The Ever-Changing Moon: Book Two: Apollo 16's Journey to the Lunar Highlands

The title is purposefully ironic. The Moon does not change, but our understanding of it does. The people and mission of Apollo 16 teach us a great deal about our celestial neighbor.

After accomplishing President Kennedy’s challenge of a lunar landing, NASA places more emphasis on science. John Young, Ken Mattingly, and Charlie Duke are assigned to Apollo 16, the first mission to a mountainous region. Exploration of the lunar highlands is vital for answering long-lasting questions about the Moon.

Mechanical issues jeopardize the mission less than an hour before the scheduled landing. Are years of training for naught, or rewarded by rich discovery? Enjoy the ambition, humor, and skill of astronauts and engineers as they seek to advance our knowledge of the Moon through the 1972 mission of Apollo 16.

“Extremely well written. There’s nothing out there like this. Very detailed, very well researched.”
– Jerry Bostick, Flight Controller, Chief of the Flight Dynamics Branch

“It sure was wonderful to remember such details of the Apollo missions. You did a great job in conveying the excitement of those years to today’s readers. Your writing will excite many young minds.”
– Farouk El-Baz, Trainer of Apollo astronauts in geology

Rob Bailey was born and raised in Augusta, Georgia. He graduated from the University of Georgia, where he was a football letterman in 1985. He received a Master of Divinity degree from Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson, Mississippi, and has been ordained in the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) since 1996. Rob currently serves as Pastor of Southside Community Church in Corpus Christi, Texas. He and his wife Scotty have been married since 1989 and have four sons: Robert, Alex, Nikolas, and Cameron. He is a lifelong fan of the space program and also enjoys astronomy, hiking, amateur radio, and college football. He can be contacted at rob@apollo16project.org.