Book description
In his New York Times bestseller, Chris Kraft delivers an unforgettable account of his life in Mission Control. The first NASA flight director, Kraft emerged from boyhood in small-town America to become a visionary who played an integral role in what would become the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It's…
Why read it?
2 authors picked Flight as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?
I enjoyed this book because Chris Kraft was the father of manned spaceflight operations. He designed the control center concept, had it built, and then managed the early Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo Flights from it.
He was the very first Flight Director and later managed the Apollo flights and became the NASA Manned Spaceflight Center Director. All Flight Controllers highly admired this great leader. The building is now named the Christopher C. Kraft, Jr Mission Control Center.
From Manfred's list on manned spaceflight operations.
This is an enlightening memoir from the founder and driving force of Mission Control at the beginning of the space program. Kraft’s account offers a more complete understanding of this era, with behind-the-scenes perspectives which are no less gripping than those of the more celebrated astronauts.
He deftly illustrates the tension of making rapid-fire decisions with life-or-death consequences, often with incomplete information. While both controllers and astronauts had strong technical backgrounds, and equally strong personalities, flight directors required a different mindset which Mr. Kraft likens to conducting an orchestra. His accounts of certain events, when juxtaposed against those of the…
From Patrick's list on space history that read like novels.
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