Go, Flight by R. Houston and M. Heflin is a typical example of the excellent works published since 2007 by the University of Nebraska Press in their Outward Odyssey: A People’s History of Spaceflight Series. The narrative covers the early years of human spaceflight in the United States, from Gemini all the way to the first turbulent decade of Space Shuttle operations. The events recounted are hardly novel. Dozen of other publications exist covering in great detail and from various perspectives those historical programmes. Books like the A Man on the Moon by A. Chaikin, Living and Working in Space by C. D. Benson and W. D. Compton, or even the classic Failure is not an option by E. F. Kranz are great sources of reliable, chronologically presented information.
Go, Flight, however, stands apart from the others by reconstructing events through the personal recollections of those who worked flight control operations in those years. This book is as much a history of space exploration as it is a unique glimpse into their lives. An engaging narrative of how those “unsung heroes” enabled, through their dedication and sacrifice, some of the most iconic missions in the history of spaceflight. A very pleasant and informative read, a great complement to other available resources on the subject. A solid 5/5.
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