Flight: My Life in Mission Control [SIGNED FIRST EDITION]

Kraft, Chris

Published by A Plume Book / Penguin Group, New York, 2002

About this Item

Fine unread condition glossy color photographic softcover wraps. Includes Acclaim for Flight; Author Dedication; Acknowledgments; Preface; Epilogue; and Index. Illustrated with a section of black-and-white photographic plates. Signed by the first NASA Mission Control Flight Director, Chris Kraft, with thick black Sharpie/marker directly under the Dedication on the Dedication page. Exceedingly rare signature. "A rewarding look at the brief, shining moment when space pathfinders held sway over space warriors." - The Washington Post. "Every American should read Kraft's story." - Frank Borman, commander of Apollo 8 and author of Countdown. "A highly readable memoir." - The New York Times Book Review. "In his New York Times bestseller, Chris Kraft delivers an unforgettable account of his life in Mission Control. The first NASA flight director, Kraft emerged from a boyhood in small-town America to become a visionary who played an integral role in what would become the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It's all here, from the legendary Mercury missions that first sent Americans into space, through the Gemini and Apollo missions that landed them on the moon. The great heroes of space are here, too -- Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Neil Armstrong, Jim Lovell, and Buzz Aldrin -- leading the space race that would change the course of U.S. history. From NASA's infancy to its greatest triumphs. from the calculated gambles to the near disasters to the pure luck that accompanied each mission, Flight relives the spellbinding events that captured the imagination of the world. It is a stirring tribute to the U.S. space program and to the men who risked their lives to take America on a flight into the unknown -- from the man who was there for it all." - from the rear outer cover. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Christopher Columbus Kraft, Jr. (February 28, 1924 - July 22, 2019) was born in Phoebus, Virginia and received his BS degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Blacksburg, Virginia in December 1944. In January 1945, Kraft joined the Langley Aeronautical Laboratory of the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA). His entire professional career was in government service. During his career with NACA he made significant contributions in the field of aeronautical flight research. In October 1958, he was selected as one of the original members of the Space Task Group, the organization established to manage Project Mercury. In the early phases of Project Mercury, he was prime contributor to the development of many of the basic mission and flight control techniques used in manned space flight. He personally served as Flight Director for all the Mercury missions and many of the Gemini missions. During the latter phase of Prject Mercury he directed the design and implementation of the Mission Control Center in Cape Canaveral, the control center from which all of NASA's manned space programs were conducted. He was also the Director of Flight Operations through most of the Apollo missions and Director of the Johnson Space Center from 1972 to 1982. Kraft was an Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He was a member of the National Academy of Engineering; corresponding member of the International Academy of Astronautics of the International Astronautical Federation, and an honorary member of the Aerospace Medical Association and a fellow in the American Astronautical Society. Over the years, Kraft received many special honors. Among them are the NASA Outstanding Leadership Medal from the President of the United States in 1963; the NASA Distinguished Service Medal in January 1969 and also in October 1969, following the first flight to orbit the Moon and the first lunar landing (after Apollo 8 and Apollo 11); and in 1981 for the design and development of the STS and as a special award in 1982 -- the distinguished service medal of NACA & NASA. Seller Inventory # 006278

Bibliographic Details

Title: Flight: My Life in Mission Control [SIGNED ...

Publisher: A Plume Book / Penguin Group, New York

Publication Date: 2002

Binding: Soft cover

Condition: Fine

Signed: Signed by Author(s)

Edition: 1st Edition