A large body of retrospective writings about mass spectrometry was produced during the twentieth century. The great majority of these works were by scientists rather than by historians. Between the middle and the end of the century the amount of material published per decade, the number of different types of works, the number of forums in which it appeared, and the scale of the largest pieces have all increased.

Several types of spectrometers are discussed along with their methods of operations. The open source magnetic deflection type mass spectrometer and the quadrupole mass spectrometer are described in detail. The calibration and mounting procedures used for satellite-borne mass spectrometers were reviewed.