{"id":{"repo_id":"vt","oai_identifier":"oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/42880"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/vt/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/42880","repository":{"repo_id":"vt","name":"Virginia Tech","base_url":"https://vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request"},"display":{"title":"Maintaining NASTRAN: the politics and technics of aerospace computing","abstract":"This thesis describes a process of how NASA maintained the NASTRAN (NASA Structural Analysis) computer program. Chapter one addresses my theoretical concern and suggests to learn from both critical theorists and social constructivists. Chapters Two and Three tell the story of NASA and NASTRAN, a computer program developed by NASA for solving problems of airframes and space structures. The story of NASA and NASTRAN demonstrates a structural imbalance between social groups of NASTRAN and results in the revision of NASTRAN in favor of aerospace users. Chapter Four recounts Feynman's concerns regarding the conflicts between managerial and engineering expertise. I discuss these issues in light of the story of NASA and NASTRAN.","abstract_html":"This thesis describes a process of how NASA maintained the NASTRAN (NASA Structural Analysis) computer program. Chapter one addresses my theoretical concern and suggests to learn from both critical theorists and social constructivists. Chapters Two and Three tell the story of NASA and NASTRAN, a computer program developed by NASA for solving problems of airframes and space structures. The story of NASA and NASTRAN demonstrates a structural imbalance between social groups of NASTRAN and results in the revision of NASTRAN in favor of aerospace users. Chapter Four recounts Feynman's concerns regarding the conflicts between managerial and engineering expertise. I discuss these issues in light of the story of NASA and NASTRAN.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Hu, Minghui"],"institution":"Virginia Tech","degree_name":"Master of Science","degree_level":"masters","degree_discipline":"Science and Technology Studies","degree_department":"Science and Technology Studies","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":["Downey, Gary L."],"committee_members":["Ceruzzi, Paul E.","Fuhrman, Ellsworth R.","Burian, Richard M."],"year":1995,"date_issued":"1995-02-05","date_published":"1995-02-05","updated_at":"2026-07-22T22:18:57Z","subjects":["computer programs"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["In Copyright"],"rights_urls":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-06082009-170731"],"render_values":[{"text":"etd-06082009-170731","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/10919/42880","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.committeechair","label":"Committee Chair","values":["Downey, Gary L."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.committeemember","label":"Committee Member","values":["Ceruzzi, Paul E.","Fuhrman, Ellsworth R.","Burian, Richard M."]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Science and Technology Studies"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Hu, Minghui"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-03-14T21:37:02Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-03-14T21:37:02Z","2009-06-08"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["1995-02-05"]},{"key":"dc:publisher","label":"Institution","values":["Virginia Tech"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"dc:type.dcmitype","label":"Dc Type Dcmitype","values":["Text"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Science and Technology Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science"]},{"key":"thesis:institution_name","label":"Thesis Institution Name","values":["Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["computer programs"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language.iso","label":"Language (ISO)","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["In Copyright"]},{"key":"dc:rights.uri","label":"Rights URI","values":["http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["etd-06082009-170731"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/10919/42880"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This thesis describes a process of how NASA maintained the NASTRAN (NASA Structural Analysis) computer program. 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Chapter one addresses my theoretical concern and suggests to learn from both critical theorists and social constructivists. Chapters Two and Three tell the story of NASA and NASTRAN, a computer program developed by NASA for solving problems of airframes and space structures. The story of NASA and NASTRAN demonstrates a structural imbalance between social groups of NASTRAN and results in the revision of NASTRAN in favor of aerospace users. Chapter Four recounts Feynman's concerns regarding the conflicts between managerial and engineering expertise. 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