Bassett, Charles, 123–124
Bay of Pigs invasion, 46
Beck, Hal
on Houston Space Center, 52
on lunar landing sites, 81
on Moon’s gravitational pull, 165–166
on Moon trajectories, 70–72
on NASA bureaucracy, 236–237
photograph of, 73f
Schmitt and, 211
on Space Task Group, 32–33
Bell, Larry, 103–104,136,219
Bell Aerospace, 119–120
belly band, 40
Benton, Eugene, 189
blockhouse, 100
“Blue Marble” photograph, 210
Bond, Aleck, 34–35,52
Bordano, Aldo, 93,94,199–200,234
Borman, Frank, 160,166
Bourgin, Simon, 166
Bradbury, Ray, 12
Brezhnev, Leonid, 175
broom test, 75
Brown, Robert
in advisory role, 190,221
on barbecue mode, 161–162
on calculating consumables, 139
early life of, 9–10
on guidance instruments, 29–30
hiring new employees, 93
on John Norton, 115
joining Mission Planning and Analysis division, 93
on ascent from Moon, 89
lunar landing navigation assignment, 90–91
mementos of, 229
on Moon trajectories, 70
photograph of, 228f
in retirement, 229
running failure analysis project, 221
on Surveyor program, 70,90
on teamwork atmosphere, 236
Bush, George H. W., 224–225
Bush, George W., 224–225
Cal Tech gathering, 230
Canada aerospace, 37
Cape Canaveral, 53,54,57,82
Capsules
early model of, 67f
returning, 64–65
Carruth, Ralph, 101f
Cassetti, Marlowe
on Apollo 13 near tragedy, 203
on Apollo postpartum, 214
calculating Apollo’s total weight, 154
on close of Apollo, 210
on communication relay, 57
competing for computer time, 72
on control thruster problems, 65
coordinating early launches, 24
early life of, 7–8
on engineers’ obsessive dedication, 185
experiencing orbit of globe, 58
at government’s aeronautical labs, 21
guiding Gemini launches, 105
on Houston Space Center, 52
on Huntsville, Alabama, 24–25
on hydrogen fueled rockets, 72
on lander’s weight, 139–140
at Langley, Virginia, 21
on early launch films, 36–37
on model airplanes, 8–9
on NASA bureaucracy, 237–238
on NASA’s start, 25
on personal computers, 220
photograph of, 9f
predicting future Moon missions, 222
on racial segregation, 96
reacting to Kennedy’s speech, 48
in retirement, 227
retiring from NASA, 220
on sight selection for Manned Spaceflight Center, 50–51
on Skylab program, 214
on teamwork atmosphere, 234–235
underestimating von Braun’s engineering skills, 234
on von Braun’s organization structure, 49–50
Cavett, Dick, 216–217
CBS News, 180
Cernan, Eugene, 126–127,179
Chaffee, Roger, 136
Christmas Eve broadcast, 166
circumlunar voyage, support for, 155–157
Civil rights, 96–97
Civil Rights Act, 96,109
Cleaver, Eldridge, 147
Cold War paranoia, 47
combustion instability, 79,84–86. See also pogo effect
communications satellites, 83
communication system, global, 55–56,163–164
computer chip, 72
computer programming, 116–117
computers
electronic, 32–33
female technical secretaries as first, 31–32
integrated circuits, 72
lunar trajectory computations, 70–71
machine time for computations, 70–72
memory, 118
MIT’s delivery of, 116–117
personal computers, 219–220
programmable computer, 118
punch cards, 70–72
rope mothers, 118
semiconductor chips, 220
software, 115–116
storing programs on spacecraft, 117–118
teletype, communication via, 140
computing time, 140
Congressional Space Act of 1958, 25
Conrad, Charles, Jr., 193,194f
control thrusters, 64–65,99,125–126,200
Cooper, Gordon, 237–238
Copernicus Crater, 131f
Corona satellite, 64
cosmic rays, 188–189,225. See also space radiation
countdown, simulated, 135–136
crawlers, 76,114,222
Cronkite, Walter, 133,144,180,187
direct ascent debates, 42–43
Disney, Walt, 13f
dispersion analysis, 62–63,176–177,178f
Dunbar’s number, 231
dynamic test stand, 100
Earth
gravitational pull of, 161
Moon’s gravitational effect on, 60
phase-locking to the Moon, 60
relative scale of Moon and, 61f
Earth-centered to Moon-centered coordination, 162
Earth-Moon distance, 226
Earth orbit rendezvous, 43–44
Earth’s atmosphere, 43
Eisenhower, Dwight, 17–18,25,43–44
electrocardiogram (EKG) monitoring, 219
electromagnetic waves, 209
electronic computers, 32–33
engineers
civil rights and, 130
families of, 96
female, 108–109
minority, 109,211
NASA’s trust in, 232–233
obsessive dedication of, 185
responsibility of, 233
on teamwork atmosphere, 236
environmental chamber, 104–105,120,138
equal opportunity/affirmative action, 216
escape tower, 37,38f,47
Explorer 1, 24
extra-sensory perception experiments, 205
F-1 engine, 48–49,84,100
Faget, Ann, 95–96
Faget, Carol, 95–96
Faget, Guy Henry, 5,170,172,215
Faget, Maxime “Max”
designing escape tower, 37
designing hypersonic aircraft, 21–22
on flying to the Moon, 42
founding Space Industries, 215
on John Glenn’s Earth orbit, 66
Johnson and, 235
at Langley, Virginia, 21–22
on lunar lander plan, 87–88
on lunar orbit rendezvous, 43–44
on Moon disease risk, 95
on oxygen problems, 133
personality of, 22
photograph of, 5f,67f,171f
quirky brilliance of, 6,95
recognizing importance of management, 237
retiring from NASA, 215
on shuttle idea, 170
spacecraft designer role, 33–36
spacecraft testing, 94–95
on Space Shuttle program, 215
submarine life of, 6
von Braun and, 172
on Apollo TV signal, 186–187
during WWII, 4–6
Fairchild Semiconductor, 72
Fassett, Caleb, 208–209
female astronauts and cosmonauts, 81–82,210
>
female computers, 31–32,33
female engineers, 108–109
“Flash Gordon” (serial), 10
flying bedstead, 151–152,152f
food safety, 218–219
fuel cells, 107,113–114,200
fuel tanks, 75–76,125–126
Gagarin, Yuri, 45
Garman, Jack
on Apollo 8, 162
on Apollo 11 alarms, 183
on Apollo 14, 204
on Apollo guidance computer, 219–220
on control center’s upgrade, 204
joining NASA, 115–116
preparing “cheat sheets,” 181
Gemini missions, 59,98,105–106,107–108,124,134f
General Electric, 131
Gilruth, Robert, 21,31–32,39–40,46–47,50–51,53,234,237
gimbal lock, 179
Glenn, John, 64–66
global communication system, 55–56,112,163–164
Goddard, Robert, 3–4,9
Goddard Space Flight Center, 56,57
gravimeter, 209
gravitational waves, 209
Griffin, Gerry
on Apollo 8, 159–160
on Apollo 12, 192
at Cal Tech gathering, 230–231
on NASA bureaucracy, 238
on NASA culture, 232
on radio black-out, 165
Grissom, Gus, 135,136
Grumman Company, 119–120,138–139,190
guidance instruments, 30,191–192
gyroscope, 29–30,141–142
Ham (chimpanzee), 44–45
Hamilton Standard, 91–92
Harris, Ruth Bates, 216
Haukohl, Guenther, 15,53,236–237
Heimburg, Karl, 78
Henderson, Mac, 156,191
Houbolt, John, 67–68
Houston, test facilities in, 77–78
Howard Hughes’s aircraft company, 70
Hubble Space Telescope, 106
Hughes, Frank
Anders and, 168
on Apollo 1 tragedy, 136
on communication time delays, 163–164
creating lifelike simulations, 122–124
joining NASA, 120–121
on lunar landing set down, 185
on Moon landing skeptics, 207–208
on rare day off, 157
in retirement, 227–228
on space sickness, 161
Humble Oil Company, 51
Huntsville
blossoming of, 24
celebration of Moon announcement, 48
celebration of Moon landing, 189
German relocation to, 12
growth of, 129
as “Rocket City,” 24,224
sonic impact on, 26–27
symphony orchestra of, 24
Thanksgiving in, 145–146
today, 224
hydrogen-burning engines, 72–75,76
hypergolic fuels, 89–90,98
hypersonic aircraft, designing, 21–22
ice crystals, 123–124,157–158
inertial guidance, 29–30
instrument unit, 141–142,143f,149
International Business Machines (IBM), 219
International Latex Corporation, 92,104,208
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 42,70,119
Johnson, Caldwell, 48,52–53,62,105,133,212–213,235,238
Johnson, Katherine, 33
Johnson, Lyndon Baines
condemning urban violence, 148
on female astronauts, 81–82
on NASA’s budget, 96,129–130
NASA support of, 84
recommending Moon landing, 46–47
on reelection, 149
signing Civil Rights Act, 96
on Sputnik, 17
sworn in as president, 83
as technocracy disciple, 44
Johnson Space Center, 51,215–216,218,220–221
joint space exploration, 82,212–213
Jupiter rocket, 14,19
Kelly, Thomas, 87–88,89,119–120,185–186,188
Kennedy, John F.
on Apollo project, 44
assassination of, 83
committing to Moon landing, 47–48
health problems of, 45–46,82
at Marshall Space Flight Center, 82f
okaying Bay of Pigs invasion, 46
on Soviet joint space exploration, 82
on space race, 31
on superweapons, 4–5
and technocracy, 44,64
Kennedy, Joseph, Jr., 4–5
Khrushchev, Nikita, 16,17,20,81,83
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 77,130,147,151
Komarov, Vladimir, 137
Korolev, Sergei Pavlovich
death of, 118
designing first artificial satellite, 17
developing the Voskhod, 83
joining Soviet Union rocket program, 15–17
on Sputnik II, 20
Kraft, Christopher
on Apollo 13 near tragedy, 199
coordinating capsule recovery with Navy, 158–159
on Gilruth, 31
investigating Apollo 1 tragedy, 137–138
on John Glenn’s Earth orbit, 64
as minor celebrity, 108
Mission Control and, 59
on NASA bureaucracy, 238
on Saturn V maiden voyage, 144
on scientists vs. engineers, 80–81
on Titan rocket launch, 113
von Braun and, 53
Laitin, Joseph, 166
Lang, Fritz, 9
launch days, 112
launch pad, design of, 113–114
Leonov, Alexei, 103–104
lifeboat study, 201
lightning, 191–192
Lindbergh, Charles, 175
liquid oxygen, 3–4,120–121
long-duration space missions, 225
Low, George, 155–156,216
lunar-centered coordinate system, 162
Lunar Lander Research Vehicle, 152f,See also flying bedstead
lunar landing, sites for, 81
lunar landing module
ascent engine, 89–90
cracked parts in, 139
docking command module to, 173–174
first generation, 87–89
full-scale model, 91
functioning as a lifeboat, 200–201
photograph of, 88f
prototype for, 119–120
size and weight of, 173
support for, 87
testing of, 138–139
weight of, 139–140,153–154
wiring issues, 139,149
Lunar orbit rendezvous, 43–44,67–69
lunar receiving laboratory, 95,208–209
lunar television signal, 207
Luna series, 24,63,118–119,151
Lunney, Glynn, 151
Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. See Manned Spaceflight Center
Manned Spaceflight Center, 50–53,93,147–148
Mars, 55,68,163–164,172,189,209,214,224–225
Marshall Space Flight Center, 26,86,222–224
Max Q, 39
Mayer, John, 235–236
Maynard, Owen, 37,39
McQuarrie, Ralph, 180
Mercury capsules, 65
Mercury missions, 33,54,59,134f
Merritt Island launch facility, 53–55
minority engineers, 108–109
Mission Control
during Apollo 11, 185
during Apollo 13, 202
astronauts communicating with, 163
audio lines with capsule and, 135
computer failure during Apollo 8, 162–163
computer programs for, 93
computers running, 162–163
design of, 53,59
global stations communicating with, 56–57
photograph of, 58f
running simulations, 181
Mission Planning and Analysis division, 93–94,157,214
>
Mississippi test facility, 127
Mitchell, Edgar, 205
MIT’s Instrumentation Laboratory, 72,115–117,181,204–205
mobile launch concept, 55,141,176,222
Moon
features of, 62
gravitational effect on Earth, 60
mass concentrations in, 132
measuring distance to, 226
NASA plotting orbits of, 62–63
orbit of, 60
origin of, 225–226
phase-locking of, 60
placing United States flag on, 181–182
relative scale of Earth and, 61f
science experiments, 226–227
scientific discoveries of, 225
scientific priorities for, 80–81
shooting probes to, 70
“Moon Day” idea, 195
Moon landing
American public’s declining interest in, 195
Americans’ disbelief in, 193–195
earth orbit rendezvous, 43–44
as fake, 193–195
Johnson’s recommendation to Kennedy on, 46–47
lunar orbit rendezvous, 43–44,67–69
media coverage of, 180
NASA readying first, 179
one-ship approach, 68
world’s enthusiasm for, 197
moonquakes, 62,205,217
Moon rocks, 90,92,188,190,197,208–209,225–226
Moon virus, 95
Moser, Tom, 69,109–110,181–182,237
MTV (Music Television), 217–218
Mueller, George, 237
National Academy of Sciences, 95
National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). See also Johnson Space Center; Manned Spaceflight Center; Marshall Space Flight Center; Mission Control; return-on-investment
Alabama vs., 96–97
brainstorm city planning, 64
building launch facility, 53–55
bureaucracy of, 236–238
buying computers, 72
collaborative spaceflights with Russia, 212–213
developing global communication system, 55–56
diverse workforce of, 108,216
eliminating final three missions, 197
emergence of, 25
employment record, 216
environmental chamber, 104–105,120,138
federal budget for, 96,129–130,190,217
hard-wired data link between facilities, 57
housing options near, 52,93–94,95–96
inter-center tensions, 203
James Webb as head of, 44
Jet Propulsion Laboratory, 42,70,119
Johnson’s support of, 84
legislative oversight, 216
lunar television signal, 207
management mistakes, 237
negativity facing, 80
opening Manned Spaceflight Center, 50–53
organizational culture, 231–233
progress of, 31
space emergencies, 123–124
success for, 152–153
teamwork of, 234–236
Night of the Living Dead (film), 148
Nixon, Richard, 188,190
Norbraten, Lee, 93,156–157
Norton, John, 115
Nova rocket, 42–43
Oberth, Hermann, 3–4,9
Operation Aphrodite, 4
Operation Breakthrough, 175
The Apollo Chronicles Page 38