American author Jonathan Ward spent several years of his childhood in Japan, but he considers the Virginia suburbs of Washington, D. C. to be his hometown. Although he has a wide variety of interests and has worked in many fields, space exploration is his lifelong passion. His joy of bringing the space program to life for the general public began in high school, when he served as a volunteer tour guide at the National Air and Space Museum during the Apollo 15 and 16 missions. He continues his public outreach today, as a Solar System Ambassador for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, as a frequent speaker on space exploration topics to interest groups and at regional conferences and as an author for Springer-Praxis. Jonathan is also a frequent contributor to online space exploration forums.

Jonathan brings a unique perspective to his writing that marries a systems view of the topic, fascination with the technology, passion for space exploration and deep respect for the people who make it all happen. He holds an MS in Systems Management from the University of Denver and a BS in Psychology from Virginia Commonwealth University. He is professionally certified as an executive coach by the International Coach Federation, and serves on the adjunct faculty at the Center for Creative Leadership. His professional experience includes extensive work with leadership teams and several years with Boeing on the Space Station Freedom program.

Jonathan and his wife Jane now reside in Greensboro, North Carolina. He is fiercely proud of his two grown children and their families and he wishes they lived closer to him. He maintains a website to document his research on the Apollo era at Kennedy Space Center. He collects and restores artefacts from the Apollo era, including several control panels from the Firing Rooms. Jonathan also notes that he might possibly be the only current space author who has appeared on two GRAMMY-winning albums, which were recorded during his years as a Bass II section leader, soloist and eventually president of The Washington Chorus.

Continues and complements the Apollo history given in the author's preceding book titled Countdown to the Moon

Describes in detail the infrastructure and facilities of Kennedy Space Center and how they developed over time

Relates critical events in Apollo/Saturn mission preparations that were not publicized at the time or which have been neglected over the years

Introduction.- Setting the Stage for Apollo/Saturn 1960-1966.- The Apollo 1 Fire.- The Spacecraft Assembly and Checkout Facilities.- The VAB and the Mobile Launcher.- The Launch Control Center and Firing Rooms.- Launch Pads 39A and 39B.- Life at the Launch Pad.- Epilogue: The End of an Era.