MOON LANDER(ISBN=9781588342737)

“A highly personalized story . . . of the Apollo Lunar Module, built at Grumman by the author and his team.”—Choice

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.

The recipient of a Grumman Engineering Scholarship upon graduating from high school, Thomas J. Kelly worked for the company for more than forty years, retiring in 1992. Now an aerospace and computer consultant, he lives in Cutchogue, New York.

List of Illustrations
list of Acronyms
A Difficult 13elivery
Part 1.  WinninR
We Could Go to the Moon
The LM Proposal 
The Fat Lady Sings 
Part 2.  Oesigning, Building, and Testing
Engineering a Miracle 
Mockupa 
Pushing Out the Drawings 
Trimming I~ounds and Ounces
Problems, Problems! 
Schedule and 0oat Pressures
Tragedy Strikes Apollo 
Building What I Designed 
Part 3.  Flyin
First LM in Space: Apollo 59
The Dress Rehearsals: Apollos S and 10
One Giant I_eap for Mankind: Apollo 11
Great Della of Fire! Apollo 12 
Rescue in Space: Apollo 13 
The Undaunted Warrior Triumphs: Apollo

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