Reviews for Gemini 6: The NASA Mission Reports

The average rating for Gemini 6: The NASA Mission Reports based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2014-09-28 00:00:00 Thomas Herrman Wow! Where to begin... When I found Where No Man Has Gone Before, I have to admit that I wasn't entirely sure of what angle Mr. Compton was going to take in approaching his subject. And even without preconceived notions, he managed to surprise me. Where No Man… is principally about the relationship between scientists (and scientific exploration) and the Apollo project. And that alone was a real eye-opener, because the 12-year-old kid in me who watched the first lunar landing in 1969 always assumed that the space program was about science when, in fact, it was more a question of engineering. "Can we get a man to the moon and back safely?" is an engineering question, right? Even so, there were scientific opportunities once we answered the first question. "What can we learn about the moon while we're there?" is a scientific question. But, of course, the engineers were so overwhelmed with the engineering question ' and the limited time afforded to them by John Kennedy's announced timetable ' that sometimes the scientific question took more of a back seat than the scientific community was willing to accept. And the space program continued to face questions about why a manned lunar exploration (as opposed to unmanned) was even necessary. In the end, NASA managed to find a balance that accommodated scientific research and even the scientists seemed to agree that having someone on site turned out to be a great idea. So, overall, Where No Man… provided an embarrassment of riches in conveying the questions, challenges, solutions, and outcomes of the scientific community's involvement in the Apollo space program. And if I were to rate the book based solely on how much information it provided, this would have easily been a five-star book. I rated it a little lower, however, because its sheer volume of information sometimes made it a little overwhelming and I can imagine a more casual reader than myself walking away because, frankly, at times it reads more like a text book with a lot of facts and figures and names that not everyone would be interested in remembering. That said, this was still a very enjoyable book for me and if you are the type of person that wants to get knee-deep in the facts and figures and names of the Apollo space program, then I would heartily recommend it for you, as well.

Review # 2 was written on 2013-11-05 00:00:00 Gemma Hancock The book, Where No Man Has Gone Before A History of Apollo Lunar Exploration Missions, written by William David Compton, is a source of abundant and plentiful information on the behind the scenes actions of the Apollo program. William David Compton provides the reader with intricate accuracy of the events following the startup of the Apollo missions and the underlying problems and concerns that would inflict and shape the development of these missions. These problems would include such things as science versus engineering, cost and profit of the Apollo missions, national prestige and much more. This book explained and traced the challenges of both scientists and engineers who were both involved in the Apollo Missions themselves. Among the big picture of this informative book, such technology, equipment, complex machines, facilities, and maneuvers were implemented to provide specific knowledge to increase the intricacy of the already known knowledge to the reader. The organization of events that would be laid out helped to simplify the coming of events for a complex timeline. Thus meaning that it was intended to have the first half of the book leading up to the Apollo missions and then focusing on the further missions that would carry on to the 70's. Not only does the author provide information of the Apollo missions and the events that occurred within the walls, but also helps to explain the effects of Apollo on the nation, both good and bad. This important reflection allows for an expanse of knowledge outside of the space program itself. An important topic discussed was that of the Soviet Union versus the United States. Without this pre context, we would have not known the soul reason for the Apollo missions themselves. This is just another example of the way the author expands knowledge and informs the reader. For ones who are fascinated by the impacts of the Apollo program and have a passion for science exploration, this book will satisfy both.