"Carrying the Fire" follows the journey of Michael Collins from his early days as an Air Force test pilot all the way through his world-changing voyage to the moon. It highlights his struggle to get into the space program, his training, the incredible Gemini 10 mission, and takes you minute by minute to the moon and back. Collins brings the technical aspects of NASA down to a level that everyone can understand and he is personal enough to let you into his thoughts as he orbits alone around the dark side of the moon.
I was amazed at just how experimental everything was! Many of the things they did were just shooting from the hip. After all, how do you practice landing a spaceship on the moon? They built a replica of the moon's surface out of gray rocks and used helicopters to get a feel for it! Totally crazy, but what else could they do?
My favorite chapter was the one describing the Gemini 10 mission. It was Collins' first mission, and he orbited the earth for several days just skimming above the atmosphere. I was so thrilled at the moment it came time for him to do his space walk. Can you imagine, being inside a spaceship and opening the door to the outside? During his first walk he simply opened the door and stood up in his chair to look around outside. I love the way he describes it.
"...this is the best view of the universe a human has ever had. Down below the earth is barely discernible, as the occasional lightning flash along a row of thunderheads. There is just enough of an eerie bluish-gray glow to allow my eye to differentiate between clouds and water and land, and this in turn allows motion to be measured. We are gliding across the world in total silence, with absolute smoothness; a motion of stately grace which makes me feel God-like as I stand erect in my sideways chariot, cruising the night sky.”
After the Gemini 10 mission, Collins was a "real" astronaut, and can you believe it, one flight in space qualifies you as a pro and gets you assigned to a mission to the moon. Through a series of events and circumstances, he was moved around several times before being assigned to the Apollo 11 mission, the first mission to put a man on the moon. Though only Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin would be in the lunar landing party (and therefore receive all the fame and recognition), Michael Collins traveled with them. He stayed up in the Command Module and circled the moon alone while they were down on the surface of the moon. I love the way he describes his feelings during this time of complete solitude.
"I am alone now, truly alone, and absolutely isolated from any known life. I am it. If a count were taken, the score would be three billion plus two over on the other side of the moon, and one plus God only knows what on this side. I feel this powerfully—not as fear or loneliness—but as awareness, anticipation, satisfaction, confidence, almost exultation. I like the feeling."
This truly was an amazing book and I was almost sad to put it down after turning the last page. I am in awe of just how much went in to the challenge to put a man on the moon and return him safely to earth. It is absolutely incredible what man can achieve when the will is there. This was an incredible journey!
My rating: 9 out of 10
