Charles Dunlap Benson grew up in Winter Park, Florida, not far from Cape Canaveral's missile ranges. He attended Davidson College, earning Phi Beta Kappa honors and All-Southern Conference selection in football. After service with the 82nd Airborne Division, Benson pursued graduate training at the University of Florida (Ph.D., 1970). His dissertation concerned roles and missions of the armed services after World War II. After completing Moonport, he was co-author of the official history of Skylab. In 1977 he was recalled to active duty in the U.S. Army as a major.
William Barnaby Faherty, S.J., was educated at St. Mary College (Kansas) and St. Louis University (Ph.D., 1949), where he is currently professor of history. He spent seven years in editorial work and seventeen years in college teaching before accepting the position of senior member of the research team of the University of Florida to work on the history of Project Apollo at the Kennedy Space Center. His eleven books deal with women's social position, regional and ecclesiastical history, and midwestern education. His historical novel, A Wall for San Sebastian, was adapted by MGM for a motion picture. Wide River, Wide Land deals with the Mississippi Valley during the Revolutionary War. His articles have appeared in the Wisconsin Magazine of History, the Missouri Historical Review, Labor History, and the History of Education Quarterly.