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Hornet Plus Three: The Story of the Apollo 11 Recovery

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Histories of the 1960s space race typically focus on the technology and determination that allowed America to meet President Kennedy's 1961 challenge. Others cover the heroic efforts of the astronauts, engineers, technicians, and specialists who made the first Moon landing possible. Rarely is the actual recovery of the spacecraft and crew covered in any detail.

However, it was the extraordinary planning and achievement of NASA and the military that made it possible to return those first Moon walkers "safely to Earth" by plucking them from the ocean and bringing them to a waiting aircraft carrier.

All of us who grew up during those incredible years can remember watching the returning Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo capsules swaying under the huge parachutes, splashing into the ocean, and bobbing while helicopters and Navy divers retrieved the crews. But few of us had any idea of the planning, coordination, and resourcefulness required to make those recoveries look so easy.

Author Bob Fish, in "Hornet Plus Three," describes in detail how the recovery missions were planned, rehearsed, and accomplished...but goes much farther. As with most well-done histories, the book brings its story to life through first-person remembrances of many people who participated in these momentous events, including the commander of the USS Hornet.

Fish has certainly done his homework, and his love of the subject matter shines through the 288 pages and dozens of archival photos, maps, and drawings. He traces how the U.S. military joined with NASA to support the landing and recovery of spacecraft, beginning with the first Mercury capsules and concluding with the unprecedented recovery of the first men to walk on the Moon - the Apollo 11 astronauts - and their cargo of priceless Moon rocks. From the initial recovery concepts through planning, training, and mission simulations to the actual recovery of American spacecraft and crews from the oceans, Fish tells it all. He covers the successes, problems, errors, and innovative solutions. Highlighted with quotes and stories from people we've never before heard from, Hornet Plus Three will entertain, educate, and enthrall you.

Step by step, Fish takes the reader through the recovery lessons learned during the one-man Mercury flights, two-man Gemini flights, and three-man Apollo missions. He describes how, as the capsules grew larger and heavier, NASA and the Navy had to revise both recovery procedures and the equipment used. Many of the photographs in Hornet Plus Three have never before been published and illustrate the personnel, Navy ships, Navy and Air Force aircraft, capsules, astronauts, and equipment.

Fish describes each step of the spacecraft's descent and splashdown and the transport of the crew and capsule to the deck of the Hornet. Although the story of the Apollo 11 recovery ends with the return of the USS Hornet to Pearl Harbor with its full complement of crew, plus three astronauts, Bob Fish's outstanding contribution to aviation, military, and space history includes several valuable appendices.

"Hornet Plus Three" represents an important and unique addition to the vast library of books about the early NASA space programs. I guarantee you won't be bored and, whether you think you know a lot about the Apollo program or not, you'll learn something and gain some insights into the challenges faced by those who ensured a safe conclusion to every space mission.

Our last manned mission to the Moon, Apollo 17, splashed down December 19, 1972. Thirty-seven years later, no other Earthlings have ventured beyond Earth orbit.

Could we repeat the Apollo program today? Could we do it in less than 10 years?

Hornet Plus Three: The Story of the Apollo 11 Recovery

Great book! I've always wondered about what happened behind the scenes of the Apollo 11 moon mission, especially the splashdown and recovery of the spacecraft and astronauts. This book is filled with technical information that is understandable and interesting to read. It is also an easy read because there are lots of photos and graphics to support the text. The contributions of people who were there provide a new and special perspective. I highly recommend HORNET PLUS THREE to anyone interested in space or naval history. Both young and old alike will gain a better understanding of what took place in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969.

Hornet Plus Three: The Story of the Apollo 11 Recovery

Americans are familiar with the basics of the 1960's U.S. space program that started with Project Mercury, advanced through Gemini, and resulted in the successful moon landing of Apollo 11 in July 1969. We have read the books, seen the movies and hundreds of millions of us around the globe watched these events unfold on live TV. But this fresh account by Bob Fish details the untold story of a critical part of the lunar missions--the safe recovery of the astronauts on their return to earth. In an attention grabbing 212 pages, he portrays the complex array of organizations, people, skills, equipment and techniques needed to accomplish this challenging task. All set against the background of the Cold War and the Viet Nam conflict, which simultaneously imposed their own huge demands on resources of the Department of Defense. When President Kennedy set the goal in 1961 of "landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth" before the end of that decade, neither he nor anyone else had a clue as to how to do that. But, as Fish notes, Kennedy's challenge instantly shifted a significant percentage of the Cold War struggle into space research and development rather than building more weapons. The book is brought to life with numerous quotes from those who lived the story, from President Nixon to deckhands on the USS Hornet, that add a human touch and the ring of authenticity. The number of ships, organizations and preparations is inclusive but concisely presented in this highly readable work, supported by nearly 150 outstanding photos and illustrations. I highly recommend this book for all. As Apollo 12 Astronaut Richard Gordon says in his forward, "Well Done."

Bill Callahan
June 9, 2009

While this is a great book about the recovery efforts, it also gives a tremendous amount of detailed information about the entire moon program. For instance, we all know about the fire on Apollo 1 and the trip to the moon on Apollo 8, but what happened on Apollos 2 through 7. Having grown up watching the moon launches from my front yard, I never knew. This book has this and so much more. It is filled with rarely seen photographs and first hand accounts from the people who were there. It was past time some captured these details before they were lost forever. Thank you Bob Fish.

Hornet plus three - The story of the Apollo 11 recovery.
By Bob Fish, foreword by USN Captain (Ret) Richard Gordon

Excellent book with 214 glossy pages describing the US Navy (and Air Force) preparations and efforts to recover NASA's space missions from Mercury, Gemini to Apollo 11 & Apollo 12.
The Learning curve: Project Mercury and Project Gemini
DoD Apollo Mission Support: Apollo module recovery concept,
Initial Apollo Flights: Apollo 8 & Apollo 10 recoveries,
Earth Contamination Issues: Biological isolation garment and quarantine training,
Primary recovery ships and aircraft., Primary Recovery force units and navigational aids for locating the Command Module,
Pre-flight preparations and welcoming President Nixon on board,
Apollo 11 splashdown & recovery and the return to Pearl Harbor,
Appendixes with personal recollections by Neil Armstrong, Charles Smiley, Clancy Hathleberg, timelines and key speeches.
A superb book with the most detailed account of NASA's most important missions, illustrated with many color photos and maps with recovery locations in the Pacific Ocean. A must-have for everyone interested in the historic Apollo missions!
Philip Corneille
Fellow British Interplanetary Society

It's hard to aim an object as it hurtles back down through the Earth's atmosphere. "Hornet Plus Three: The Story of the Apollo 11 Recovery" tells about the part of the Moon landing that is not often discussed - the recovery of the ship after it came back to Earth. An adventure in its own right, "Hornet Plus Three" mentions the unsung heroes of American space exploration - the men who helped get the astronauts back home. "Hornet Plus Three" is a must read for anyone who wants to know more about NASA.

This nonfiction book covers the history of astronaut ocean recovery efforts by NASA and the navy. The history of NASA and early space program flights and recoveries are covered, but most of the book details the recovery of Columbia and the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission.

"Hornet Plus Three" was well-written, very interesting, and easy for me to follow. It contained a lot of information I'd wondered about before but had never heard the answers to. The book did get a little facty at times, listing precisely where every asset was, but the wonderful accompanying photos kept these facts from ever getting boring. The maps, photos, and charts were very nice and useful.

The author used information from interviews of those involved to bring the events vividly alive. These details made me feel like I was on the Hornet watching the events unfold. (The full interviews are included in the appendix along with timelines, key speeches, a glossary, and other useful information.)

Overall, it's a very enjoyable book. I'd highly recommend it to anyone interested in the space program, especially those (like me) who weren't alive at the time or weren't old enough to remember.

Review also posted at Different Time, Different Place Book Reviews

As a former USS Hornet crewmember who was present at the Apollo 11 splashdown, I enjoyed reliving this event. Bob got it all right and filled in many things about the entire Apollo program of which I was not aware. His book is a fun learning experience.

Hornet Plus Three is a great unique book. Bob Fish fills in the gap for us to learn about astronaut space craft recovery especially Apollo 11 the first manned moon landing flight.

We see the carrier USS Hornet CV12 is selected as the main recovery ship for the Apollo 11. Good detailed writing as well as beautiful pictures and diagrams. Here are a few exciting parts of the book but there are many many more.

We see a list of the manned spacecraft and the recovery ships. We see early recoveries... pictures of a Marine helicopter picking up Alan Shepard and his Mercury capsule Freedom 7. We see another picture of a Marine helicopter straining to save Gus Grissom's capsule Liberty Bell 7 that is filling with water. They lose the capsule and almost lose the helo. Gus Grissom is shown in the water and almost drowns but is saved by another helo crew.

We see the UDT teams that were the "frog men" who helped secure the spacecraft and assured the safety of the astronauts . President Nixon lands on the Hornet via helicopter in the middle of the Pacific near Johnson Island to see the Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Mike Collins. The Apollo 11 astronauts had to put on special containment suits called BIG before being transferred to their quarantine vehicle on the Hornet. They get quarantined inside a sealed converted Air Stream travel trailer equipped with back pressure containment to prevent any leaking of the trailer's internal air to prevent the world being attacked by deadly moon germs. Back then they were paranoid the world could possibly perish from moon germs. No one knew if there were lethal moon germs. After Apollo 14 the quarantine procedures were deemed unnecessary and stopped.

Bob Fish shows us many DOD recovery items that were classified because of the cold war. The book is much more detailed than the few items I have described. I liked the pictures of individuals that helped in the recovery and had "I remember" stories. Bob Fish shows us other Navy support ships such as destroyers, oilers and converted ships that were used in the recovery effort and explains their role. Recover teams were stationed in both the Atlantic and Pacific. We also see the Air Force had planes ready and assigned in far distant secondary areas if the astronauts missed their primary recovery target. Also the Air Force used tracking and photo planes. Initially I thought astronaut/space craft recovery was almost totally Navy. This book taught me not so. The Air Force also played a big part. The Marines helped too. We learn the recovery missions were very involved, and a total team effort by NASA and the DOD involving thousands and thousands of people that practiced and practiced. A lot of hard work.

I'm ex Navy and served on 2 aircraft carriers US Independence CV62, the USS Nimitz and a submarine dry dock. I also was a (non military) certified rescue diver and am an amateur astronomer of over 40 years interested in space so I have a huge interest in this book. Anyone who served or is serving in the Navy, Marines, Air Force, or a diver or anyone interested in manned space exploration will find this book fascinating. The USS Hornet is now a well preserved museum with Bob Fish as the curator. Someday I'd like to see it.

This book is beautiful illustrated on quality paper. It would make a great coffee table book for company coming over. This is the kind of book you keep to pass down to your children and then your grandchildren. This is an important part of history that is not taught in school. A true quality keepsake of the USS Hornet CV12 and hard to find manned space craft recovery information. Someday soon I hope we have a permanent Lunar base and have man setting foot on Mars for the eventual colonizing of Mars. Lets hope for a bright future for manned space exploration. Thanks Bob Fish for this masterpiece.