
Moon Lander
How We Developed the Apollo Lunar Module
Thomas J. Kelly(Author)
Smithsonian Books (Publisher)
Published on 11. September 2009
Book
Paperback/Softback
304 pages
978-1-58834-273-7 (ISBN)
Description
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.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Illustrations
15 B&W PHOTOS
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 151 mm
Thickness: 40 mm
Weight
459 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-58834-273-7 (9781588342737)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
01/2012
1st Edition
Smithsonian Books
€19.49
Available for download
Previous edition

Book
03/2001
Smithsonian Books
€46.67
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Person
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.