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Failure Is Not an Option
Failure Is Not an Option: Mission Control From Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond | Gene Kranz
11 posts | 10 read | 10 to read
This memoir of a veteran NASA flight director tells riveting stories from the early days of the Mercury program through Apollo 11 (the moon landing) and Apollo 13, for both of which Kranz was flight director.Gene Kranz was present at the creation of Americas manned space program and was a key player in it for three decades. As a flight director in NASAs Mission Control, Kranz witnessed firsthand the making of history. He participated in the space program from the early days of the Mercury program to the last Apollo mission, and beyond. He endured the disastrous first years when rockets blew up and the United States seemed to fall further behind the Soviet Union in the space race. He helped to launch Alan Shepard and John Glenn, then assumed the flight directors role in the Gemini program, which he guided to fruition. With his teammates, he accepted the challenge to carry out President John F. Kennedys commitment to land a man on the Moon before the end of the 1960s. Kranz recounts these thrilling historic events and offers new information about the famous flights. What appeared as nearly flawless missions to the Moon were, in fact, a series of hair-raising near misses. When the space technology failed, as it sometimes did, the controllers only recourse was to rely on their skills and those of their teammates. He reveals behind-the-scenes details to demonstrate the leadership, discipline, trust, and teamwork that made the space program a success. A fascinating firsthand account by a veteran mission controller of one of Americas greatest achievements, Failure is Not an Option reflects on what has happened to the space program and offers his own bold suggestions about what we ought to be doing in space now.
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Connster
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I love anything space-related!

Bomb is Humpty Dumpty from Lush. When he split open, a little fried egg popped out! So cute!

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bookseller_cate
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Pickpick

Another great addition to my #spaceracereading. Gene Kranz was there for so much of it, from Mercury‘s “four inch flight” to the Apollo 1 fire, to the moon landing (he was on console for touchdown), to Apollo 13, to the final mission, Apollo 17.

Kranz brings NASA‘s history to life with anecdotes and technical details. His is a point of view few have had the privilege to share.

Up next, Katherine Johnson‘s autobiography, Reaching for the Moon.

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bookseller_cate
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I love that Gene Kranz had a proto #bulletjournal system during the Apollo missions.

I love-hate that he made sure his team could recognize them by pasting Sports Illustrated swimsuit models on the covers.

#spaceracereading

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Eggs
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Klou Brilliant!! 3y
Eggs Thanks 🙏🏻 @Klou 3y
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keys_on_fire
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Pickpick

Space travel intrigues me, and so do the books about it. Jim Lovell‘s book was more story-like, but I enjoyed this one for the technical details that it provided. I do admit that I found myself speed reading/skimming some parts to get to the next piece of action. This goes on my “keep” shelf for sure!
#mtTBR2020 #stayhome24in48

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keys_on_fire
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keys_on_fire
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Picked this up during one of my thrift store trips. I love reading things about the space program, so this was right up my alley! However, I didn‘t realize until tonight (several months later) that it‘s a signed copy, and there was a signed photo of the author in the book as well! 🤩🤓😍

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barbwire
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Post a cover you love each day for 7 days, no explanation. Use the hashtags and tag someone else. (For my own accounting purposes, this is the second of seven.) #7days7covers #covercrush Join in, @Lel2403 !

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DieAReader
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Book Ban Failure-Part 1 😂🤯📚💖 I blame this one on hubby (He rightfully accepts all blame 🙄). We went into the 2nd hand store (I wanted a pair of JEANS). I didn‘t even look for the books (wasn‘t thinking of them at all tbh. 10 feet in the door hubby says to me: “Hey hun, look they‘ve got books! Check this one out (Michael Connelly), isn‘t that one of your authors? Lol these 2 therefore both jumped into my little cart!! I have no shame! 😂📚🎶😉

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SandiParsons

First #secretsantagoespostal shopping expedition did not go to plan and I couldn't find anything I had shortlisted from my recipient's to-be-read list ... but it's okay, I have a new plan!!

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Kristy_K
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These two bookmark the hundreds of books I have on my #tbr from the 2000s.
#readjanuary #publishedinthe2000s