Failure Is Not an Option: Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond

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eBay item number:404321160845
Last updated on Nov 21, 2025 02:49:44 SGTView all revisionsView all revisions

Item specifics

Condition
Good: A book that has been read but is in good condition. Very minimal damage to the cover including ...
Publication Date
2000-04-12
Pages
416
ISBN
9780743200790
Category

About this product

Product Identifiers

Publisher
Simon & Schuster
ISBN-10
0743200799
ISBN-13
9780743200790
eBay Product ID (ePID)
1652833

Product Key Features

Book Title
Failure Is Not an Option : Mission Control from Mercury to Apollo 13 and Beyond
Number of Pages
416 Pages
Language
English
Topic
General, Aeronautics & Astronautics
Publication Year
2000
Illustrator
Yes
Genre
Technology & Engineering, Biography & Autobiography
Author
Gene Kranz
Format
Hardcover

Dimensions

Item Height
1.3 in
Item Weight
24.4 Oz
Item Length
9.2 in
Item Width
6.1 in

Additional Product Features

Intended Audience
Trade
LCCN
00-027720
Dewey Edition
21
Reviews
"A blow-by-blow account of heroic teams overcoming adversity...No matter how many times you read the story of the Apollo 11 landing, with computer alarms going off and only seconds of fuel left, it is a heartstopper. Here, Kranz recalls it vividly." -- Alex Roland, The Washington Post, Jim Lovellcommander, Apollo 13; and author,Lost Moon(also published asApollo 13)There are three kinds of people in the world: those who make things happen...those who watch things happen...and those who wonder what happened. InFailure Is Not an Option,Gene Kranz is the one who makes things happen. This is the thrilling story of NASA's Mission Control teams that guided the Apollo spacecraft through successful lunar landings and saved the lives of my Apollo 13 crew. Kranz takes you through each exciting flight as crisis after crisis is overcome to add a never-to-be-forgotten chapter to the history of spaceflight., "A rich, behind-the-scenes account of the experts who held the lives of America's first space explorers in their hands." -- Mark Carreau, Houston Chronicle, "An engaging behind-the-scenes memoir, a welcome contribution to the history of space flight." -- John Noble Wilford, The New York Times Book Review
Dewey Decimal
629.45/3/0973
Table Of Content
CONTENTS1 The Four-Inch Flight2 "Liftoff; the Clock Is Running"3 "God Speed, John Glenn"4 The Brotherhood5 The Making of a Rocket Man6 Gemini -- The Twins7 White Flight8 The Spirit of 769 The Angry Alligator10 A Fire on the Pad11 Out of the Ashes12 The X Mission13 The Christmas Story14 1969 -- The Year of Apollo15 SimSup Wins the Final Round16 "We Copy You Down, Eagle"17 "What the Hell Was That?"18 The Age of Aquarius19 Coming Home20 Shepard's Return21 What Do You Do After the Moon?22 The Last LiftoffEpilogueWhere They AreAcknowledgmentsAppendix: Foundations of Mission ControlGlossary of TermsIndex
Synopsis
Gene Kranz was present at the creation of America's manned space program and was a key player in it for three decades. As a flight director in NASA's Mission Control, Kranz witnessed firsthand the making of history. He participated in the space program from the early days of the Mercury program to the last Apollo mission, and beyond. He endured the disastrous first years when rockets blew up and the United States seemed to fall further behind the Soviet Union in the space race. He helped to launch Alan Shepard and John Glenn, then assumed the flight director's role in the Gemini program, which he guided to fruition. With his teammates, he accepted the challenge to carry out President John F. Kennedy's commitment to land a man on the Moon before the end of the 1960s.Kranz was flight director for both Apollo 11, the mission in which Neil Armstrong fulfilled President Kennedy's pledge, and Apollo 13. He headed the Tiger Team that had to figure out how to bring the three Apollo 13 astronauts safely back to Earth. (In the filmApollo 13,Kranz was played by the actor Ed Harris, who earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance.)InFailure Is Not an Option,Gene Kranz recounts these thrilling historic events and offers new information about the famous flights. What appeared as nearly flawless missions to the Moon were, in fact, a series of hair-raising near misses. When the space technology failed, as it sometimes did, the controllers' only recourse was to rely on their skills and those of their teammates. Kranz takes us inside Mission Control and introduces us to some of the whiz kids -- still in their twenties, only a few years out of college -- who had to figure it all out as they went along, creating a great and daring enterprise. He reveals behind-the-scenes details to demonstrate the leadership, discipline, trust, and teamwork that made the space program a success.Finally, Kranz reflects on what has happened to the space program and offers his own bold suggestions about what we ought to be doing in space now.This is a fascinating firsthand account written by a veteran mission controller of one of America's greatest achievements.
LC Classification Number
TL873.K73 2000

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  • r***g (242)- Feedback left by buyer.
    Past month
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    Book was "nearly new" and "as described" in listing. The advertised price was fair and a good value. Unfortunately, the seller's shipping partner was very slow to get the book packaged and shipped. Shipping took too long, and the tracking info gave no reliable info on shipping date, time in transit or expected delivery. Seller did everything right, but their shipping partner needs improvement. I recommend this seller to other eBay buyers....... just make sure you're okay with the shipping terms.
  • e***u (283)- Feedback left by buyer.
    Past month
    Verified purchase
    The listing was for a hardcover version of this book; however, I received a paperback. The Seller replied quickly to my question about this issue and issued a full refund - and let me keep the book. So, a diligent Seller for sure - and well packaged and reasonable timing on shipping. Thank you for the refund, and as you suggested, I'll likely donate this volume and seek the hardcover.
  • e***n (392)- Feedback left by buyer.
    Past 6 months
    Verified purchase
    Great transaction, exactly as described, packed well, and promptly shipped on August 6th. Unfortunately the U.S. Postal Service took 23 calendar days to deliver the book. It was shipped from Pennsylvania, to Atlanta, past Alabama to Texas, enjoyed several days in Texas, then to Minneapolis, Jacksonville, Florida, back to Atlanta, finally to Birmingham, and Huntsville. The seller was very responsive and I decided it was interesting to see if/how the book would arrive. Thanks, Joe