Countdown to a Moon Launch: Preparing Apollo for Its Historic Journey

by Jonathan H. Ward

Thousands of workers labored at Kennedy Space Center around the clock, seven days a week, for half a year to prepare a mission for the liftoff of Apollo 11. This is the story of what went on during those hectic six months.

Countdown to a Moon Launch provides an in-depth look at the carefully choreographed workflow for an Apollo mission at KSC. Using the Apollo 11 mission as an example, readers will learn what went on day by day to transform partially completed stages and crates of parts into a ready-to-fly Saturn V. Firsthand accounts of launch pad accidents, near misses, suspected sabotage, and last-minute changes to hardware are told by more than 70 NASA employees and its contractors. A companion to Rocket Ranch, it includes many diagrams and photographs, some never before published, to illustrate all aspects of the process. NASA’s groundbreaking use of computers for testing and advanced management techniques are also covered in detail.

This book will demystify the question of how NASA could build and launch Apollo missions using 1960s technology. You’ll discover that there was no magic involved – just an abundance of discipline, willpower, and creativity.

Genres: Space, History, Nonfiction

742 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 7, 2015

About the author

Jonathan H. Ward is an author of space histories with unique perspectives. Having grown up in the early space age and worked as a summer tour guide at the Smithsonian's National Air & Space Museum as a teenager during the Apollo years (and driven a lunar rover there before he was old enough to drive a car), space has been Jonathan's lifelong passion. His professional career included time with Boeing on the Space Station Freedom program. But it is from Jonathan's graduate degree in Systems Management and his extensive work in organizational development and leadership coaching that he learned to appreciate the complexity of the human side of what it takes to put people into space. He is passionate about ensuring that the people behind the scenes - not just the leaders - get their time in the spotlight.

In addition to his writing, Jonathan provides public outreach as a volunteer NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador. He has spoken at Spacefest, the TriStar Regional Astronomy Conference, the NASA Alumni League Florida Chapter, the Center for Creative Leadership, and many other regional and local gatherings.

Jonathan lived in the Washington DC area from 1967 to 2011, and now calls Greensboro, North Carolina his home.

Jonathan spent ten years as a semi-professional classical singer in the Washington, DC. He has appeared on Grammy-winning albums with the National Symphony Orchestra and The Washington Chorus. He performed as a soloist in the Kennedy Center Concert Hall and on tour in Italy in 2000. He was Chorus President of The Washington Chorus from 2003-2006.

Reviews

[Michel Bonin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book, read after Stages to Saturn, gives a parallel narration of the development of the LC39 complex and the intricately detailed testing program of the Saturn V and Apollo. The author then takes you thru a complete countdown of Apollo 11-what a treat!

[Brian Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can’t say enough good things about Countdown to a Moon Launch: Preparing Apollo for Its Historic Journey, by Jonathan H. Ward. His scholarship is breath-taking. Preparing an Apollo/Saturn V mission for launch entails what seems to be an incomprehensible number of details. The amazing thing is that it was not incomprehensible; and Ward manages to give the reader insight into the true scale of the complexity involved. This book is a must-read for anyone deeply interested in the Apollo program. Flight operations and mission control have been thoroughly covered, but when you read this book, you’ll realize that all these other accounts are just a fraction of the work involved. For me this account was particularly poignant as my dad worked at KSC in the vehicle assembly building, and our entire space coast community was caught up in every aspect of Apollo. Ward pulls back the curtain on the work out at KSC that supercharged the atmosphere of Brevard County in the 1960s. One cannot fully understand the life & times of the Cape area without understanding what was happening at KSC. And Ward provides that insight brilliantly.

[Steve Sarrica · Rating 4 out of 5]

A companion piece to Rocket Ranch, Countdown to a Moon Launch is an excellent read. Learned lots of interesting new things and recommend it to anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of the Apollo program. Gave it four stars because it wasn't quite as compelling as Rocket Ranch.

[Greg Parrott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the details especially as it got closer to liftoff. The section on near misses was also good.

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating of 4.97