The Astronaut Maker: How One Mysterious Engineer Ran Human Spaceflight for a Generation

Cassutt (coauthor of We Have Capture) traces the arc of American space flight in this captivating biography of a NASA figure largely unknown to the general public despite his essential contributions to the lunar missions and the Space Shuttle. Over an almost 40-year career, George Abbey rose through the agency’s ranks, from his start in 1964 as a low-level engineer, to become the director of flight operations for the Johnson Space Center, and eventually the center’s director. Drawing on interviews with Abbey and about 50 others, Cassutt renders a balanced account of his subject’s life that doesn’t shy away from negatives, such as a reputation as a “dictator” among his colleagues, or the obsessive dedication to work that exacted a toll on Abbey’s family life. But those failings are put in perspective by Abbey’s immense contributions to space science, including his advocacy, as the person responsible for the selection and training of astronauts, for the recruitment of women and minorities. NASA buffs will be fascinated by this profile of an undervalued figure whose most significant legacy, Cassutt concludes, was at the human level—making “spaceflight available to all, regardless of citizenship, gender, color, or ethnic background.” Agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House. (Aug.)