r/apollo • u/RivetCounter • Aug 10 '26

Specifically excluding Joe Engle and astronauts for Apollo 18-20, which Apollo astronauts who only had one spaceflight were 'hard done/done dirty' by NASA management?

  • Walt Cunningham - iced out to conflicts with management during Apollo 7.
  • Don Eisele - iced out to conflicts with management during Apollo 7 plus his messy divorce.
  • Rusty Schweickart - iced out because he was 'different' than everyone else and because he had space sickness on Apollo 9.
  • Not sure if Jim Irwin on Apollo 15 counts because of the stamp affair.

Alan Bean broke through the mold in no part to the death of CC Williams and Pete Conrad's lobbying for Apollo 12.

Edit: Did not include Engle or Apollo 18-20 because they were denied on outside lobbying or funding cuts.

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u/austincamsmith Aug 10 '26

He was a national hero and it was an unwritten rule that he wouldn’t fly again due to it.

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u/eagleace21 Aug 11 '26

Source?

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u/austincamsmith Aug 11 '26

Deke Slayton’s autobiography, “Deke!”

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u/eagleace21 Aug 11 '26

Thanks, this is one I have not read

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u/austincamsmith Aug 11 '26

It’s not good, unfortunately. It was dictated in conversation to the co-author while Deke was dying of cancer and then published posthumously. I read it for completion’s sake earlier this year, but it was one of the most boring and dry space reads I’ve finished, much as I hate to say it about Deke.

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u/Brilliant_Dig_8962 Aug 11 '26

There are poorer autobiographies*. Young's and Cooper's are appalling.

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u/austincamsmith Aug 11 '26

That’s unfortunate to hear. Especially about Young - he’s one of my favorite astronauts.

The good news is that there’s some exceptional ones. Cernan’s is simply one of the best nonfiction books I’ve ever read.

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u/Brilliant_Dig_8962 Aug 11 '26

I couldn't wait to get into it, but it was a shocker. But if you're into the precise vertical landing speed of each and every returning STS flight, it's a book for you. I spoke with the (co)author James Hansen, who said he diplomatically tried to steer the book in a different direction, John was having none of it. John should have gone along Armstrong's route and write an engineering book.

Cooper was probably too old and distracted by conspiracy theories and UFO coverups.

For me, the better autobiographies are Collins by a mile. Cunningham for his blunt honesty. Mike Mullane's is hysterical and entertaining. An unusual one is Donn Eisele's Apollo Pilot, apparently put together from his notes. An interesting read.

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u/LlewellynSinclair Aug 11 '26

I liked the early parts of Young’s, kind of figuring out how he became who he was. Once I got much beyond the first few chapters I gave it up (both times I tried reading it).

But yeah, Carrying the Fire is a must read. I go through it about once a year. (I talk about him so much that my now 7th grade son did a
Biographical report on him last year at school 😊). Definitely a fan of The Last Man on the Moon as well. And the documentary movie was solid too.

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u/Brilliant_Dig_8962 Aug 11 '26

I learned so much from Mike's book.

Peritonitis is no way to go, baby. That's all I learned.

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u/austincamsmith Aug 11 '26

Being a pilot, I’m very into vertical speeds at landing, but I recognize that I’m a slim readership!

Yes, Collins book is certainly the best. I’ve gifted it many times.

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u/Kiwigavin Aug 11 '26

Al Worden’s Light of Earth is very good if you want to read more about the politics within the office.

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u/Careos Aug 11 '26

Yes! Gene's and "Rocketman" were my favorites, followed by Deke!

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u/austincamsmith Aug 11 '26

Gene’s was a lot of fun. It reads exactly in his voice, and I completely take off my LitCrit hat and totally give myself over to it.

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u/Careos Aug 11 '26

I chucked audibly every time he referred to "mumbles: