):

📘 Synopsis

This pioneering history traces the dramatic evolution of artificial satellites—from speculative dreams to essential tools in navigation, communications, and meteorology. Gavaghan skillfully weaves together geopolitical context, scientific breakthroughs, engineering challenges, and the untold stories of the individuals behind the technologies.

She explores three primary domains:

• Navigation: the winding path through early satellite positioning systems like Transit and Polaris.

• Meteorology: the genesis of weather satellites such as Suomi that revolutionized forecasting.

• Communications: the rise of syncoms, Telstar, and their commercial and global impact.

A narrative rich in Cold War intrigue, engineering ingenuity, and foundational characters unfolds—from Sputnik’s shockwaves to Syncom’s geosynchronous translations of daily life. 

📄 Complete Chapter List (1998 Edition)

Front Matter

• Preface

• Acknowledgments

Prologue – The Seed

1. The Seed (pp. 1–6)

2. New Moon (pp. 7–20) Cocktails and the Blues (pp. 21–30)

3. Follow That Moon (pp. 31–42)

4. The Space Age (pp. 43–46) 

1 Navigation (pp. 47–125)
6. Polaris and Transit (pp. 49–57)
7. Heady Days (pp. 58–72)
8. Pursuit of Orbit (pp. 73–81)
9. From Sputnik II to Transit (pp. 82–90)
10. Kershner’s Roulette (pp. 91–104)
11. The Realities of Space Exploration (pp. 105–118)
12. Move Over, Sputnik (pp. 119–125) 

2 Meteorology (pp. 127–168)
13. A Time of Turbulence (pp. 129–139)
14. The Bird’s-Eye View (pp. 140–148)
15. Keep it Simple, Suomi (pp. 149–162)
16. Storm Patrol (pp. 163–168) 

3 Communications (pp. 169–223)
17. The Players (pp. 171–179)
18. Of Moons and Balloons (pp. 180–187)
19. Telstar (pp. 188–198) 
20. The Whippersnapper (pp. 199–210)
21. Syncom (pp. 211–222) 
22. Epilogue (pp. 223–224)

Back Matter

• Chronology (pp. 225–232)

• Notes and Sources (pp. 233–286)

• Index (pp. 287–300)

📌 Details & Insights

• First edition in 1998, though copyright references 1997/1998; 300 pages total

• Emphasizes technical and human elements: engineers, scientists, secrecy, politics—all pivotal in transforming satellites into everyday assets 

• The structure—prologue + three thematic sections—mirrors the developmental arc from Sputnik’s debut to practical satellite applications.