Christopher C. Kraft Jr.

Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr. (Fabrairu 28, 1924 - Yuli 22, 2019) ya kasance ɗan asalin sararin samaniya na Amurka kuma injiniyan NASA wanda ya taimaka wajen kafa Cibiyar Kula da Ofishin Jakadancin hukumar da kuma tsara ƙungiyarsa da al'adunta. Mai kula da shi Glynn Lunney ya ce a cikin 1998: "Cibiyar Kulawa a yau ... alama ce ta Chris Kraft". 

Christopher C. Kraft Jr.
Rayuwa
Haihuwa	Phoebus (en) , 28 ga Faburairu, 1924
ƙasa	Tarayyar Amurka
Mutuwa	Houston, 22 ga Yuli, 2019
Ƴan uwa
Mahaifiya	Vanda Olivia Kraft
Karatu
Makaranta	Virginia Tech (en) Hampton High School (en)
Harsuna	Turanci
Sana'a
Sana'a	inventor (en) , marubuci da military flight engineer (en)
Employers	National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (en) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (en)
Kyaututtuka	gani ASME Medal  (1973) National Aviation Hall of Fame  (2016) Theodore Roosevelt Award  (1971) Theodore von Kármán Award  (1994) NASA Distinguished Service Medal  (1969) International Space Hall of Fame  (1988) NASA Distinguished Service Medal  (1981)
Mamba	National Academy of Engineering (en)
Imani
Addini	Katolika

Bayan kammala karatunsa na 1944 daga Cibiyar Nazarin Fasaha ta Virginia da Jami'ar Jihar tare da digiri a fannin Injiniyan jirgin sama, Kwamitin Ba da Shawara na Kasa na Aeronautics (NACA), kungiyar da ta riga ta zama Hukumar Kula da Jiragen Sama da Sararin samaniya (NASA) ta hayar Kraft. Ya yi aiki sama da shekaru goma a cikin binciken jirgin sama kuma a cikin 1958 ya shiga Space Task Group, ƙaramar ƙungiya da aka ba da alhakin sanya mutum na farko na Amurka a sararin samaniya. An sanya shi a cikin sashen ayyukan jirgin sama, Kraft ya zama darektan jirgin farko na NASA. Ya kasance a kan aiki a lokacin Jirgin sararin samaniya na farko na Amurka, jirgin sararin sama na farko, da kuma tafiya na farko na sararin samaniya. A farkon Shirin Apollo, Kraft ya yi ritaya a matsayin darektan jirgin sama don mayar da hankali kan gudanarwa da shirin manufa. A shekara ta 1972, ya zama darektan Cibiyar Manned Spacecraft (daga baya Cibiyar Johnson Space), bayan mai ba da shawara Robert R. Gilruth, kuma ya rike mukamin har sai da ya yi ritaya a shekarar 1982.

Daga baya, Kraft ya tuntubi kamfanoni irin su IBM da Rockwell International. A shekara ta 1994, an nada shi shugaban kwamitin don yin shirin NASA na Space Shuttle ya fi tsada. Rahoton mai rikitarwa na kwamitin, wanda aka sani da Rahoton Kraft, ya ba da shawarar cewa ya kamata a fitar da ayyukan Space Shuttle na NASA ga dan kwangila mai zaman kansa. Har ila yau, ya ba da shawarar cewa NASA ta rage canje-canjen ƙungiya da aka nufa don inganta aminci da aka yi bayan bala'in Space Shuttle Challenger. Wannan ya jawo hankalin karin sharhin bayan bala'in Space Shuttle Columbia.

Kraft ya wallafa tarihin kansa Flight: My Life in Mission Control a shekara ta 2001. Ginin Cibiyar Kula da Ofishin Jakadancin an sanya masa suna a cikin 2011. Lokacin da ya karbi kyautar sararin samaniya ta kasa daga Rotary Club a cikin 1999, kungiyar ta bayyana shi a matsayin "dakarar motsa jiki a cikin shirin jirgin sararin samaniya na mutum na Amurka daga farkonsa zuwa zamanin Space Shuttle, mutumin da nasarorin da ya samu sun zama almara".

Rayuwa ta farko da ilimi

An haifi Christopher Columbus Kraft Jr. a Phoebus, Virginia, a ranar 28 ga Fabrairu, 1924. An sanya masa suna ne bayan mahaifinsa, Christopher Columbus Kraft, wanda aka haife shi a Birnin New York a shekara ta 1892 kusa da sabon sunan Columbus Circle. Mahaifin Kraft, ɗan baƙi na Bavarian, ya sami sunansa abin kunya, amma duk da haka ya ba da shi ga ɗansa. A cikin shekaru masu zuwa, Kraft - da sauran masu sharhi - za su yi la'akari da shi da kyau. Kraft ya yi sharhi a cikin tarihin kansa cewa, tare da zaɓin sunansa, "wasu daga cikin hanyoyin rayuwata an daidaita su tun daga farko". Mahaifiyarsa, Vanda Olivia (née Suddreth), ma'aikaciyar jinya ce. Yayinda yake yaro, Kraft ya taka leda a cikin ƙungiyar Amurka ta Amurka kuma ya zama zakara a jihar. Ya tafi makaranta a Phoebus, inda kawai makarantar ta tafi aji na tara kuma ya halarci Hampton High School. Ya kasance dan wasan baseball mai ƙwazo kuma ya ci gaba da buga wasanni a kwaleji; shekara guda yana da matsakaicin batting na .340.

A watan Satumbar 1941, Kraft ya fara karatunsa a Cibiyar Nazarin Kimiyya ta Virginia da Jami'ar Jihar (Virginia Tech) kuma ya zama Cadet a cikin Corps of Cadets a matsayin memba na N-Squadron. Amurka ta shiga yakin duniya na biyu a watan Disamba na shekara ta 1941, kuma ya yi ƙoƙari ya shiga cikin Sojojin Ruwa na Amurka a matsayin ɗan Jirgin sama na V-12, amma an ƙi shi saboda hannunsa na dama da ya ƙone wanda ya sha wahala yana da shekaru uku. Ya kammala karatu a watan Disamba na shekara ta 1944 tare da digiri na farko na Kimiyya a fannin Injiniyan jirgin sama.

Ayyukan NACA

Bayan kammala karatunsa, Kraft ya karbi aiki tare da kamfanin jirgin sama na Chance Vought a Connecticut. Ya kuma yi amfani da shi ga Kwamitin Ba da Shawara na Kasa don Jirgin Sama (NACA), wata hukuma ta gwamnati wacce Cibiyar Bincike ta Langley ke Hampton, Virginia; Kraft ta yi la'akari da cewa tana kusa da gida, amma ta yi amfani da ita a matsayin goyon baya idan ba a yarda da shi a wani wuri ba. Lokacin da ya isa Chance Vought an gaya masa cewa ba za a iya hayar shi ba tare da takardar shaidar haihuwarsa ba, wanda bai kawo shi ba. Da yake fushi da tunanin bureaucratic na kamfanin, ya yanke shawarar karɓar tayin daga NACA a maimakon haka.

A cikin shekarun 1940, NACA kungiya ce ta bincike da ci gaba, wacce ta sadaukar da kanta ga bincike na jirgin sama. A Cibiyar Bincike ta Langley, an yi amfani da Hanyoyin iska masu ci gaba don gwada sabbin kayayyaki na jirgin sama, kuma ana gudanar da karatu a kan sabbin ra'ayoyi kamar jirgin roka na Bell X-1. An sanya Kraft a cikin sashen binciken jirgin sama, inda Robert R. Gilruth ya kasance shugaban bincike. Ayyukansa tare da NACA sun haɗa da ci gaban misali na farko na tsarin sauƙaƙe saurin iska don jirgin sama da ke tashi a cikin iska mai iska. Wannan ya haɗa da biyan diyya don bambance-bambance a cikin yanayi ta hanyar karkatar da wuraren sarrafawa ta atomatik. Ya bincika fuka-fuki, kuma ya gano cewa su, ba wanke-wanke ba, suna da alhakin mafi yawan tashin hankali a cikin iska wanda ke bin jirgin sama mai tashi.

Kodayake ya ji daɗin aikinsa, Kraft ya sami yana ƙara damuwa, musamman tunda bai ɗauki kansa a matsayin mai ba da shawara mai ƙarfi ba. A shekara ta 1956, an gano shi da ciwon daji kuma ya fara tunanin canjin aiki.

Daraktan jirgin sama

Ayyukan jirgin sama

A shekara ta 1957, jirgin Rasha na Sputnik 1 ya sa Amurka ta hanzarta shirin sararin samaniya. A ranar 29 ga Yuli, 1958, Shugaba Dwight D. Eisenhower ya sanya hannu kan Dokar Jirgin Sama da Sararin samaniya ta Kasa, wanda ya kafa NASA kuma ya haɗa da NACA a cikin wannan sabuwar ƙungiyar. Cibiyar Bincike ta Langley ta zama wani ɓangare na NASA, kamar yadda ma'aikatan Langley kamar Kraft suka yi. Ko da kafin NASA ta fara wanzuwarta a watan Oktoba, Gilruth ya gayyaci Kraft don zama wani ɓangare na sabon rukuni wanda ke aiki a kan matsalolin sanya mutum cikin sararin samaniya. Ba tare da jinkiri ba, ya yarda da tayin. Lokacin da aka kafa Space Task Group a hukumance a ranar 5 ga Nuwamba, Kraft ya zama ɗaya daga cikin ma'aikata 33 na asali (25 daga cikinsu injiniyoyi) da za a sanya su. Wannan ya nuna farkon shirin mutum a sararin samaniya na Amurka, wanda aka kira Project Mercury.

A matsayinsa na memba na Space Task Group, an sanya Kraft a cikin sashen ayyukan jirgin sama, wanda ya yi shirye-shirye da shirye-shiryen aiki na jirgin saman Mercury yayin jirgin da kuma kula da sa ido kan manufofi daga ƙasa. Kraft ya zama mataimakin Chuck Mathews, shugaban ƙungiyar, kuma an ba shi alhakin shirya shirin manufa. Idan aka ba da bincike na Mathews game da matsalar, kusan ya zama mai sauƙi:   Lokacin da Kraft ya fara tsara ayyukan jirgin NASA, babu wani mutum da ya tashi a sararin samaniya. A zahiri, aikin da ke gabansa ya kasance mai girma, yana buƙatar kulawa ga shirye-shiryen jirgin sama, lokutan lokaci, hanyoyin, ka'idojin manufa, bin diddigin jirgin sama, telemetry, tallafin ƙasa, cibiyoyin sadarwa da kuma gudanar da gaggawa.

Cibiyar Kula da Ofishin Jakadancin kamar yadda yake a lokacin Project Mercury

Ɗaya daga cikin muhimman gudummawar da Kraft ya bayar ga jirgin sararin samaniya zai zama asalinsa na manufar Cibiyar kula da manufa. Yawancin injiniyoyi a cikin Project Mercury sun riga sun yi aiki a gwajin jirgin sama, inda rawar da ake takawa don tallafawa ƙasa ba ta da yawa. Kraft nan da nan ya fahimci cewa ɗan saman jannati zai iya yin abubuwa da yawa, musamman a lokacin da ake saurin farawa; jirgin sararin samaniya na Mercury zai buƙaci sa ido na ainihi da tallafi daga ƙwararrun injiniyoyi.   Wadannan ra'ayoyin sun tsara Cibiyar Kula da Mercury, wanda ke Cape Canaveral a Florida. Wani muhimmin ra'ayi da Kraft ya fara shi ne ra'ayin darektan jirgin, mutumin da zai daidaita ƙungiyar injiniyoyi kuma ya yanke shawara na ainihi game da gudanar da aikin. Kamar yadda Mathews daga baya ya tuna, Kraft ya zo masa wata rana yana cewa, "Ana buƙatar samun wani mai kula da zirga-zirgar yayin da suke ci gaba da gaske, kuma ina so in zama wannan mutumin. " Ta wannan hanyar, an halicci matsayin darektan jirgin.

Kwarewar da ta dace da Kraft ita ce jirgin Mercury-Atlas 5, wanda ya aika da wani chimpanzee mai suna Enos a cikin jirgin sararin samaniya na farko na Amurka dauke da fasinja mai rai. Shirin waɗannan ayyukan farko waɗanda ke ɗauke da fasinjoji marasa ɗan adam sau da yawa suna iya zama masu ban dariya; wani labarin mujallar Time game da jirgin, alal misali, an kira shi "Meditative Chimponaut". Duk da haka Kraft ya kalli su a matsayin muhimman gwaje-gwaje ga maza da hanyoyin Gudanar da Ofishin Jakadancin, kuma a matsayin maimaitawa ga ayyukan da za su biyo baya. Da farko, jirgin Mercury-Atlas 5 an yi niyyar ya kasance na zagaye uku. Rashin nasarar daya daga cikin jiragen hydrogen peroxide da ke sarrafa halin jirgin sararin samaniya ya tilasta Kraft ya yanke shawarar dawo da capsule zuwa Duniya bayan zagaye biyu. Bayan jirgin, ɗan saman jannati John Glenn ya bayyana cewa ya yi imanin cewa fasinja ɗan adam zai iya kawo kwayar a ƙarƙashin iko ba tare da buƙatar sake shiga da wuri ba, don haka (a cikin kalmomin Time) "yana tabbatar da fifiko na 'yan saman jannati akan chimponauts. " Duk da haka ga Kraft, jirgin Enos ya wakilci tabbacin muhimmancin yanke shawara na ainihi a cikin Gudanar da Ofishin Jakadancin. Ya ba shi ma'anar alhakin da zai kasance da shi ga rayuwar wasu, ko mutum ko chimpanzee.

Mercury

Kraft yana aiki a cikin na'urar sarrafa jirgin sama a Cibiyar Kula da Mercury.

Kraft ya yi aiki a matsayin darektan jirgin sama a duk ayyukan Mercury guda shida. A lokacin jirgin karshe - Mercury-Atlas 9, wanda ya dauki fiye da rana - ya raba alhakin tare da mataimakinsa John Hodge .

Mercury-Atlas 6, ranar 20 ga Fabrairu, 1962, jirgin John Glenn, kwarewar gwaji ce ga Hukumar Kula da Ofishin Jakadancin da kuma Kraft. Masana tarihi na sararin samaniya Charles Murray da Catherine Bly Cox sun bayyana shi a matsayin "abin da ya faru wanda ya tsara ayyukan jirgin sama". Aikin shine jirgin farko na Amurka, kuma ya bayyana yadda ya kamata har sai Glenn ya fara zagaye na biyu. A wannan lokacin mai kula da tsarin Kraft, Don Arabian, ya ba da rahoton cewa telemetry yana nuna alamar "Sashe na 51". Wannan ya ba da shawarar cewa jakar saukowa ta capsule, wanda aka yi niyyar turawa a kan splashdown don samar da matattarar, na iya turawa da wuri. Kraft ya yi imanin cewa mai nuna alamar Sashe na 51 ya kasance saboda kayan aiki mara kyau maimakon ainihin turawa da wuri. Idan ya yi kuskure, yana nufin cewa garkuwar zafi ta capsule, wanda ya dace a saman jakar saukowa, yanzu ya ɓace. Garkuwar zafi mai sauƙi na iya sa kwayar ta ƙone yayin sake shiga.

A kan tuntubar masu kula da jirginsa, Kraft ya gamsu cewa alamar ba gaskiya ba ce, kuma ba a buƙatar wani mataki ba. Shugabanninsa, ciki har da mai tsara capsule na Mercury Max Faget, sun yi watsi da Kraft, suna gaya masa ya umarci Glenn ya bar kunshin retrorocket na capsule yayin sake shiga. Dalilin shi ne cewa kunshin, wanda aka ɗaure a kan garkuwar zafi, zai riƙe garkuwar zafin a wurin idan ya kasance mai sauƙi. Kraft, duk da haka, ya ji cewa wannan haɗari ne da ba a yarda da shi ba. "Na firgita", ya tuna. "Idan wani daga cikin uku retrorockets yana da man fetur mai ƙarfi, fashewa zai iya tsage komai. " Duk da haka ya amince da bin shirin da Faget da Walt Williams, shugabansa a cikin sashen ayyukan jirgin suka ba da shawara. Za a ci gaba da yin amfani da retrorockets.

Chris Kraft (wanda ke zaune) yana magana da Walt Williams da sauransu a lokacin Mercury-Atlas 9.

Glenn ya sauka lafiya, amma binciken da aka yi a jikinsa ya nuna cewa daya daga cikin masu sauya jakar sauka ya kasance mara kyau. Kraft ya yi daidai; garkuwar zafi ba ta da rauni. Darussan da ya samu daga wannan gogewa sun kasance a bayyane.   Mataimakinsa a kan aikin, Gene Kranz, ya yi la'akari da jirgin Glenn "maɓallin juyin halitta ... a cikin juyin halitta na Kraft a matsayin darektan jirgin sama. " 

Kafin jirgin Mercury-Atlas 7, Kraft ya ki amincewa da zaɓin Scott Carpenter a matsayin ɗan saman jannati don aikin, yana gaya wa Walt Williams cewa rashin ƙwarewar injiniya na Carpenter na iya sanya aikin ko rayuwarsa cikin haɗari. Manufar ta sha wahala daga matsaloli ciki har da yawan amfani da man fetur, alamar da ba ta aiki ba, jinkirin sake dawowa don sake shiga, da kuma raguwa wanda ya kasance 250 nmi (460 km) daga yankin da aka yi niyya. A duk lokacin da aka yi aikin, Kraft ya sami kansa ya yi takaici da rashin tabbas na sadarwa na Carpenter tare da Mission Control, da kuma abin da ya fahimta a matsayin rashin kulawar Carpenter ga ayyukansa. "Wani ɓangare na matsalar," ya tuna, "ya kasance cewa Carpenter ko dai bai fahimta ba ko kuma yana watsi da umarni na. "

Duk da yake wasu daga cikin wadannan matsalolin sun kasance ne saboda gazawar inji, kuma har yanzu ana muhawara game da alhakin wasu daga cikin sauran, Kraft bai yi jinkirin ba da zargi ga Carpenter ba, kuma ya ci gaba da magana game da aikin shekaru da yawa bayan haka. Tarihin kansa, wanda aka rubuta a shekara ta 2001, ya sake buɗe batun; babi wanda ya shafi jirgin Mercury-Atlas 7 an kira shi "The Man Malfunctioned". A cikin wata wasika zuwa ga The New York Times, Carpenter ya kira littafin "mai ramawa da karkatarwa", kuma ya ba da wani kimantawa daban-daban game da dalilan takaici na Kraft: "a sararin samaniya abubuwa suna faruwa da sauri cewa matukin jirgi ne kawai ya san abin da zai yi, har ma da kula da ƙasa ba zai iya taimakawa ba. Wataƙila wannan shine dalilin da ya sa har yanzu yake shan sigari bayan duk waɗannan shekarun".

A lokacin Shirin Gemini, rawar Kraft ta sake canzawa. Yanzu shi ne shugaban ayyukan manufa, wanda ke kula da ƙungiyar daraktocin jirgin sama, kodayake har yanzu yana aiki a matsayin darektan jirgin sama. Saboda mafi girman tsawon ayyukan Gemini, yanzu ana sarrafa shi a kan sauye-sauye uku. "A bayyane yake, tare da kula da jirgin sama da ke fuskantar tsarin ilmantarwa," masanin tarihin sararin samaniya David Harland ya ce, "waɗannan shirye-shiryen gwaji ne a kansu. " Duk da haka, Kraft ya tabbatar da samun nasara sosai wajen ba da alhakin ga 'yan uwansa masu gudanar da jirgin sama - mai yiwuwa sun yi nasara sosai, kamar yadda Gene Kranz ya samu a lokacin da ya fara sauya Gemini 4. Kamar yadda Kranz ya tuna, "Ya ce kawai, 'Kai ne ke kula,' kuma ya fita. "

Shirin Gemini ya wakilci jerin na farko ga NASA - jirgin farko tare da 'yan saman jannati biyu, haɗuwa ta farko a sararin samaniya, tafiya ta farko a cikin sararin samaniya - kuma Kraft yana aiki a lokacin yawancin waɗannan abubuwan tarihi. Tafiya ta farko ta sararin samaniya ta Amurka ta faru ne a lokacin aikin Gemini 4; Kraft, a cikin na'urarsa ta bidiyo, ya gano cewa dole ne ya tilasta wa kansa ya mai da hankali kan aikinsa, ya janye hankalinsa da bayanin Ed White na duniya da ke ƙasa. Ya iya fahimtar farin ciki da White ya ji a wasan kwaikwayon, duk da haka ya kuma kula da horo da ake buƙata don kiyaye jirgin lafiya. White ya jinkirta dawowarsa zuwa ga capsule, kuma matsalar sadarwa ta hana Mai sadarwa na capsule Gus Grissom daga samun ma'aikatan su ji umarnin dakatar da tafiya a sararin samaniya. Lokacin da aka sake tuntuɓar, Kraft ya nuna takaici a kan alakarsa da Grissom:   Bayan Gemini 7, Kraft ya koma baya daga aikinsa a Mission Control, yana ba da damar wasu daraktocin jirgin su dauki nauyin sauran ayyukan don ya iya ba da ƙarin lokaci don tsara shirin Apollo. Ya yi aiki a kan allon bita guda biyu a Arewacin Amurka Aviation, dan kwangila da ke da alhakin Apollo capsule. Duk da haka Kraft har yanzu yana jin baƙin ciki game da rashin kasancewa a tsakiyar aikin, musamman bayan sake shigar da gaggawa na Gemini 8. Dukansu 'yan saman jannati da masu kula da manufa sun yanke shawara mai kyau, amma, kamar yadda Kraft ya furta wa Robert Gilruth, ya sami kansa yana fatan cewa shi ne wanda ke wurin.

Wutar Apollo 1

Tare da farkon Shirin Apollo, Kraft yana sa ran ci gaba a Mission Control. Zai kasance babban darektan jirgin sama a kan aikin Apollo na farko (wanda aka sani da Apollo 1), wanda aka shirya don kaddamarwa a farkon 1967. A ranar 27 ga watan Janairun shekara ta 1967, an kashe ma'aikatan uku a cikin wuta yayin gwajin ƙididdiga a kan pad. A lokacin, Kraft yana cikin Mission Control a Houston, yana sauraron muryar mai gudanar da gwajin Cape. Babu wani abu da kowa zai iya yi; kafin ma'aikatan da ke kan tashar su iya buɗe ƙofar, 'yan saman jannati uku sun mutu, bayan da iskar gas mai guba ta shawo kansu. Betty Grissom, gwauruwar ɗan saman jannati Gus Grissom, ta nemi Kraft ta zama ɗaya daga cikin masu ɗauke da gawa a jana'izar Grissom a Kabari na Arlington, Virginia .

Bayanan jama'a

  Kraft ya yi mamakin shawarar da Time ta yanke na sanya shi a kan murfin kuma ya gaya wa jami'in harkokin jama'a na NASA cewa "suna da mutumin da ba daidai ba. Ya kamata ya zama Bob Gilruth ... ba ni ba. " Daga ƙarshe ya zo da ra'ayin, kuma hoton da aka fentin don murfin ya zama ɗaya daga cikin kadarorinsa masu daraja.  

Dangantaka da rundunar 'yan saman jannati

Bayan jirgin John Glenn, Kraft ya yi rantsuwa cewa ba zai sake barin yanke shawara a matsayin darektan jirgin ya zama wanda kowa a waje da Ofishin Jakadancin ya mallake shi ba. Dokokin manufa, wanda Kraft ya kula da rubuce-rubucensa, ya bayyana cewa "darakta na jirgin na iya, bayan nazarin jirgin, ya zaɓi ya ɗauki duk wani mataki da ake buƙata don kammala aikin. " Ga Kraft, ikon da darektan jirgin ya riƙe a kan kowane bangare na aikin ya faɗaɗa zuwa ikonsa akan ayyukan 'yan saman jannati. A cikin hira da ya yi da Time a shekarar 1965, ya ce:   Kraft ya yi irin wannan sanarwa a baya, game da ɗan saman jannati Scott Carpenter. Bayan aikin Mercury na Carpenter, Kraft ya rubuta, "Na yi rantsuwa cewa Scott Carpenter ba zai sake tashi a sararin samaniya ba. " Sakamakon: "Ba ya yi".

Manajan da kuma mai ba da shawara

Shirye-shiryen aikin Apollo

Bayan gobarar Apollo 1 a shekarar 1967, Kraft ya kammala cewa nauyinsa a matsayin manajan zai hana shi aiki a matsayin darektan jirgin sama a kan aikin ma'aikata na gaba, Apollo 7, da kuma ayyukan bayan haka. Daga nan gaba sa hannu a cikin shirin Apollo zai kasance a matakin da ya fi girma.

A matsayinsa na darektan Ayyukan Jirgin Sama, Kraft ya shiga cikin tsara manyan abubuwan da ke cikin shirin. Ya kasance daya daga cikin manajojin NASA na farko da suka shiga cikin shawarar aika Apollo 8 a kan jirgin da ke kewaye da wata. Saboda matsaloli tare da ci gaban Lunar Module a 1968, NASA ta fuskanci yiwuwar cikakken aikin gwajin Apollo da aka jinkirta har zuwa 1969. A matsayin mai maye gurbin, George Low, manajan Ofishin Shirin Jirgin Sama na Apollo, ya zo da ra'ayin sanya sabon bayanin manufa ga Apollo 8, wanda za'a iya tashi ba tare da tsarin wata ba. An tattauna ra'ayin ne a farkon watan Agusta a wani taro tsakanin Low, Kraft, Gilruth da Deke Slayton:   Shirin Low shine ya tashi aikin a watan Disamba, wanda ya bar ɗan lokaci kaɗan ga ƙungiyar ayyukan jirgin don horarwa da shirya. Bayan ya amince da cewa aikin zai yiwu a ka'idar, Kraft ya tafi ga masu tsara aikinsa da daraktocin jirgin don sanin ko su da ƙungiyoyinsu za su iya kasancewa a shirye a cikin jadawalin da aka tsara. "Tunanina ya yi mamakin abubuwan da za mu yi, "in ji Kraft. "Amma ya kasance ƙalubale ne mai tsanani. "

A ranar 9 ga watan Agusta, Gilruth, Low, Kraft da Slayton sun tashi zuwa Cibiyar Flight ta Marshall a Huntsville, Alabama, inda suka sanar da manajojin NASA ciki har da Wernher von Braun da Rocco Petrone game da aikin da aka shirya. A ranar 14 ga watan Agusta, su, tare da ƙungiyar Huntsville, sun yi tafiya zuwa hedikwatar NASA a Washington, DC don taƙaita Mataimakin Mai Gudanarwa Thomas O. Paine. Hakanan, Paine ya ba da shawarar aikin ga Mai Gudanarwa James E. Webb, wanda ya ba Kraft da abokan aikinsa ikon fara shirye-shiryen aikin.

A cikin shirin Apollo 8, daya daga cikin alhakin Kraft shine tabbatar da cewa rundunar jiragen ruwa za ta jira don dawo da ma'aikatan lokacin da suka fadi a ƙarshen aikin. Wannan ya zama ƙalubale mai ban mamaki, saboda yawancin rundunar sojan ruwa ta Pacific za su kasance a hutu a lokacin Kirsimeti da Sabuwar Shekara. Kraft dole ne ya sadu da Admiral John McCain don shawo kansa don yin amfani da albarkatun da ake buƙata ga NASA.

Ayyukan Apollo

Chris Kraft da Robert R. Gilruth an nuna su a Cibiyar Kula da Ofishin Jakadancin

A ranar Kirsimeti, 1968, Apollo 8 ya shiga cikin zagaye na wata. Shekaru goma da suka gabata, Kraft ya shiga sabuwar kungiyar Gilruth Space Task Group. Yanzu, maza biyu sun zauna tare a cikin Ofishin Jakadancin, suna tunani game da yadda suka isa. A kewaye da su, dakin ya cika da murna, amma Kraft da Gilruth sun yi bikin da hankali.

Kraft ya sake samun kansa a matsayin mai kallo yayin saukowar Apollo 11, wanda ya kalli daga Mission Control, yana zaune tare da Gilruth da George Low. Ya taka muhimmiyar rawa a cikin abubuwan da suka faru a lokacin da aka fara rikicin Apollo 13. Gene Kranz ya kira shi cikin Gudanar da Ofishin Jakadancin kusan nan da nan bayan hadarin, ya jagoranci tattaunawa kan ko Apollo 13 ya kamata ya yi ƙoƙari ya zubar da ciki kai tsaye, ko ya kewaye wata kuma ya dawo kan hanyar kyauta; an ɗauki zaɓi na ƙarshe.

A shekara ta 2006, NASA ta ba Kraft lambar yabo ta Ambassador of Exploration, wanda ya ɗauki samfurin kayan wata wanda Apollo 11 ya dawo da shi. Kraft kuma ya gabatar da kyautar ga alma mater dinsa, Virginia Tech, don nunawa a Kwalejin Injiniya. An shigar da shi cikin Hall of Fame na Jirgin Sama na Kasa, a ranar 1 ga Oktoba, 2016 . Cibiyar Kula da Ofishin Jakadancin a Cibiyar Johnson Space an sake masa suna Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Cibiyar Kulawa da Ofishin jakadancin don girmama shi a cikin 2011, kuma Makarantar Firamare ta Kraft a Hampton, Virginia, kusa da garinsu, an sanya masa suna.

A cikin kafofin watsa labarai

Stephen Root ne ya nuna Kraft a cikin miniseries na 1998 Daga Duniya zuwa Wata . An yi masa tambayoyi a cikin shirye-shirye da yawa game da shirin sararin samaniya, gami da Apollo 13: To the Edge and Back (PBS). A cikin 2018, an nuna shi a cikin fim din First Man na J. D. Evermore . A cikin 2020, an nuna shi a cikin ƙaramin jerin The Right Stuff na Eric Ladin . A cikin wasan kwaikwayon BBC Proms na 2019 na kundin su The Race for Space, 'yan kwanaki bayan mutuwar Kraft, Public Service Broadcasting ta sadaukar da wasan kwaikwayon su na "Go!" ga ƙwaƙwalwar Kraft.