Hornet Plus Three : The Story of the Apollo 11 Recovery

¿That¿s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind....¿ For most Americans,President Kennedy¿s words are just about all they know of Apollo 11's historic mission¿the 40th anniversary of which just passed. What few realize is how much effort went into every phase of that mission and all the ones before it. Just the recovery aspect of Apollo 11 was a monumental task involving thousands of Navy, DoD and NASA personnel. Now, for the first time, that enterprise is explored in Hornet Plus Three: The Story of the Apollo 11 Recovery. The book follows the evolution of the DOD, Navy and NASA¿s efforts to take up President John F. Kennedy¿s challenge to ¿[land] a man on the Moon and [return] him safely to Earth.¿ [emphasis added]. Using many primary sources, such as DoD manuals and Navy directives, as well as first-hand accounts, author Bob Fish explores the details of spacecraft recovery. There is also an extensive examination of every moment that went into the USS Hornet¿s successful recovery of the Apollo 11 capsule, the three astronauts and the precious cargo of Moon rocks.

Bob Fish has been a Trustee and Apollo curator for the USS Hornet Museum since 2000. He created the museum's spacecraft recovery exhibit, the only one of its kind in the world. During seven years of researching the Apollo 11 recovery, he interviewed a wide range of key participants. He and his wife reside in California.