Ask HN: Space exploration book recommendations?

mast · on Aug 11, 2014

I enjoyed these two:

  * In Search of Planet Vulcan, by Richard Baum and William Sheehan
  * The Northern Lights, by Lucy Jago

Both are more about the scientists and astronomers than about NASA space missions, but I found both very interesting.

If you prefer something a bit lighter, Men from Earth by Buzz Aldrin was pretty good.

mlwarren · on Aug 11, 2014

Two from the perspective of mission control regarding mostly the early US space program, the third about the Apollo program in general.

   Failure is not an Option - Gene Kranz
   Flight: My life in Mission Control - Chris Kraft
   A Man on the Moon - Andrew Chaikin

chidevguy · on Aug 11, 2014

I found Apollo, by Catherine Bly Cox and Charles Murray, quite interesting and entertaining.

27182818284 · on Aug 11, 2014

Entering Space

Ranges in topics from Helium 3 fusion to mining the gas giants for fuel to the implications of braking on spacecraft with solar sails.