It's all in Virtual Apollo - photographs of the CSM under construction, carefully-labelled cutaways, structural detail diagrams, even annotated mock-ups of the control panels. Until I actually bought this book and read it myself, I'd thought it a little too, well, geeky. But it's actually fascinating, and pretty much the next best thing to having a real CSM in front of you. The level of detail is astonishing, and the graphics are extremely well done. My one complaint is that the page numbers on the contents page are wrong. But that's a minor quibble.
Some might think Virtual Apollo is only really food for your inner space-geek, but it belongs in every self-respecting collection on or about the Apollo programme. It's another excellent book from Apogee Books. There's a sister-book, Virtual LM, again by Scott Sullivan. It's on my to-buy list.
Virtual Apollo: A Pictorial Essay of the Engineering and Construction of the Apollo Command and Service Modules, Scott P Sullivan (2002, Apogee Books, ISBN 978-1-896522-94-7, 128pp)
4 comments:
Thanks to a friend book reader, (stainless steel droppings)I found your blog. I'm just an old lady who remembers those true hero's of our first manned flights in Gemini, Mercury and Apollo flights, and just cannot forget them. I do have a few books that I buy now and then, but nothing like your collection!
All I have are: Moon Shot- John Glenn- Who's Who in Space- Apollo (alan bean art)-Moondust (probably my all time favorite) and I just ordered Rocketman.
I actually went to an autograph show of just astronauts and got to meet a number of them! I have some photo's here: http://www.geocities.com/kesterwoodgirl/finalfrontiere.html
if you'd like to see them.. I'll book mark your blog and check in now and then to see what you've been reading and your reviews of the books!
I'm old enough to have seen Apollo 11 land on the Moon, but I was very young at the time and I have no memory of watching it on television. In 1983, I was in Florida to see the first night-time Space Shuttle launch, though (STS-8).
Anyway, thanks for your comment.
I was in High School when we first went into space. I was married with 2 kids when man first walked on the moon. I cried with every launch and every spash down! Then Nasa dropped the ball when they didn't try to make the space station on the moon.. now THAT really would have been "one giant step for mankind".
Though I have talked to Alan Bean and Gordy, I never will understand where they got the courage to do what they did. It was an amazing time to be sure.
It's too bad the government and the press don't think it's as important now as it was then.. it is! I do believe that is the only way to save mankind in the long run.
I lived in Ft Pierce Fla for 13 yrs. We'd watch the vapor trail of the different blastoffs.. never was lucky enough to be up there to actually see and feel a blastoff. I'm still hoping though.
This book " Virtual Apollo " . The detail is amazing ! It is especially pertinent now because the Constellation spacecraft is based upon the design of Apollo !
Thank you for a fantastic book !
Twitter " Sergeantsound "
Sincerely,
Jason Maltz
US Army Signal Corp. Inactive
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