I worked as a field test and project engineer for the Mercury, Gemini, Apollo and Skylab parachute-recovery systems, and had the privilege of meeting all the original astronauts. I participated in drop tests and pad-abort shots. One thing I remember about working on Apollo was how tough it was to work with NASA because they wanted eight sets of all paperwork, no copies, all originals. During one test period, my crew worked for 32 hours before going home. -- Ed Drumheller, human factors specialist 5 for Phantom Works crew-escape and life-support technology (Northrop employee during Apollo program)

I helped conduct the tests for the Apollo lunar module ascent and descent engine. There were hundreds of engine firings, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We used mechanical rulers with special scales to interpret pressure and temperature read-outs recorded on strip graphs of temperature-sensitive recording paper. NASA would tease Grumman about using stone-age recording methods instead of computer-analyzed test evaluation methods. The tests were extremely successful and the operational propulsion system hardware proved very reliable. The next summer, my Naval Air Reserve patrol squadron was deployed to Florida. On July 16, 1969, our aircraft left the Jacksonville, Fla., Naval Air Station for a routine 10-hour sea patrol when the Apollo 11 launch countdown was in its final hour. Our aircraft was vectored near the launch site and we orbited until the launch was complete. I was privileged to witness the fruits of our labor and a flawless launch for a very successful first landing on the moon. -- Alan Peffley, operational concept analyst (Boeing employee during Apollo program)

During the Apollo 11 program, one of my tasks was to do a materials/flammability inspection of each Command Module to make sure that in the fabrication of the spacecraft, the materials met the NASA requirements, and there were no flammability hazards built into the spacecraft. During the customer acceptance review, it was noted that the materials inspection required before shipping the command module to KSC had not been made. In the rush to get a man on the moon, the command module was being readied for shipment before the review was complete. So, when management directed that the inspection be completed before shipment, the command module was on a stand being packaged for shipment. We had to climb up the shipping container and climb a ladder to get into the command module. I fell into the command module and dislocated my shoulder. The next big problem was getting me out of the small hatch and back onto the ladder to be able to exit. I am not a small person, so it took quite an effort. -- Paul Ledoux, engineer/scientist (General Electric employee during Apollo program)

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