Safely to Earth

The Men and Women Who Brought the Astronauts Home

By: Jack Clemons

Narrated by: Tom Perkins

Length: 8 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

In this one-of-a-kind memoir, Jack Clemons - a former lead engineer in support of NASA - takes listeners behind the scenes and into the inner workings of the Apollo and Space Shuttle programs during their most exciting years. Discover the people, the events, and the risks involved in one of the most important parts of space missions: bringing the astronauts back home to Earth.

Clemons joined Project Apollo in 1968, a young engineer inspired by science fiction and electrified by John F. Kennedy's challenge to the nation to put a man on the moon. He describes his experiences supporting the NASA engineering team at what is now the Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he played a pivotal role in designing the reentry and landing procedures for Apollo astronauts. He went on to work on Skylab and the Space Shuttle program, eventually assuming leadership for the entire integrated software system on board the Space Shuttle.

Through personal stories, Clemons introduces listeners to many of the unsung heroes of the Apollo and Space Shuttle missions - the people who worked side-by-side with NASA engineers supporting reentry and landing for each Apollo mission, and the software team who fashioned the computer programs that accompanied the crews on the Space Shuttle. Clemons worked closely with astronauts who relied on him and his fellow engineers for directions to their destination, guidance on how to get there, control of their fate during their journeys, and a safe return. He reveals problems, challenges, and near-disasters previously unknown to the public and offers candid opinions on the failures that led to the loss of 14 astronauts in the Challenger and Columbia tragedies.

Highlighting the staggering responsibility and the incredible technological challenges that Clemons and his colleagues took on in the race to reach the moon and explore the mysteries of space, this book is a fascinating insider's view of some of the greatest adventures of the 20th century.

©2018 Jack Clemons (P)2018 Tantor

Critic reviews

"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." (Publishers Weekly)

Jack Clemons has all the right stuff in this book

Safely to Earth is a wonderful look at the the people behind the curtain. The thousands of Men and women who had to do their job nearly perfect before the astronauts could even climb into their command modules.
Jack Clemons takes us for a wonderous and fascinating journey along his career as an inspired rocket scientist and computer programmer. We experience, through his eyes, the many successes and unfortunate failures that shaped the early days of the NASA space program.
He tells of his interactions with the NASA astronauts and lead personnel in an entertaining, and gripping narrative. I can't recommend this book enough!

A solid book

This is a solid book from a re-entry engineer for the Apollo and space shuttle missions.

Interesting Perspective on Apollo & Moire

We often hear the astronauts' perspective on the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo NASA missions, but this one is from one of the backroom guys - an engineer who literally made stuff go. It's interesting, honest, and sometimes funny. It's also a refreshing take on the subject, and one we don't get enough of. As a certified space junkie, I really appreciated this book.

The audiobook is well presented and the narrator, Tom Perkins, does a decent job but there are a couple of words that weren't pronounced quite properly. It wasn't enough to make me stop listening,but was momentarily jarring.