Samuel Herrick (May 29, 1911 – March 20, 1974) was an American astronomer who specialized in celestial mechanics and made important studies preceding the development of crewed space flight.
Two decades later America had the navigational methods needed to fly Earth satellites and to travel to the Moon and back.
In his mimeographed text book titled Rocket Navigation, copyright 1948-1951, he reworked the classical formulas of celestial mechanics to be more useful in the space age.
His opus magnus [sic] on celestial mechanics and Astro-Dynamics[3] which grew naturally from his lectures, was undoubtedly delayed ten years in its eventual publication by this fault.
Sam will be remembered as one who strove assiduously for the things in which he believed.”[citation needed] More details of the life and work of this descendant of the poet Robert Herrick are to be found in the Journal: Quarterly Journ.