MoonLander

ChiefengineerThomasJ.Kellygivesafirsthandaccountofdesigning，building，testing，andflyingtheApollolunarmodule.Itwas，hewrites，“anaerospaceengineer’sdreamjobofthecentury.”Kelly’saccountbeginswiththeimaginativeprocessofsketchingsolutionstoahostoftechnicalchallengeswithanemphasisonsafety，reliability，andmaintainability.Hecatalogsnumeroustestfailures，includingpropulsion-systemleaks，ascent-engineinstability，stresscorrosionofthealuminumalloyparts，andbatteryproblems，aswellastheirfixesundertheever-presentconstraintsofbudgetandschedule.HealsorecapturestheexhilarationofhearingApollo11’sNeilArmstrongreportthat“TheEaglehaslanded，”andtheprideofhavinginadvertentlyprovidedavital“lifeboat”forthecrewofthedisabledApollo13.