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Recommendations for a book to learn about space missions?

  1. Fusion Sep 22, 2019

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    I have the FOIS and have spent plenty of time wearing 3570.50, and am of course superficially aware of Omega’s part in space missions. I think it’s very cool.
    I would really like to learn about the different space missions (Apollo, mercury etc) and what they achieved.
    Is there a text you guys recommend? I understand I can Wikipedia this stuff but a book seems nicer to me. A2272FF5-DBD3-4B81-A178-5C3DC217D89A.jpeg
     
  2. 64Wing Sep 22, 2019

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    https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/mercury/missions/program-toc.html
    https://www.amazon.com/Failure-Not-Option-Mission-Control/dp/1439148813 (Mr. Kranz was so kind to send me a signed copy of this book and it is excellent!)
    https://www.amazon.com/Project-Mercury-Manned-Programme-Springer/dp/1852334061
    https://www.amazon.com/Their-Own-Words-Mercury-Missions/dp/1591502403

    Also check out the Marshall Space Flight Center's YouTube channel and go find the quarterly reports playlist. Really great footage in there.
     
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  3. wagudc Sep 22, 2019

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  4. SpeedyPhill Founder Of Aussie Cricket Blog Mark Waugh Universe Sep 23, 2019

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    Fusion and red crowned like this.
  5. saulgoodman Sep 23, 2019

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    Try Conquest of the Moon by Wernher Von Braun, Magnificent Desolation by Buzz Aldrin, Lost Moon by Jim Lovell, and Failure is not an Option by Gene Kranz. These four books will give you good and different perspectives on the space program from four key players. Enjoy.
     
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  6. SpeedyPhill Founder Of Aussie Cricket Blog Mark Waugh Universe Sep 23, 2019

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    How is Your Russian ?
    A complete overview of manned Russian spaceflight and recovery operations... treasure trove for spaceflight fans
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    Sokol_MoonwatchUniverse.jpg
     
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  7. jsducote Sep 24, 2019

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    My own recollection, having read a number of the recommendations here and many others, is that they are not very technical, especially those written by the astronauts or engineers involved in the flights. Nuts, there's a book at home that I can recommend, but of course I can't think of it.
     
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  8. jsducote Sep 24, 2019

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    A good primer, in English, would be Oberg's 'Red Star in Orbit'
    [His later books, imho, are trying too hard to be sensational]
     
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  9. amphib44 Sep 24, 2019

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    A Man on the Moon by Andrew Chaikin. Mostly Apollo, but very good.
     
  10. SpeedyPhill Founder Of Aussie Cricket Blog Mark Waugh Universe Sep 25, 2019

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    For those who really want technical & scientific background information, there's only one source = NASA SP books ::book::
    These time-period SP - Special Publications became available after each mission and exist for Mercury, Gemini, Apollo, Skylab and ASTP.
    Most amazingly the price US $ 4.25 is on the backcover these books, together with the text: Postmaster: If Undeliverable Do Not Return
    Top Tip: Try to get the real thing, don't go for the re-editions on Amazon, which are bad-copied versions with some pages way to black to read !
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    NASA SP-350 (312 pages) and NASA SP-362 (256 pages)
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    Apollo Preliminary Science Reports : numbered from Apollo 8 to Apollo 17 = NASA SP- 201 232 214 235 272 289 315 330
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