Across the Airless Wilds: The Lunar Rover and the Triumph of the Final Moon Landings

In his latest work (after the best-selling Chesapeake Requiem: A Year with the Watermen of Vanishing Tangier Island), Swift explores one of the innovations of the United States’ NASA programs: the lunar rover. While Neil Armstrong’s first step on the moon inspired the world, the mission of subsequent lunar landings could not have been accomplished without the mobility that the lunar rovers provided the astronauts, this book maintains. With a reporter’s eye for detail, Swift offers a deep dive into the technical challenges of rapidly developing a vehicle capable of handling a terrain and atmosphere largely unknown to humankind. This carefully researched book captures first-person accounts of the engineers, project managers, and other behind-the-scenes technologists who solved problem after problem to bring the lunar rovers to life. The narrative is full of intrigue, and Swift brings readers along as NASA staff rush to meet tight deadlines and even tighter budgets, all while dealing with public attention and, sometimes, scrutiny. Relying on a range of primary and secondary sources, the book also includes several photographs of lunar missions, along with copious and fascinating notes to accompany the text.