Retired Chief Astronaut Charlie Precourt
Project Mercury
John Glenn
Alan Shepard
Deke Slayton
Project Gemini and Apollo
Neil Armstrong
Gene Cernan
Charlie Duke
Jim Lovell
Tom Stafford
Project Space Shuttle
Robert Crippin
Franklin Chang-Diaz
Brian Duffy
Robert “Hoot” Gibson
Rick Hauck
Charlie Precourt
Research
Nicole Gail Roberts
Pictorial
Bryce Barbree Harrington, Photo Editor
Photographic Restoration—Mark H. Widick, M.D.
Photographs
J. L. Pickering
Pictorial Research
Mike Gentry
Research Librarian, Johnson Space Center
Maggie Persinger
Research Librarian, Kennedy Space Center
With special thanks to contributors
Howard Benedict
Associated Press Aerospace Writer and Historian
Tom Brokaw
NBC News Space Anchor
David Brinkley
NBC News Apollo Anchor
Bob Button
Gemini and Apollo Spokesman
Martin Caidin
aerospace writer and space historian
Gene Cernan
last on the moon, Apollo 17 commander
Colonel Bill Coleman
astronaut affairs, office of the secretary of the Air Force
Tom Costello
NBC News space correspondent
Walter Cronkite
CBS News anchor and space historian
David DeFelice
community and media relations, Glenn Research Center
Brigadier General Charlie Duke
Apollo 11 CapCom and Apollo 16 moonwalker
John Glenn
first American in orbit and veteran U.S. Senator
Herb Gold
NBC space group’s associate producer, Gemini and Apollo
Hugh Harris
director, NASA’s public affairs and voice of Launch Control
Ed Harrison
chief of information, NASA’s KSC
Jim Hartz
NBC News space anchor and Today show host
Lester Holt
NBC News space anchor and Today show host
James Holten
NBC News space producer and management
Chet Huntley
NBC News space anchor
Bob Jacobs
NASA deputy associate administrator, communications
Jim Kitchell
executive producer, NBC space coverage
Jack King
NASA Apollo 11 commentator
Matt Lauer
NBC News space anchor and Today show host
Jim Lovell
Neil Armstrong’s Apollo 11 backup commander and commander of Apollo 13
Scott MacLeod
Korean War F9F Panther carrier pilot and Grumman lunar module instructor
Lisa Malone
director of media affairs, NASA’s KSC
Ralph Morse
Life magazine’s photographer of the astronauts
Frieda Morris
NBC News management of spaceflight
Danny Noa
NBC News space producer
Charlie Precourt
chief astronaut (retired)
Alan Shepard
first American in space and commander of Apollo 14
Deke Slayton
chief astronaut and director of flight crew operations
Lt. General Tom Stafford
commander of Apollo 10 and Apollo/Soyuz
Russ Tornabene
NBC News space producer and management
Manny Virata
television networks press site coordinator
Bob Watkins
Grumman lunar module team
Harold Williams
NBC News Manned Spacecraft Center
Brian Williams
NBC News space anchor
INDEX
The index that appeared in the print version of this title does not match the pages in your e-book. Please use the search function on your e-reading device to search for terms of interest. For your reference, the terms that appear in the print index are listed below.
abort mode
aeronautical engineering
Agena rocket
chased by Gemini 8
docking with
as target rocket
undocking from Gemini 8 in emergency
Agnew, Spiro T.
aircraft carriers, launches from
Aitken basin, on the moon
Alarm!
Albrook Air Force Base, Panama
Aldrin, Buzz
and Apollo 8
on Apollo 11 flight
with Apollo 11 in background
background of
chosen for Apollo 11
on the Eagle
EVA skill of
on Gemini 12
landing on moon
in lunar module simulator
on Neil’s personality
in quarantine
recruited as astronaut
return to Earth
science experiments on the moon
scientific credentials of
training for Apollo missions
weather report from space
Aldrin, Joan
American flag on the moon
Anders, Bill
animals in space
antenna
Apollo 1, launchpad fire that killed three
Apollo 7
Apollo 8
crew of
in flight
heading for launch
interior of
lunar orbit
mission of
outdoes the Soviet effort
reentry
scouting the landing approach for Apollo 11
White House ceremonies for astronauts
Apollo 9
mission of
Apollo 10
Charlie Brown command module
mission of
scouting the landing approach for Apollo 11
Snoopy lunar module
Apollo 11
backup crew of
components of
crew of
crew of called “Misfits”
dominating the news
life aboard (eating, sleeping)
mission of
plan for lunar landing
training for
—Columbia command module
flight around moon
undocked from Eagle
—Eagle lunar module
camera and photography
descent to moon
discarded in lunar orbit
discarded items from, photographed from space
docking with
“the Eagle has landed”
“the Eagle has wings”
flight around moon
inspection for damage
landing legs
at launch
on the moon
return to Columbia
TV broadcast from
—the flight
go-ahead for launch (July 16, 1969)
waiting launch
liftoff
countdown
in flight
in Earth orbit
headed to the moon
behind the moon, out of touch
in lunar orbit
return to Earth
debriefing the crew
Apollo 12
crew of
mission of
traces of moon visit photographed from space
Apollo 13
crew of
lunar module of, astronauts’ refuge in
Apollo 14,
traces of moon visit photographed from space
Apollo 15
crew of
traces of moon visit photographed from space
Apollo 16, traces of moon visit photographed from space
Apollo 17
liftoff from moon
parachuting to ocean landing
traces of moon visit photographed from space
TV camera of
Apollo missions
commander position
LM pilot position
training for
Apollo Project
grounded after launchpad fire
Apollo spacecraft
components of (command module, service module, lunar module)
construction of
improved version after Apollo 1 fire
Apollo/Soyuz mission (1975)
Armstrong, Dean (Neil’s brother)
Armstrong, Eric Alan (Rick) (Neil’s son)
Armstrong, Janet. See Shearon, Janet
Armstrong, June (Neil’s sister)
Armstrong, Karen Anne “Muffie” (Neil’s daughter)
birth of
death of, from brain tumor
effect of death on Neil
moon memorial of
Armstrong, Mark Stephen (Neil’s son)
Armstrong, Neil
(1947–1955) Aviation Midshipman Program
(1950) flight training
(1951) Korean War pilot
(1955–1962) test pilot at Edwards
(1957) birth of first child
(1959) birth of second child
(1961–1962) applies to become astronaut
(1962) accepted as astronaut
(1963) birth of third child
(1964) house fire, children rescued
(1966) Gemini 8 mission
(1967) visits LBJ at White House, learns of Apollo 1 fire
(1969) on Apollo 11 flight
(1969) on the Eagle, landing
(1969) on the moon
(1969) return from the moon
(1971) retires, buys a farm, teaches aeronautics
(1986) on commission to investigate the Challenger accident
(1994) divorce from Janet
(1994) marries Carol Knight
(2012) death following heart bypass surgery
apocryphal yarn about Mr. and Mrs. Gorsky
astronaut training
boyhood interest in flying, first flight and pilot’s license
cabin in San Gabriel Mountains
as CapCom
celebrity status
childhood
chosen for Apollo 11
on combat mission in Korea
congressional testimony of, on space exploration
contribution to space flight
conversations from space
and death of Karen Anne Armstrong
experience as test pilot
flight hobbies (gliders, propeller planes)
friendship with John Glenn
Gemini 5 backup
a Gemini Nine astronaut
home life
interviews and news conferences
investigating the Apollo 1 disaster
landing on moon
“one small step for (a)man, one giant leap for mankind”
pranks played by
rescue of two-year-old girl
role model to astronauts
small-town roots of
space exploration advocate
speculates on his future
teenage years playing band and chasing girls
training for Apollo missions
—character and personality
decision making, cool under pressure
humility
keep-your-distance impression
lacking (self-stated)
other astronauts’ opinion
perfectionism
preparedness
respect for life
small town virtues
—photographs
with Apollo 11 in background
in aviator gear
in cockpit of Eagle
in cockpit of Gemini spacecraft
in cockpit of X-15
on commission to investigate the Challenger accident
ejecting from the LLTV
after ejection from fighter jet
entering Apollo 11
family life
in flight
on Gemini team
jungle survival training
in lunar module simulator
at Mission Control
in quarantine
in simulator
in spacecraft
in spacesuit
splashdown
taking phone call in spacecraft
training for Apollo missions
with X-15 rocket plane
Armstrong, Steve (Neil’s father)
Armstrong, Viola (Neil’s mother)
asteroids hitting Earth
Astronaut Maneuvering Unit (AMU)
astronauts
American and Russian, bond between
as America’s ambassadors
Chief, position of
deaths of
as former celebrities
houses and housing of
recruitment of
reunions of
training of
astronomy, history of
Atlantis shuttle
Atlas rocket
attitude control
aurora borealis
B-29 bomber
B-52, drop-and-launch from
Baikonur Cosmodrome
Bales, Steve
ballooning
Barbree, Jay (author)
friendship with Neil
investigates Challenger accident
space reporting of
Barbree, Jo
Bassett, Charles
Bean, Alan L.
Beddingfield, Sam
Belyayev, Pavel
Benedict, Howard
Big Bang
biological isolation garments (BIGs)
Borman, Frank
Brand, Vance
Brokaw, Tom
Brown, Curt
Burton, Bob
Bush, George H. W.
Bush, George W.
Butchart, Stan
C-47 plane
Caidin, Martin
Cape Canaveral
astronauts at
JFK and John Glenn at
Launch Control Center
launches from
and launchpad fire investigation
rocket complex
shuttles flown from
spectator crowds at
view of, from space
capsule communicator (CapCom)
capsules, manned, Neil’s aversion to
Carpenter, John
Carpenter, Scott
Carr, Jerry
Carter, Jimmy
Cernan, Gene
last man on the moon
Chaffee, Roger
death in launchpad fire
memorial to, on the moon
recruited as astronaut
destruction of, on launch
Chang-Diaz, Franklin
Chicago, Illinois
Choco Indians
CIA
Cleveland, Ohio
Clinton, Bill
Coastal Sentry Quebec tracking ship
Cocoa Beach, Florida
Cold War
Collins, Mike
and Apollo 8
on Apollo 11 flight
with Apollo 11 in background
background of
chosen for Apollo 11
in Columbia awaiting Neil’s and Buzz’s return from the moon
on Gemini 10
on Neil’s personality
pilot of Apollo 11
in quarantine
recruited as astronaut
return to Earth
training for Apollo missions
Collins, Pat
Columbia. See Apollo 11, Columbia
Columbia Accident Investigation Board
Columbia shuttle
loss of
computers, of lunar lander
Conrad, Pete
Constellation project
Cooper, Gordon
Covey, Dick
creation (theological)
Crippen, Robert
Crossfield, Scott
Cunningham, Walter
DC-3 plane
Discoverer surveillance satellite
Discovery shuttle
Discovery Television
Dobrynin, Anatoly
docking in space
first
Doolittle, Jimmy
Douglas, Bill
Douglas Skyrockets
Duffy, Brian
Duke, Charlie
Dyna-Soar plane
Eagle. See Apollo 11, Eagle
Earth, the
eventual death of
formation of
gravity of, and escape velocity
view of, from space
view of, from the moon
Earth-Moon system
flight windows (opportunity to fly)
need to explore
origin of, at beginning of the solar system
view of, from Galileo planetary craft
Earth orbit
earthshine
Edwards Air Force Base
Edwards High Speed Flight Station/Research Center
8-ball (equipment)
Einstein, Albert
Eisele, Donn F.
Eisenhower, Dwight
Eisenhower, Mamie
ejection
instructions for
at jet speed
lifetime limit on number
from LLTV
El Lago neighborhood, Houston, Texas
Ellington Air Force Base, Texas
Enos (chimpanzee)
equigravisphere
escape velocity
Essex aircraft carrier
Evans, Ron
executive overload computer error
Explorer I satellite
Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA)
difficulties of, overcome by Buzz Aldrin
first (Soviet)
F9F Panther
F-82 research plane
F-104A Starfighter
Fighter Squadron 51 (VF-51)
firsts
docking in space
Extra Vehicular Activity
humans on Earth
landing on moon (American)
man in space (American)
man in space (Soviet)
rendezvous in space
satellite (American)
satellite (Soviet)
flight medicine and physiology
Florida, cold snaps in
Ford Trimotor
free return trajectory
Freedom 7 spacecraft
Freeman, Faith
Freeman, Ted
Friendship 7 spacecraft
Fucci, James
future, lack of vision for
G force
g limiter
G load
Gagarin, Yuri
background
first flight to space
hero to Neil
memorial to, on the moon
galaxies
Galileo
Galileo planetary craft
Garman, Jack
Garriott, Owen
Gemini 3
Gemini 4
Gemini 5