Moon Lander

Smithsonian Institution Press

Grumman chief engineer Thomas J. Kelly gives a first-hand account of designing, building, testing, and flying the Apollo lunar module.

Kelly's account begins with the imaginative process of sketching solutions to a host of technical challenges with an emphasis on safety, reliability, and maintainability. He catalogs numerous test failures, including propulsion-system leaks, ascent-engine instability, and corrosion of the aluminum alloy parts, and their fixes under the ever-present constraints of budget and schedule.

Kelly recaptures the exhilaration of hearing Apollo 11's Neil Armstrong report that "The Eagle has Landed," and the pride of having inadvertently provided a vital "lifeboat" for the crew of the disabled Apollo 13.

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