The moon landing remains the most astonishing and impressive accomplishment of manned space travel to this day. In July 1969, just eight years after President John F. Kennedy announced the bold plan, the first astronaut set foot on another celestial body. While Project Apollo: The Early Years covered the exciting developments from the first project drawings to the unmanned first flight of the mighty Saturn V, this book covers the later years of the Apollo era, in all its fascinating detail, including the test flights in Earths orbit; the first orbits of the moon; the legendary Apollo 11 mission; the drama of Apollo 13; and Apollo 17, the last manned moon flight in 1972. Experience this era through exciting accounts, radio transcripts, and impressive photographs and diagrams.

Without the mighty Saturn V rocket, the Apollo 11 moon landing would not have been possible in July 1969. Even today, nearly fifty years later, it remains by far the largest and most powerful rocket ever used. Equipped with computers that are easily surpassed today by any mobile phone, the Saturn V was an unprecedented technical achievement. This book, part of the America in Space series, tells the gripping story of the development and creation of the Saturn V in concise, detailed text, and features numerous high-quality color images, technical drawings, and specification/dimension charts. As well as a detailed look at the Saturn Vs design and construction, all thirty-two Apollo missions are discussed, including the later Skylab and ApolloSoyuz Test Project.

Project Mercury was America's entry into the manned spaceflight program. When the program began in 1958, the Soviet Union was far ahead of the US in the race for supremacy in space. With immense effort, and in record time, NASA, the newly created spaceflight organization, developed a space transport system with orbital capsule and booster rockets. They used it to send Alan Shepard on a first suborbital "jump" into space in May 1961, and in February 1962 to make John Glenn the first American astronaut to orbit the earth. Nevertheless, the Americans were beaten by the Soviets in the race to put the first man into space. Project Mercury was, however, the foundation for NASA's later success in the race to the moon. All Project Mercury missions are discussed, including details on all craft and the astronauts involved. Superb color, archival images, cutaways and plans are also included.

In just two-and-a-half years, beginning in 1964, two unmanned and ten manned flights took place in the Gemini program. This program was the turning point in the space race with the USSR; from then on the Americans took the lead. Flights lasting two weeks, into the Van Allen Belt, the first extravehicular activities, rendezvous maneuvers and docking with other spacecraft-all of this was achieved by Gemini, paving the way for the more demanding moon landing program. It was not all success, however. Like almost every significant undertaking, Project Gemini also had its dramas and tragedies. All Project Gemini missions are discussed, including details on all craft and the astronauts involved. Superb color, archival images, cutaways and plans are also included.

The moon landing remains the most astonishing and impressive accomplishment of manned space travel to this day. In July 1969, just eight years after President John F. Kennedy announced the bold plan, the first astronaut set foot on another celestial body. While Project Apollo: The Early Years covered the exciting developments from the first project drawings to the unmanned first flight of the mighty Saturn V, this book covers the later years of the Apollo era, in all its fascinating detail, including the test flights in Earths orbit; the first orbits of the moon; the legendary Apollo 11 mission; the drama of Apollo 13; and Apollo 17, the last manned moon flight in 1972. Experience this era through exciting accounts, radio transcripts, and impressive photographs and diagrams.

The N1 was the booster rocket for the Soviet manned moon program and was thus the direct counterpart of the Saturn V, the rocket that took American astronauts to the moon in 1969. Standing 345 feet tall, the N1 was the largest rocket ever built by the Soviets and was roughly the same height and weight as the Saturn. Though initially ahead of the US in the space race, the Soviets lagged behind as the pace for being first on the moon accelerated. Massive technical and personnel difficulties, plus spectacular failures, repeatedly delayed the N1 program. After the successful American landings on the moon, it was finally canceled without the N1 ever achieving orbit. The complete history of this rarely known Soviet program is presented here, starting in 1959, along with detailed technical descriptions of the N1's design and development. A full discussion of its attempted launches, disasters, and ultimate cancellation in 1974 completes this definitive history.

The N1 was the booster rocket for the Soviet manned moon program and was thus the direct counterpart of the Saturn V, the rocket that took American astronauts to the moon in 1969. Standing 345 feet tall, the N1 was the largest rocket ever built by the Soviets and was roughly the same height and weight as the Saturn. Though initially ahead of the US in the space race, the Soviets lagged behind as the pace for being first on the moon accelerated. Massive technical and personnel difficulties, plus spectacular failures, repeatedly delayed the N1 program. After the successful American landings on the moon, it was finally canceled without the N1 ever achieving orbit. The complete history of this rarely known Soviet program is presented here, starting in 1959, along with detailed technical descriptions of the N1's design and development. A full discussion of its attempted launches, disasters, and ultimate cancellation in 1974 completes this definitive history.