Safely to Earth

“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

“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

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

History well remembers the excitement of what was happening ‘up there' during the spaceflight golden years of the Apollo moon landing and the early Space Shuttle program. In a lively, rollicking, and intimately personal memoir, Jack Clemons pulls back the curtain on what was happening ‘down here,' with an insider’s look at what it took to bring the astronauts safely home.'—David Hitt, coauthor of Bold They Rise: The Space Shuttle Early Years, 1972-1986 'A fascinating read. Part memoir, part behind-the-scenes history, Clemons’ perspective on the development of the U.S. space program is one which has always deserved far more attention than it has traditionally received.'—W. D. Kay, author of Defining NASA: The Historical Debate over the Agency’s Mission 'The incredible story of the small team that gave astronauts something to fly. A wonderfully revealing and entertaining page-turner.'—Mike Mullane, retired Space Shuttle astronaut and author of Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut 'Tells how a nation starting essentially from scratch accomplished the ‘impossible’ feat of landing a man on the moon in less than a decade.'—John Aaron, former flight controller and project manager, Apollo and Space Shuttle programs