Moonport: A History of Apollo Launch Facilities and Operations

by Charles D. Benson, William Barnaby Faherty

The development of the Apollo f launch facilities and launch operations is described from the beginning of design through the final launch. Management techniques, innovation in automation, and testing on the ground to avoid failures in space are among the topics covered. The impact of the Apollo program on the citrus groves and quiet beaches of Florida's east coast is included. This is a digitally remastered work of the original book published in 1978. NASA SP-4204

Genres: Space, Nonfiction, History

743 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Kent Archie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very long and detailed. Maybe a little too detailed. I'm not very interested in how the construction contracts were written or handed out.
And only a little about the labor problems.
But the descriptions of how the crawlers and the VAB were built were fascinating.
As a computer expert, the mentions of how computer failed because they physically broke, took me back to my early days.

I hadn't heard at the time about the arguments over whether to make the rockets move to the launch pads vertically or horizontally was pretty interesting.