Safely to Earth - by Jack Clemons (Hardcover)

About the Book

In this one-of-a-kind memoir, Jack Clemons--a former lead engineer in support of NASA--takes readers behind the scenes and into the inner workings of the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs during their most exciting years. Discover the people, the events, and the risks involved in one of the most important parts of space missions: bringing the astronauts back home to Earth.

Book Synopsis

National Federation of Press Women National Communications Contest, First Place for Autobiography/Memoir Delaware Press Association Communications Contest, First Place for Autobiography/Memoir In this one-of-a-kind memoir, Jack Clemons--a former lead engineer in support of NASA--takes readers behind the scenes and into the inner workings of the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs during their most exciting years. Discover the people, the events, and the risks involved in one of the most important parts of space missions: bringing the astronauts back home to Earth. Clemons joined Project Apollo in 1968, a young engineer inspired by science fiction and electrified by John F. Kennedy's challenge to the nation to put a man on the moon. He describes his experiences supporting the NASA engineering team at what is now the Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he played a pivotal role in designing the reentry and landing procedures for Apollo astronauts and providing live support as part of the Mission Control Center's backroom team. He went on to work on Skylab and the Space Shuttle Program, eventually assuming leadership for the entire integrated software system on board the Space Shuttle. Through personal stories, Clemons introduces readers to many of the unsung heroes of the Apollo and Space Shuttle missions--the people who worked side by side with NASA engineers supporting reentry and landing for each Apollo mission and the software team who fashioned the computer programs that accompanied the crews on the Space Shuttle. Clemons worked closely with astronauts who relied on him and his fellow engineers for directions to their destination, guidance on how to get there, control of their fate during their journeys, and a safe return. He reveals problems, challenges, and near-disasters previously unknown to the public and offers candid opinions on the preventable failures that led to the loss of fourteen astronauts in the Challenger and Columbia tragedies. Highlighting the staggering responsibility and the incredible technological challenges that Clemons and his colleagues took on in the race to reach the moon and explore the mysteries of space, this book is a fascinating insider's view of some of the greatest adventures of the twentieth century.

Review Quotes

"Serves as a reminder that Apollo was possible thanks not just to the astronauts, politicians, and key engineers, but also by a workforce of thousands, whose even rank-and-file members have interesting stories to tell about the race to the Moon."--Space Review

"In his debut, Clemons, now a freelance writer and speaker, begins with some background--e.g., John F. Kennedy's vow to send Americans to the moon; the author's youthful love of science fiction--and then proceeds chronologically through some of NASA's great successes and failures. The author is adept at explaining complicated technical concepts by employing quotidian analogues (how a "free-return trajectory" is similar to tossing a ball), so general readers will have little trouble navigating his pages. He is also generous with praise for his colleagues, celebrating their contributions, and he offers startling reminders: NASA was still basically in the slide-rule, pre-computer era when they first landed men on the moon in July 1969. One of the most gripping segments deals with Apollo 13 ("Houston, we've had a problem") and the eponymous move, which Clemons discusses flatteringly. (He also alludes to the recent film Hidden Figures.) During the shuttle missions, the author worked on the software, a massive undertaking that he describes in rich detail; he notes how virtually impossible it is to create error-free computer code and how close to that objective the shuttle engineers came. He deals, too, with the great NASA tragedies: the Apollo 1 fire, the Challenger and Columbia disasters. Clemons writes only briefly about his personal life--his marriage, fatherhood, divorce, and eventual change of career when he left the space program in the mid-1980s. These events and experiences are mostly breaths he takes before diving back into his primary narrative. In a lengthy appendix, he deals with some common questions and dismisses as "silly stories" the rumors that the moon landings were faked. A narrative rocket powered by experience, intelligence, knowledge, and gratitude."--Kirkus Review

"Clemons, one of many young Americans in the early 1960s inspired to enter the sciences by President John F. Kennedy's challenge to go to the moon, shares his experiences, triumphs, and failures in this look back at the early days of space exploration. Clemons, self-described as more of a dreamer and bookworm as a child than the engineer he eventually became, joined TRW Systems Group, a NASA contractor, in the late 1960s. The details Clemons provides are what make the book so memorable, from the "sense of ownership" that every individual working at or for NASA felt toward the moon landing mission, to the "veil of smoke" from cigarettes that then hung in conference rooms. And Clemons reminds readers that somehow these teams launched astronauts into space and onto the moon by modestly paid engineers (Clemons's initial annual salary was $7,500) using "pencil and paper and a slide rule." The main story is economically and briskly told, bolstered by a thoughtful, helpful appendix, as well as a collection of direct questions ("Did Apollo 10 Almost Crash into the Moon?") and frank answers. While the subject may seem like ancient history to younger readers, it should attract those who can recall the emergence of manned Apollo launches and NASA's "failure is not an option" credo."--Publishers Weekly