Chief engineer Thomas J. Kelly gives a firsthand account of
designing, building, testing, and flying the Apollo lunar module.
It was, he writes, “an aerospace engineer’s dream job of the
century.” Kelly’s account begins with the imaginative process of
sketching solutions to a host of technical challenges with an
emphasis on safety, reliability, and maintainability. He catalogs
numerous test failures, including propulsion-system leaks,
ascent-engine instability, stress corrosion of the aluminum alloy
parts, and battery problems, as well as their fixes under the
ever-present constraints of budget and schedule. He also recaptures
the exhilaration of hearing Apollo 11’s Neil Armstrong report that
“The Eagle has landed,” and the pride of having inadvertently
provided a vital “lifeboat” for the crew of the disabled Apollo
13.
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