posted 04-28-2007 12:50 AM               

It's a very enjoyable read. I got lost in a few technical details which I'm not too fond, and also "space historians" will tell you that there's nothing new in it but I've found it very interesting to read, because it tells you probably almost everything on the mission but also about what was going on on the ground.

Looking forward to David Harland's upcoming books on A12,14,15,16 and 17. See his website.

posted 04-28-2007 02:54 PM            

Haven't had a chance for much of a look through it yet, but quietly optimistic about it after previous comments on this thread. Problem with other Springer books I've read has been the lack of "chronology" - too much leaping back and forth. All the info would be there, but they don't read like "stories", more like reference books. This sounds better.

posted 05-10-2007 01:09 AM               

I think Dwayne Day said that amazon didn't offer discounts on Springer books...well, not true!

posted 05-21-2007 10:00 PM               

It is uncertain who manufactured the flag that was deployed by the Apollo 11 crew. According to a NASA Press Release of 3 July 1969, "the Stars and Stripes to be deployed on the Moon was purchased along with several others made by different manufacturers at stores in the area around the Manned Spacecraft Center near Houston. In order to attach the flag properly to its aluminum staff it was necessary to remove the binding and labels. For this reason the name of the manufacturer cannot be determined." (NASA Press Release 69-83E, 3 July 1969, on file at the JSC History Office). In his book, "All We Did Was Fly to the Moon," (Gainesville, FL: Whispering Eagle Press, 1988), p. 121, Dick Lattimer states that the flags that went to the moon were made by Annin & Co. Randy Beard, Sr., of Annin contacted the Public Affairs Office at NASA Headquarters regarding the flag shortly after the moon landing. His company had supplied many flags to NASA throughout the manned space flight program. Beard was told that three secretaries had been sent out to buy 3x5-foot nylon flags during their lunch hours. After they had returned it was discovered that all of them had purchased their flags at Sears. Annin was the official flag supplier for Sears at the time so this story seemed to confirm that the flag had been made by Annin. Beard was informed that NASA would not confirm the manufacturer of the flag because they didn't "want another Tang" -- in other words, the agency did not want another advertising campaign based upon the fact that a commercial product had been used by the astronauts. (Randy Beard, Sr., Annin & Co., personal communication, 24 August 1992 and 10 September 1992.) Jack Kinzler was unable to verify that the flags were purchased at local stores or that the labels were removed. His notes indicate that the flags were purchased from the Government Stock Catalog for $5.50. (Kinzler, interview, 30 August 1992.)

posted 05-28-2007 01:26 AM               

(Might as well give them for free if such trend continues).