posted 10-28-2017 03:35 AM               

By setting the goal for going to the Moon by the end of 1969, President Kennedy transformed the Soviet/U.S. arms race, with its escalating confrontations, into a "space race." Perhaps the greatest obstacle to going to the Moon was the development of the spacesuit. This book charts the story of human effort, specifically the innovation, struggle, and sacrifice carried out by otherwise ordinary men and women that culminated in the spacesuit that made the first human surface explorations of the moon possible.

The success of Apollo resulted in replacing the looming specter of a possible world-devastating war with peace and cooperation in space between these two great rival nations. However, few know of all the contributions that were required to allow the first humans to set foot on and explore the Moon. Most are not aware of the magnitude and abundance of challenges to such an endeavor, let alone the solutions needed.

This book represents over two decades of research, interviewing original participants, and working with other spacesuit historians to determine Apollo spacesuit contributions and contributors. The author brings a unique expertise to this historic achievement. He was a spacesuit engineer for twenty-two years and has been a consultant to national museums since 1993. Additionally, performing knowledge-capture for NASA gave the author a micro-level view into Apollo history, which provided additional enlightenment.

The result is a human chronicle of the challenges, achievements, and experiences related to the most watched historical event of its time.

• Paperback: 250 pages
  
• Curtis Press (October 23, 2017)
  
• ISBN-10: 0993400221
  
• ISBN-13: 978-0993400223