From going to middle school with the astronaut’s kids, to covering the Apollo 11, 12, 13, & 15 missions onsite at the Manned Spacecraft Center with the news media, to a 42 year career with NASA (spent at JSC, KSC, & NASA HQS), followed by serving as an officer on the NASA Alumni League-JSC Board of Directors, Herb Baker has spent most of his life involved with NASA, supporting the Space Shuttle, ISS, Constellation, and Orion Programs as well as Flight Operations, including support to the Astronaut Office.
From the Apollo missions to the groundbreaking Artemis program that aims to return humanity to the lunar surface, this book chronicles the evolution of NASA through the eyes of someone who lived it. With vivid recollections, the author shares behind-the-scenes stories of the triumphs and challenges that helped shape the course of space exploration.
Whether you’re a space enthusiast, a history buff, or someone fascinated by the human spirit's relentless pursuit of the unknown, From Apollo to Artemis provides an insider’s perspective on NASA’s most ambitious endeavors. The author’s personal anecdotes, combined with historical context, create a rich narrative that captures the excitement, dedication, and innovation that define NASA.
Our review of From Apollo to Artemis
From Apollo to Artemis: Stories from my 50 years with NASA, by Herb Baker, provides a great insight into one of the most fascinating aspects of our modern day culture - our desire to reach the stars. Baker takes us from the earliest days of NASA, when it was officially greenlighted by President Kennedy, with the objective of putting a man on the moon before the end of the 1960s, through each Apollo mission, the Skylab era, the International Space Station and the newest initiative, Artemis. His 50 years in the field provides an intimate and close-up narrative which exceeds mere facts, because here we are seeing it from the perspective of someone who was there, who met and worked with the people behind the scenes, the techies, the brilliant minds who devised the technology from nothing, and of course, the star voyagers - the astronauts. This book gives us an overview of the space program, as seen from the American side of things, a compendium which ties together the milestones, the beginning of an era when astronauts like John Glenn rocketed into space in the early 60's, to Neil Armstrong's historical step on the moon, and other less famous, but certainly no less important figures, both those in the capsules, and the people behind the scenes who made it possible. You will learn things you never knew - moreover, just how incredible people can be in coming up with life-saving innovations to deal with on-going crises where astronaut's lives hung in the balance. A recommended read. 5 stars!
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About the author
Herb retired from NASA in 2017 after 42 years of service. He spent most of his career at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) supporting the Space Shuttle, Space Station, and Orion Programs but also worked at the Kennedy Space Center and NASA Headquarters. His last position was serving as the Manager of the Operations Support Office which provided support to the Flight Operations Office at JSC and included support to the Astronaut Office, Mission Control operations, NASA’s Aircraft Operations, and astronaut training. He is currently an Officer on the Board of Directors of the NASA Alumni League-JSC and spends most of his time volunteering for organizations that promote STEM engagement, including the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and Space Center Houston.
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