Rocketdyne: Powering Humans into Space

by Robert S. Kraemer, V. Wheelock

From the first American orbiting satellite, to Neil Armstrong, and Buzz Aldrin's historical walk on the Moon, virtually every major achievement in American Space history was made possible by a Rocketdyne engine. And, that record has stood true for over forty years, as today the Space Shuttle program continues to rely on engines designed and built by Rocketdyne. This book is the story behind that unprecedented accomplishment. It is the chronicle of success of one team of rocket pioneers who propelled the American space program from trailing the Soviet Union in the 1950s and early 1960s into today's position of leadership in space. It is a story of heroes and even a few villains, but mostly it is a story of triumphant success in the human venture into space. For the early history of rocketry up through the work of Dr Robert Goddard in the early 1940s, Kraemer referenced the history books of T A Heppenheimer and Frank Winter. experiences as a member of the Rocketdyne team, as well as those of other key members of this elite group, including: Bill Brennan, George Sutton, Bill Cecka, Doug Hege, Bill Ezell, Tom Myers, John Tormey, Paul Castenholz, Sam Iacobellis, Ed Monteath, Steve Domokos, Stan Gunn, Willy Wilhelm, Bob Biggs, Ted Benham, and Vince Wheelcok. This book is a true testament to the human spirit - and to a dedicated and determined team of aerospace engineers who launched a nation into Space.

275 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2005

Reviews

[B.J. Marshall]

A bit on the technical side, but that's what you'd expect for a history of a rocket company written by a rocket engineer. That's what I was actually looking for, so this didn't disappoint. Just be warned if you're a casual observer that it might be a little steep. Not much in the way of explicit math - maybe none? - but certainly discussion of the physics that drives rocket engine design.

It was also interesting to realize that basically all liquid-propelled rocket design happened between the 1930s and the 1970s. The SSME was designed in the 1970s and in operation by 1981, and it continues on with SLS. Especially manned space flight went from suborbital to lunar between 1961 and 1969 and again on to the Shuttle by 1981. So the right generation of people at the right place actually saw the development of all the engines in one generation. This is a trivial point, but also indicates that we (however you interpret that - specifically the US in my mind) had no actual rocket design experience leading into the commercial endeavors of SpaceX and Blue Origin etc. There's still precious little experience out there and almost no manufacturing base. This is sort of a case study of so much of American industrial development and infrastructure - our entire physical infrastructure hasn't changed since the 1980s. Food for thought... and a big bill coming...

[Stephen]

I really enjoyed this. Not too technical, lots of human interest, and really talks about the Rocketdyne design philosophy (and how that doesn't mesh with the Space Shuttle Main Engine).