How Apollo Flew to the Moon
W. David Woods
Springer
<p>Out of the battlefields of World War II came the gifted German engineers and designers who developed the V-2 rocket, which evolved into the powerful Saturn V booster that propelled men to the Moon. David Woods tells this exciting story, starting from America's postwar astronautical research facilities. The techniques and procedures developed for what was at first seen as a political decision by President John F Kennedy, were subsequently recognised as an example of human exploration at its greatest, demonstrating a peak of technological excellence. Between 1968 and 1972, twenty four daring men journeyed from Earth to the Moon. Woods traces this massive accomplishment from early launches through manned orbital spaceflights, detailing each step: computer configuration, the role of ground control, trajectory planning, lunar orbiting, separation of the lander, walking and working on the Moon, retrieval of the lunar astronauts and returning to Earth.</p>