Calculated risk
Subtitle: the supersonic life and times of Gus Grissom
By: by George Leopold
Publisher: Purdue University Press
Published: 2016
Language: eng
Number of pages: 378
ISBN-13: 9781557537454
Subjects: Astronauts; Biography
Description: Unlike other American astronauts, Virgil I. "Gus" Grissom never had the chance to publish his memoirs—save for an account of his role in the Gemini program—before the tragic launch pad fire on January 27, 1967, which took his life and those of Edward White and Roger Chaffee. The international prestige of winning the Moon Race cannot be understated, and Grissom played a pivotal and enduring role in securing that legacy for the United States. Indeed, Grissom was first and foremost a Cold Warrior, a member of the first group of Mercury astronauts whose goal it was to beat the Soviet Union to the moon. Drawing on extensive interviews with fellow astronauts, NASA engineers, family members, and friends of Gus Grissom, George Leopold delivers a comprehensive survey of Grissom’s life that places his career in the context of the Cold War and the history of human spaceflight. Calculated Risk: The Supersonic Life and Times of Gus Grissom adds significantly to our understanding of that tumultuous period in American history. --Publisher
Notes: Includes bibliographical references and index.
Table of contents: title: Introduction : pure oxygen; title: 1926; title: Work; title: Purdue; title: Wingman; title: Test pilot; title: Mercury seven; title: Extracurricular activities; title: The flight of Liberty Bell 7; title: Down a peg; title: Apogee; title: Risk and reward; title: How astronauts talk; title: Front of the line; title: Death at 218 feet; title: Abandon in place.