Exploring the Unknown: Selected Documents in the History of the United States Civil Space Program: V. VII: Human Spaceflight: Projects Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo

Selection of expert essays and key official documents about the evolution of U.S. human spaceflight programs: Projects Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo.  Emphasizes the most important documents or long-out-of-print essays or articles and material from the private recollections of important actors in shaping human spaceflight in the United States. Includes documents relating to aerodynamics and man-in-space research and proposals, program budgets and costs, procurement of materials and support services, lunar orbits and landing selection, astronaut selection, roles and debriefings, statements for foreign countries about missions, and even what activities the lunar vehicle should do and what symbolic items should be brought for the First Lunar Landing (such as the iconic American flag planted on the moon).

NASA SP-4407. Edited by John M. Logsdon with Roger D. Launius. Each document or group of related documents is accompanied by a headnote setting out its context and providing a background narrative. These headnotes also provide specific information about people and events discussed.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Acknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .  .xix
Introduction . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xxi
Biographies of Volume VII Editors . . . xxv

Chapter One
Essay: “First Steps into Space: Projects Mercury and Gemini,” by Roger D. Launius …1

Documents: Includes official documents, research and memoranda on Manned satellites, man-in-space proposals, pilot selections, astronaut debriefings; “Space Rescue,” May 21, 1965; Gemini Program Mission Report; “Statements for Foreign Countries During Orbital Flights,” November 7, 1961; Use of a Television System in Manned Mercury-Atlas Orbital Flights; Flight Crew Operations Division, NASA, “Gemini Familiarization Package,” August 3, 1962.

Chapter Two
Essay: “Project Apollo: Americans to the Moon,” by John M. Logsdon . . . . . . . . . . 387

Documents:  Includes official documents, research and memoranda such as “Minutes of Meeting of Research Steering Committee on Manned Space Flight”; Manned Lunar Landing Program; Project Apollo Spacecraft Procurement Plan and Class Determination and Findings;  “Manned Lunar-Landing through use of Lunar-Orbit Rendezvous,” NASA memo “Do We Have a Chance of Beating the Soviets?” April 22, 1961; “Selection of lunar landing site for the early Apollo lunar missions,” Outbound Lunar Biological Contamination Control Policy and Responsibility;  “Apollo versus Skylab and Research Airplane Programs; Extravehicular Activities for the First Lunar Landing Mission; “Symbolic Items for the First Lunar Landing,” April 19, 1969; “Apollo 11: Mission Report,” 1971.

Biographical Appendix ….. 785
Index …. 807
The NASA History Series … 849

Scientists, engineers, astronauts, and others interested in the history of human spaceflight would enjoy this publication.