| MURDER ON PAD 34 Erik Bergaust New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons, 1968 |
Rating: 3.0 Fair |
|||
| LibCong 68-12096 | 253pp. | HC/BWI | $5.95 | |
Written as it was before 1969 and the triumph of Apollo 11, this book perforce lacks our perspective on that era. But that is its strength: its author is closer in time to the tragedy that preceded that triumph, and hence to the information about it. He is deeply concerned about the lack of support for safety in our space program, and he does not mince words. This example from page 99 is representative:
Space flight—regardless of engineering and design soundness and the use of the best techniques and the latest technological advances—will always remain a risky business. How, then, has NASA had the audacity to employ crude, cut-corner methods throughout the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs? Is the rush to beat the Russians important enough to justify settling for Model T technology and showing an almost criminal neglect for safety? |
Bergaust was project engineer for an Army liquid oxygen project. He founded the trade publication Missiles & Rockets and in 1956 was President of the National Capitol Section of the American Rocket Society. These activities and others testify that he is a true "space booster"; I surmise that the Apollo 204 fire hit him hard, perhaps too hard. His book presents a damning indictment of NASA and its then administrator James Webb, citing incidents of theft and misappropriation of government property, a pattern of shoddy workmanship and lax oversight, and sound engineering decisions overruled in the name of political expediency. He was right about the shoddy workmanship and lax oversight, as plenty of studies at the time proved and more recent events have demonstrated. However, by the time I finished the book its own pattern was clear; that, unfortunately, is one of distortion — selective reporting of facts, the use of repetition and implication to suggest a picture that is not accurate. It is unfortunate because I sense Mr. Bergaust's heart was in the right place, and he put a lot of work into this book. It contains a lot of useful information, including the names of key players and an account of how the tragedy forced Congress to impose funding and safety restraints1 upon NASA. But it is a slanted report, and I cannot recommend it.
To contact Chris Winter, send email to this address.