Never Panic Early: An Apollo 13 Astronaut’s Journey

Haise recounts his career as an Apollo astronaut in this meticulous memoir. Born in 1933, Haise joined the Naval Aviation Cadet Program after college and determined to become an aviator upon completing his first flight lesson. After training as a fighter pilot, he obtained a degree in aeronautical engineering and, in 1959, joined the newly created NASA as a research pilot. Haise highlights his experiences at NASA, where he was selected as the backup lunar module commander for Apollo 8 and 11. He vividly shows how that training proved crucial when he was the lunar module commander on Apollo 13 in 1970: after an onboard explosion during the mission, he and his crewmates relied on their vessel’s life support systems while they looped around the moon and made a harrowing return to Earth. Haise’s passion for flying is unmistakable, though the abundance of dense and technical details about aircraft and spacecraft will likely leave more casual readers feeling lost. For those well versed in aeronautics, this is an illuminating personal history of NASA’s space program. Photos. (Apr.)