John Houbolt

John Houbolt PDF Author: William F. Causey
Publisher: Purdue University Press
ISBN: 1557539480
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 414

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Book Description
In May 1961, President Kennedy announced that the United States would attempt to land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth before the end of that decade. Yet NASA did not have a specific plan for how to accomplish that goal. Over the next fourteen months, NASA vigorously debated several options. At first the consensus was to send one big rocket with several astronauts to the moon, land and explore, and then take off and return the astronauts to earth in the same vehicle. Another idea involved launching several smaller Saturn V rockets into the earth orbit, where a lander would be assembled and fueled before sending the crew to the moon. But it was a small group of engineers led by John C. Houbolt who came up with the plan that propelled human beings to the moon and back—not only safely, but faster, cheaper, and more reliably. Houbolt and his colleagues called it “lunar orbit rendezvous,” or “LOR.” At first the LOR idea was ignored, then it was criticized, and then finally dismissed by many senior NASA officials. Nevertheless, the group, under Houbolt’s leadership, continued to press the LOR idea, arguing that it was the only way to get men to the moon and back by President Kennedy’s deadline. Houbolt persisted, risking his career in the face of overwhelming opposition. This is the story of how John Houbolt convinced NASA to adopt the plan that made history.

John Houbolt

John Houbolt PDF Author: William F. Causey
Publisher: Purdue University Press
ISBN: 1557539480
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 414

Get Book Here

Book Description
In May 1961, President Kennedy announced that the United States would attempt to land a man on the moon and return him safely to the earth before the end of that decade. Yet NASA did not have a specific plan for how to accomplish that goal. Over the next fourteen months, NASA vigorously debated several options. At first the consensus was to send one big rocket with several astronauts to the moon, land and explore, and then take off and return the astronauts to earth in the same vehicle. Another idea involved launching several smaller Saturn V rockets into the earth orbit, where a lander would be assembled and fueled before sending the crew to the moon. But it was a small group of engineers led by John C. Houbolt who came up with the plan that propelled human beings to the moon and back—not only safely, but faster, cheaper, and more reliably. Houbolt and his colleagues called it “lunar orbit rendezvous,” or “LOR.” At first the LOR idea was ignored, then it was criticized, and then finally dismissed by many senior NASA officials. Nevertheless, the group, under Houbolt’s leadership, continued to press the LOR idea, arguing that it was the only way to get men to the moon and back by President Kennedy’s deadline. Houbolt persisted, risking his career in the face of overwhelming opposition. This is the story of how John Houbolt convinced NASA to adopt the plan that made history.

Moon Landings

Moon Landings PDF Author: Philippe Lheureux
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781592090419
Category : Lunar bases
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Presents more than one hundred of the official photographs released by NASA from the lunar missions. Each photo includes a description, a scientific response, and an analysis considering whether NASA altered the photo. Summarizes eight hypotheses to explain oddities in the NASA photos.

No Requiem for the Space Age

No Requiem for the Space Age PDF Author: Matthew D. Tribbe
Publisher:
ISBN: 0199313520
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 289

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Book Description
This fluidly written first book uses Americans' reactions to the Apollo moon landings to examine cultural and social trends in the 1960s and 70s.

Letters from an Astrophysicist

Letters from an Astrophysicist PDF Author: Neil deGrasse Tyson
Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN: 1324003324
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 207

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Book Description
New York Times Bestseller A luminous companion to the phenomenal bestseller Astrophysics for People in a Hurry. Astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson has attracted one of the world’s largest online followings with his fascinating, widely accessible insights into science and our universe. Now, Tyson invites us to go behind the scenes of his public fame by revealing his correspondence with people across the globe who have sought him out in search of answers. In this hand-picked collection of 101 letters, Tyson draws upon cosmic perspectives to address a vast array of questions about science, faith, philosophy, life, and of course, Pluto. His succinct, opinionated, passionate, and often funny responses reflect his popularity and standing as a leading educator. Tyson’s 2017 bestseller Astrophysics for People in a Hurry offered more than one million readers an insightful and accessible understanding of the universe. Tyson’s most candid and heartfelt writing yet, Letters from an Astrophysicist introduces us to a newly personal dimension of Tyson’s quest to explore our place in the cosmos.

Space Encyclopedia

Space Encyclopedia PDF Author: David A. Aguilar
Publisher: National Geographic Books
ISBN: 1426309481
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 196

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Book Description
A tour of outer space explores the solar system as well as stars, galaxies, and the birth of planets, and speculates on whether other intelligent beings exist in the universe.

Apollo's Legacy

Apollo's Legacy PDF Author: Roger D. Launius
Publisher: Smithsonian Institution
ISBN: 1588346528
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 295

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Book Description
An all-encompassing look at the history and enduring impact of the Apollo space program In Apollo's Legacy, space historian Roger D. Launius explores the many-faceted stories told about the meaning of the Apollo program and how it forever altered American society. The Apollo missions marked the first time human beings left Earth's orbit and visited another world, and thus they loom large in our collective memory. Many have detailed the exciting events of the Apollo program, but Launius offers unique insight into its legacy as seen through multiple perspectives. He surveys a wide range of viewpoints and narratives, both positive and negative, surrounding the program. These include the argument that Apollo epitomizes American technological--and political--progress; technological and scientific advances garnered from the program; critiques from both sides of the political spectrum about the program's expenses; and even conspiracy theories and denials of the program's very existence. Throughout the book, Launius weaves in stories from important moments in Apollo's history to draw readers into his analysis. Apollo's Legacy is a must-read for space buffs interested in new angles on a beloved cultural moment and those seeking a historic perspective on the Apollo program.

The Moon Landings

The Moon Landings PDF Author: Flame Tree Studio
Publisher: Flame Tree Illustrated
ISBN: 9781787553026
Category : Photography
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Since Apollo 11’s first ground-breaking moon landing in 1969, the world has been engrossed in space exploration and infinitely curious about how we got there and what might be next. What enables us to break free from Earth’s gravitational well? What does it take to become an astronaut and survive in space? Landing on the Moon explores the fascinating events that led up to the moon landing, both scientific and political, and how it has paved the way for many missions since.

Across the Airless Wilds

Across the Airless Wilds PDF Author: Earl Swift
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0062986554
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 466

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Book Description
"THRILLING. ... Up-end[s] the Apollo narrative entirely." —The Times (London) A "brilliantly observed" (Newsweek) and "endlessly fascinating" (WSJ) rediscovery of the final Apollo moon landings, revealing why these extraordinary yet overshadowed missions—distinguished by the use of the revolutionary lunar roving vehicle—deserve to be celebrated as the pinnacle of human adventure and exploration. One of The Wall Street Journal's 10 Best Books of the Month 8:36 P.M. EST, December 12, 1972: Apollo 17 astronauts Gene Cernan and Jack Schmitt braked to a stop alongside Nansen Crater, keenly aware that they were far, far from home. They had flown nearly a quarter-million miles to the man in the moon’s left eye, landed at its edge, and then driven five miles in to this desolate, boulder-strewn landscape. As they gathered samples, they strode at the outermost edge of mankind’s travels. This place, this moment, marked the extreme of exploration for a species born to wander. A few feet away sat the machine that made the achievement possible: an electric go-cart that folded like a business letter, weighed less than eighty pounds in the moon’s reduced gravity, and muscled its way up mountains, around craters, and over undulating plains on America’s last three ventures to the lunar surface. In the decades since, the exploits of the astronauts on those final expeditions have dimmed in the shadow cast by the first moon landing. But Apollo 11 was but a prelude to what came later: while Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin trod a sliver of flat lunar desert smaller than a football field, Apollos 15, 16, and 17 each commanded a mountainous area the size of Manhattan. All told, their crews traveled fifty-six miles, and brought deep science and a far more swashbuckling style of exploration to the moon. And they triumphed for one very American reason: they drove. In this fast-moving history of the rover and the adventures it ignited, Earl Swift puts the reader alongside the men who dreamed of driving on the moon and designed and built the vehicle, troubleshot its flaws, and drove it on the moon’s surface. Finally shining a deserved spotlight on these overlooked characters and the missions they created, Across the Airless Wilds is a celebration of human genius, perseverance, and daring.

Apollo Remastered

Apollo Remastered PDF Author: Andy Saunders
Publisher: Penguin UK
ISBN: 0141996358
Category : Photography
Languages : en
Pages : 520

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Book Description
AN INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER Discover space as you've never seen it before, with these awe-inspiring, breathtakingly restored images of our first missions to the Moon 'The next best thing to being there' Charlie Duke, Apollo 16 astronaut 'One of the best records of Apollo history ever produced' David R. Scott, Apollo 15 Commander In a frozen vault in Houston sits the original NASA photographic film of the Apollo missions. For half a century, almost every image of the Moon landings publicly available was produced from a lower-quality copy of these originals. Now we can view them as never before. Expert image restorer Andy Saunders has taken newly available digital scans and, applying pain-staking care and cutting-edge enhancement techniques, he has created the highest quality Apollo photographs ever produced. Never-before-seen spacewalks and crystal-clear portraits of astronauts in their spacecraft, along with startling new visions of the Earth and the Moon, offer astounding new insight into one of our greatest endeavours. This is the definitive record of the Apollo missions and a mesmerizing, high definition journey into the unknown.

First on the Moon

First on the Moon PDF Author: Rod Pyle
Publisher: Union Square + ORM
ISBN: 1454932406
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 501

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Book Description
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the groundbreaking Apollo 11 mission, this lavishly illustrated book—featuring stunning photographs and many rarely seen images and documents—tells the incredible story of the first men on the Moon. Acclaimed science author Rod Pyle (Missions to the Moon) returns with a beautiful and insightful book commemorating Apollo 11. First on the Moon offers an exciting behind-the-scenes look at America’s journey to the Moon—from the space race to the landing on the Sea of Tranquility to splashdown on Earth and the aftermath. Pyle spent years combing NASA archives and private collections for memorabilia from the mission, and the book includes everything from accessible explanations of the enormous challenges facing NASA to reproductions of original 1969 documents. It also features a number of specially commissioned photocompositions created from NASA Apollo images released in 2015. Many were parts of photomontages taken by the astronauts, and these compositions have now been carefully restored to their originally intended montage formats. With compelling firsthand accounts and a gripping narrative, this gorgeously designed volume fully immerses readers in the Space Age. Includes a foreword by Buzz Aldrin, and exclusive interviews with the adult children of the Apollo 11 astronauts. [front flap] On July 20, 1969, the first major event in hundreds of millions of years was about to occur on the Sea of Tranquility. A tiny spacecraft had a short while ago ignited its rocket engine, and was plunging toward the cratered expanse. Above that, a small companion spacecraft, crewed by a lone astronaut, orbited overhead, awaiting the return of two brave explorers. After nine years of crushing effort, Apollo 11 had arrived at the Moon. From acclaimed science writer Rod Pyle, this beautiful and insightful book commemorates the Apollo 11 mission from its origins through the aftermath, coinciding with the fiftieth anniversary of that momentous event. Pyle has spent years combing NASA archives and private collections for documents and memorabilia from the mission, including previously unpublished materials. Pyle tells the incredible story of America’s journey to the Moon with a gripping narrative that wrings tension from history, compelling firsthand accounts, and stunning images. He explores the origins of spaceflight, the selection of the astronauts, the Mercury and Gemini programs, the development cycle of the lunar module, the first landing on and exploration of the Moon, reentry and recovery on Earth, and more. This book also includes exclusive interviews with the adult children of the Apollo 11 astronauts, recalling their experiences and their fathers’ impressions. From accessible explanations of the enormous challenges facing NASA to reproductions of original 1969 documents, First on the Moon will fully immerse you in the heart of the Space Age. [back flap] Rod Pyle is a prolific science writer and historian who has written extensively on the United States space program. A writer for the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, he has authored thirteen books on spaceflight and history, including Destination Moon and Missions to the Moon, and is a frequent speaker at conferences focused on science, technology, and innovation. Pyle Has written and produced numerous science documentaries, including Modern Marvels: Apollo 11 for the History Channel. He created an experiential learning program based on the leadership and management of the Apollo program for the Johnson Space Center, is heard frequently on national radio, and hosts the “Cool Space News” podcast on iHeart Radio. Pyle is the senior editor for Ad Astra, a publication of the National Space Society. His numerous media appearances include PBS, NPR, and the Washington Post. The National Space Society (NSS) is an independent, nonpartisan, educational, grassroots, non-profit organization dedicated to the creation of a spacefaring civilization. Widely acknowledged as the preeminent citizen’s voice on space, NSS has chapters in the United States and around the world. The society also publishes Ad Astra magazine, an award-winning periodical chronicling the most important developments in space, and organizes the annual International Space Development Conference (ISDC) and the Space Settlement Summit (SSS). See more at space.nss.org. With stunning, previously unpublished photos and other rarely seen images and documents, First on the Moon is an engrossing narrative of the groundbreaking Apollo 11 mission, in honor of the fiftieth anniversary. From the race to space between the Soviet Union and the United States to the landing on the Sea of Tranquility to splashdown on Earth and the aftermath, First on the Moon offers an exciting behind-the-scenes look at this historic, landmark milestone.