Al Worden: Falling to Earth

Thanks to the Research Division of the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force; the Office of History and Preservation of the U.S. House of Representatives; the National Personnel Records Center of the National Archives and Records Administration; and the Iowa Women’s Archives, University of Iowa Libraries. Each contained documents that confirmed and reignited old memories. Thanks also to Sonia López, who carefully scanned and meticulously restored numerous old photos.

A thank you to the unknown transcribers who, four decades ago, carefully recorded our words from space and in the later congressional hearings. The events I recount are burned deep in my memory (flying to the moon tends to do that), but to have my exact words from so long ago at hand helped me relive events with even sharper clarity and precision.

I want to reserve my final thank you for my wife Jill. We are approaching thirty years of married life together and have shared many wonderful adventures. She’s always understood how important it is for me to tell this story, and I thank her for her support while we researched and wrote the book. I’m looking forward to our next few decades of adventures together.

I’ve tried my best to describe people and events in words; however, I know there will be places in this story where a reader would like to see a photo. As there is only a limited amount of space in the book, I have added more photos to my website—www.alworden.com—from my life today back to my childhood. I hope you enjoy them.

Copyright © 2011 by Alfred Worden and Francis French

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Published by Smithsonian Books

www.smithsonianbooks.com

Editor: Lise Sajewski

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Worden, Al, 1932–

Falling to Earth : an Apollo 15 astronaut’s journey / Al Worden with Francis French. — 1st ed.

p. cm.

eISBN: 978-1-58834-310-9

1. Worden, Al, 1932–2. Astronauts—United States—Biography. 3. Space flight to the moon—History. 4. Project Apollo (U.S.)—History. I. French, Francis. II. Title.

TL789.85.W67A3 2011

629.450092—dc22

[B]

2011003440

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