apollo 8 (spacecraft)

The true story of Apollo 8, the first manned American spaceship to break free of the Earth's orbit and reach the moon carrying Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders-- the first astronauts ever to see the moon first hand. This books covers the frantic rush to get the rocket ready and the journey that gave a new look at Earth and our section of the solar system. Covers the science and training required to put people into space and what it is like to live in a spaceship.

"OCTOBER 1957. The USSR, rival of the United States in the so-called Cold War, launches the first artificial satellite into Earth's orbit: Sputnik 1. APRIL 1961. The USSR beats the United States to another milestone when it launches the first human into space on Vostok 1. AUGUST 1968. The United States has a mission planned for the end of the year. Its name: Apollo 8. Its goal: to enter into Earth orbit and test a lunar landing module for use on later missions. But with four months to go, the lunar landing module is behind schedule and the CIA has discovered that the USSR is preparing to send a mission around the moon before America -- a third crucial victory in the space race. It's time for a change of plan: instead of Earth orbit, the next American mission will go all the way to the moon. DECEMBER 1968. The mission that changed everything: Apollo 8."--.

In 1968, America was desperate to catch up to the Soviets in the Space Race. NASA's answer: the groundbreaking Apollo 8 Mission.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Perfect for Father's Day: the riveting inside story of three heroic astronauts who took on the challenge of mankind's historic first mission to the Moon, from the bestselling author of Shadow Divers. "Robert Kurson tells the tale of Apollo 8 with novelistic detail and immediacy."--Andy Weir, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Martian and Artemis By August 1968, the American space program was in danger of failing in its two most important objectives: to land a man on the Moon by President Kennedy's end-of-decade deadline, and to triumph over the Soviets in space. With its back against the wall, NASA made an almost unimaginable leap: It would scrap its usual methodical approach and risk everything on a sudden launch, sending the first men in history to the Moon--in just four months. And it would all happen at Christmas. In a year of historic violence and discord--the Tet Offensive, the assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr., and Robert Kennedy, the riots at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago--the Apollo 8 mission would be the boldest, riskiest test of America's greatness under pressure. In this gripping insider account, Robert Kurson puts the focus on the three astronauts and their families: the commander, Frank Borman, a conflicted man on his final mission; idealistic Jim Lovell, who'd dreamed since boyhood of riding a rocket to the Moon; and Bill Anders, a young nuclear engineer and hotshot fighter pilot making his first space flight. Drawn from hundreds of hours of one-on-one interviews with the astronauts, their loved ones, NASA personnel, and myriad experts, and filled with vivid and unforgettable detail, Rocket Men is the definitive account of one of America's finest hours. In this real-life thriller, Kurson reveals the epic dangers involved, and the singular bravery it took, for mankind to leave Earth for the first time--and arrive at a new world. Praise for Rocket Men "In 1968 we sent men to the Moon. They didn't leave boot prints, but it was the first time humans ever left Earth for another destination. That mission was Apollo 8. And Rocket Men, under Robert Kurson's compelling narrative, is that under-told story."--Neil deGrasse Tyson "Rocket Men is a timely and thrilling reminder of a heroic American achievement--three dashing astronauts and the first rendezvous with the Moon. It has it all--suspense, drama, risk, and loving families. We could use those days again."--Tom Brokaw.

"Tells the story of the first human spaceflight to break free of Earth orbit and fly around the Moon"--Dust jacket.

The true story of Apollo 8, the first manned American spaceship to break free of the Earth's orbit and reach the moon carrying Frank Borman, Jim Lovell, and Bill Anders-- the first astronauts ever to see the moon first hand. This books covers the frantic rush to get the rocket ready and the journey that gave a new look at Earth and our section of the solar system. Covers the science and training required to put people into space and what it is like to live in a spaceship.