Reading
I started reading this on July 1, 2005, and finished it on July 3,
2005.
Specs
Scott, David, and Leonov, Alexei, Two Sides of the Moon,
written 2004, published by Thomas Dunne Books, St. Martins Press, New
York. This is from the Oak Park Library.
Overview
This is a duel autobiography. That is, the space race seen
through the eyes of Astronaut David Scott, and Cosmonaut Alexei
Leonov. Alexei Leonov is the first person to do an EVA (space walk)
and David Scott walked on the moon.
This starts with the problems the two had growing up. Leonov's
father was labeled an "Enemy of the people" on the strength of
one testimony against him from a corrupt co-worker, and was not
allowed to defend himself. He ended up in a gulag, however, he was
eventually set free when it was proved false. At that time the
neighbors came into their house and took literally everything, even
the clothes off the people's back. They survived only because they
had a brother or the like. They even took Alexei's (who was very
young) shoes. He did not get any more until he was much older. He
mentions that this was all too common (although not reported) in
Stalin's USSR.
David Scott grew up in a military family, and wanted to be a
military test pilot from the beginning.
One point made about the Soviet Space program is the secrecy. For
example, Leonov just about died because of his EVA: The spacesuit
expanded, and he had trouble getting back into his ship. In fact, he
had to bleed the air out until the suit became small enough to get
back in.
He talks about two Cosmonauts who died on reentry because they
didn't follow his advice (even though it was not in the manual).
That is, he suggested they close a vent, and manually open it when
the time came, but they left it on auto, and it opened before they
were in the atmosphere. Three people died.
He talks about Sergei Pavlovich Korolev, the mysterious Chief
Designer for the Soviet Space program. They were ahead until he
died, and Leonov thinks they would have beat the United States to the
moon if he hadn't died. They were close, but some technical
glitches got in the way (such as a rocket
design that kept blowing up).
He does mention that the Soviet program did land mobile unmanned
probes on the moon, even before the United States sent a man there.
They mentioned that the first couple of Cosmonauts to fly in space
parachuted before landing, they do not
mention that some picky people don't count those as successful
fights, therefore. (I think they're being picky.)
Comments
Interesting point mentioned: Alexei Leonov is the person the
Russian ship in 2010 is named after. I guess Arthur Clark met
Leonov, and they liked each other.
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