We Have Capture

Tom Stafford and the Space Race

Nonfiction, History, Military, Aviation, Americas, United States, 20th Century, Biography & Memoir
Cover of the book We Have Capture by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt, Smithsonian
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt ISBN: 9781588344359
Publisher: Smithsonian Publication: January 14, 2014
Imprint: Smithsonian Books Language: English
Author: Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
ISBN: 9781588344359
Publisher: Smithsonian
Publication: January 14, 2014
Imprint: Smithsonian Books
Language: English

What an amazing career. Tom Stafford attained the highest speed ever reached by a test pilot (28,547 mph), carried a cosmonaut’s coffin with Soviet Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, led the team that designed the sequence of missions leading to the original lunar landing, and drafted the original specifications for the B-2 stealth bomber on a piece of hotel stationery. But his crowning achievement was surely his role as America’s unofficial space ambassador to the Soviet Union during the darkest days of the Cold War.

In this lively memoir written with Michael Cassutt, Stafford begins by recounting his early successes as a test pilot, Gemini and Apollo astronaut, and USAF general. As President Nixon's stand-in at the 1971 Soviet funeral for three cosmonauts, he opened the door to the possibility of cooperation in space between Russians and Americans. Stafford's Apollo-Soyuz team was the first group of Americans to work at the cosmonaut training center, and also the first to visit Baikonur, the top-secret Soviet launch center, in 1974. His 17 July 1975 “handshake in space” with Soviet commander Alexei Leonov (who became a lifelong friend) proved to the world that the two opposing countries could indeed work successfully together.

Stafford has continued in this leadership role right up to the present, participating in designing and evaluating the Space Shuttle, Mir, and the International Space Station. He is truly an American hero who personifies the broadest spirit of exploration and cooperation.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

What an amazing career. Tom Stafford attained the highest speed ever reached by a test pilot (28,547 mph), carried a cosmonaut’s coffin with Soviet Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, led the team that designed the sequence of missions leading to the original lunar landing, and drafted the original specifications for the B-2 stealth bomber on a piece of hotel stationery. But his crowning achievement was surely his role as America’s unofficial space ambassador to the Soviet Union during the darkest days of the Cold War.

In this lively memoir written with Michael Cassutt, Stafford begins by recounting his early successes as a test pilot, Gemini and Apollo astronaut, and USAF general. As President Nixon's stand-in at the 1971 Soviet funeral for three cosmonauts, he opened the door to the possibility of cooperation in space between Russians and Americans. Stafford's Apollo-Soyuz team was the first group of Americans to work at the cosmonaut training center, and also the first to visit Baikonur, the top-secret Soviet launch center, in 1974. His 17 July 1975 “handshake in space” with Soviet commander Alexei Leonov (who became a lifelong friend) proved to the world that the two opposing countries could indeed work successfully together.

Stafford has continued in this leadership role right up to the present, participating in designing and evaluating the Space Shuttle, Mir, and the International Space Station. He is truly an American hero who personifies the broadest spirit of exploration and cooperation.

More books from Smithsonian

Cover of the book With Schwarzkopf by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
Cover of the book Witness in Our Time, Second Edition by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
Cover of the book To Fill the Skies with Pilots by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
Cover of the book Living Santería by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
Cover of the book A History of Life in 100 Fossils by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
Cover of the book How the States Got Their Shapes Too by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
Cover of the book Cancer in the Community by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
Cover of the book Smithsonian Journeys Cultural Guide: Venice by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
Cover of the book Game Worn by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
Cover of the book Anthony Fokker by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
Cover of the book Time and Navigation by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
Cover of the book Anthropology Explored, Second Edition by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
Cover of the book John Glenn by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
Cover of the book Smithsonian American Women by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
Cover of the book Chandra's Cosmos by Thomas P. Stafford, Michael Cassutt
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy