Long has the moon captured the imagination of world; from science fiction to astrology; howling wolves to lunar calendars.
To President John F. Kennedy, however, the moon was a destination. To put a man on the moon would be to challenge Russia's recent achievements in space exploration and assert the US's technological prowess on the world stage. As we know, the mission was a success, and yet while everyone is familiar with Neil Armstrong's iconic line and his bold tread on the moon's dusty surface, few are privy to the events leading up to this moment.
Former NASA engineer, David Baker, gives a behind-the-scenes account of the space race, including the political impetus behind the mission, the Apollo 8's lunar orbit on Christmas Eve, as well as some of the tale's tragedies. Bursting with fascinating stories, striking photographs of the team and exclusive material provided by NASA personnel, The Apollo Missions perfectly captures the risk, complexity and gravitas of this immense journey.
Dr David Baker was an engineer at NASA from 1965 to 1990. He worked on the Gemini, Apollo and Shuttle programmes and was at Mission Control during the fateful Apollo 13 mission. He has written more than 100 books on space flight, aviation and military technology. David is a fellow of the British Interplanetary Society and editor of the monthly Spaceflight magazine.