The Astronaut Maker, Michael Cassutt
The Astronaut Maker, Michael Cassutt
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The Astronaut Maker
How One Mysterious Engineer Ran Human Spaceflight for a Generation

Author: Michael Cassutt

Narrator: Eric Jason Martin

Unabridged: 15 hr 40 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 08/15/2018


Synopsis

One of the most elusive and controversial figures in NASA's history, George W. S. Abbey was called "the Dark Lord," "the Godfather," and "UNO" (unidentified NASA official) by those within NASA. He was said to be secretive, despotic, a Space Age Machiavelli. Yet Abbey had more influence on human spaceflight than almost anyone in history.

From young pilot and wannabe astronaut to engineer, bureaucrat, and finally director of the Johnson Space Center ("mission control"), Abbey's story has never been fully told—until now. The Astronaut Maker takes listeners inside NASA to learn the real story of how Abbey rose to power and wielded it out of the spotlight. Over a 37-year career he oversaw the selection of every astronaut class from 1978 to 1987, deciding who got to fly, and when; was with the Apollo 1 astronauts the night before the fire that killed them in January 1967; was in mission control the night of the Apollo 13 accident and organized the recovery effort; led NASA's recruitment of women and minorities as Space Shuttle astronauts—including hiring Sally Ride; and much more. By the coauthor of the acclaimed astronaut memoirs DEKE! and We Have Capture and informed by countless hours of interviews with Abbey and his family, friends, adversaries, and former colleagues, The Astronaut Maker is the ultimate insider's account of ambition and power politics at NASA.

About Michael Cassutt

Michael Cassutt is the coauthor of Deke!, the autobiography of astronaut Donald K. "Deke" Slayton, and We Have Capture, the autobiography of astronaut Lt. Gen. Thomas Stafford and the author of three editions of Who's Who in Space as well as five space-themed novels and thirty short stories published.

He has contributed numerous articles to Air & Space/Smithsonian and other publications and has appeared as a space history expert in documentaries for the History Channel. As a television writer and producer, Cassutt has been a member of the writing team of a dozen different series, from Twilight Zone to Max Headroom to The Dead Zone.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Mark

Astronaut Maker Author: Michael Cassutt Publisher: Chicago Review Press Incorporated Date: 2018 Pgs: 460 Dewey: B 629.4092 ABB Disposition: Irving Public Library - South Campus - Irving, TX _________________________________________________ REVIEW MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS Summary: The manned space programs story p......more

Goodreads review by Tyler

Michael Cassutt has has written an outstanding biography of George Abbey, covering his life from his birth on August 21, 1932 in Seattle, Washington through his time at the Naval Academy, the Air Force, NASA employee in Houston working on Apollo, JSC Director of Flight Operations, special assistant......more

Goodreads review by Lauren

Loved reading about the progression of his leadership skills.......more

Goodreads review by Mark

Lots of details, people, meetings, contracts, names. Not really my cup of tea. A few cool stories. For example: There were amusing moments. One of the questions later facing the CCB [configuration control board] was the inclusion of a television camera in the Apollo command module. Ed Fendell, a fli......more