Flight: My Life in Mission Control

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Dutton, 2001 - Science - 371 pages
Flight is the stirring account of the U.S. space program from its infancy to its greatest triumphs - from the one man who was there for it all, Christopher Columbus Kraft, Jr., the first NASA Flight Director.Born in a small town that no longer exists, Chris Kraft didn't let anything hold him back. After excelling in school and earning a coveted position at Virginia Polytechnic Institute, Chris Kraft graduated and went on to play an integral part in what would become the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Using his knowledge of aeronautics and engineering, Kraft oversaw the design of the space modules, rocket launches, and as it became clear that a command center and chain of command were needed, he created Mission Control. Chris Kraft was there to witness all the behind-the-scenes intrigue, near-disasters, calculated gambles, and flat-out luck that came with each unprecedented foray into space from the early 1960's to well after Neil Armstrong landed on the moon in 1969.The great heroes of the space program: Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Jim Lovell, and Frank Borman, are shown in all their glory and in their darkest hours. Relive the moments that captured the imagination of the world in a book that examines the greatest achievements to date in the history of American space flight.After graduation from VPI with a BS in Aeronautical Engineering, Chris Kraft went on to become the director of the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas from 1972 to 1982. Since his retirement from federal service, Chris Kraft has served as an aerospace consultant to Rockwell International, IBM, a number of other companies, and servied on the Board of Directors of several large companies in Houston. The father of two grown children, he lives with his wife in Houston.

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Contents

A Boy from Phoebus
7
The Boy Becomes a Man
26
Flight Tests and a Stubborn Marine
50
Copyright

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About the author (2001)

Chris Kraft was the director of the NASA Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, from 1972 to 1982. Since his retirement from federal service, he has served as an aerospace consultant to Rockwell International, IBM, and other companies.

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