How NASA Learned to Fly in Space

Apogee Books Space Series #46

by David M. Harland

Recapturing an era when America’s leading space explorers readily accepted risk and made momentous decisions on the fly, this recollection looks back on the history of NASA. Recognizing that the Apollo missions received the glory they deserved, this study claims that it was the program’s predecessor, the Gemini program, that pushed the envelope and made a trip to the moon feasible. Emphasizing the vital elements of operating in space, this record highlights how the Gemini program taught the precise maneuvering, flawless rendezvous and docking efforts, and exceptional landings that were required from orbital flight to ensure success. Reliving a crucial period in astronautical history, this evocation sheds light on the monumental challenges posed by the “hard vacuum of space.”

Genres: Space, History, Nonfiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2004

Reviews

[K De · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Harland's "How NASA Learned to Fly in Space" is a concise history of the Gemini space program. It is written clearly and in understandable language with a minimum of NASA jargon. The astronauts and support teams involved in this very ambitious program to learn how to fly spacecraft in space and to perform complex docking processes with multiple space craft was ultimately successful. The astronauts are shown to be able to handle novel zero gravity and micro gravity tasks and to develop appropriate processes in space through intensive earth based simulators. I found this book to be highly enjoyable to anyone who has an interest in human exploration of space.

[Josh · Rating 4 out of 5]

At the beginning of the space race that challenge was to be the first, but those first astronauts and cosmonauts were more spectators than pilots. How do you get two spaceships launched at different times to rendezvous in space? The book gives a glimpse into the history and people the solved that seemingly innocent question. Though the Gemini program is not well remembered it was crucial to the later success of the Apollo program which counted on rendezvous to solve the problem of weight for landing a man on the moon. This is a mildly technical book which describes some of the physicals of orbital flight including the counter intuitive "slow down to speed up".