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KAZ ZEMECKIS

zemeckis_kaz_bk_apollo zemeckis_kaz_bk_defector zemeckis_kaz_bk_orbit
 
Full Name: Kazimieras Zemeckis
Nationality: American
Organization: NASA
Occupation Other - Flight Controller

Creator: Chris Hadfield
Time Span: 2021 - 2025

ABOUT THE SERIES

Kazimieras "Kaz" Zemeckis is a NASA Flight Controller.

He is not a spy nor does he have any desired to leave his prominent and, to him, fascinating position inside the American Space Program. His is a stressful and taxing occupation and one he adores. He has earned the right to head up his division and there are no dissenting voices questioning his leadership qualifications. 

We first meet Zemeckis five years before the activities which will put him into this compendium. At that time, in 1968, he is a test pilot flying an F-4 Phantom on a flight "over the Chesapeake Bay to recalibrate the speed sensing system" in the aircraft. The sudden appearance of a gull would see the end of that plane's service, his role in the cockpit of any aircraft, his placement in NASA's astronaut program, and his left eye (the gull would suffer more).

Jump ahead to the 'present' of 1973 and we find him heading to Houston. We learn that after the accident, "The Navy had sent him to postgraduate school to heal and to study space-borne electro-optics, and then used his analysis expertise inside National Security and Central Intelligence. He'd enjoyed the complexity of the work, applying his insight to help shape policy, but had watched with quiet envy as former military pilots flew on Apollo missions and walked on the Moon."

Apollo 18 was a mission to the Moon which also include some not-for-public-dissemination activity. "Given his rare combination of test flying, MOL training and Washington intelligence work, the Navy sent Kaz to Texas to be the crew military liaison. To keep an eye on things." This would put him directly in the path of considerable activity in the cloak-and-dagger world, hence his being here now.

BOOKS

Number of Books:3
First Appearance:2021
Last Appearance:2025

1 The Apollo Murders The Apollo Murders
Written by Chris Hadfield
Copyright: 2021

"1973: a final, top-secret mission to the Moon. Three astronauts in a tiny spaceship, a quarter million miles from home. A quarter million miles from help. NASA is about to launch Apollo 18. While the mission has been billed as a scientific one, flight controller "Kaz" Zemeckis knows there is a darker objective. Intelligence has discovered a secret Soviet space station spying on America, and Apollo 18 may be the only chance to stop it. But even as Kaz races to keep the NASA crew one step ahead of their Russian rivals, a deadly accident reveals that not everyone involved is quite who they were thought to be. With political stakes stretched to the breaking point, the White House and the Kremlin can only watch as their astronauts collide on the lunar surface, far beyond the reach of law or rescue."
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2 The Defector The Defector
Written by Chris Hadfield
Copyright: 2023

"1973. As the Yom Kippur War flares into life, a state-of-the-art Soviet MiG fighter plane plummets to an unexpected landing. NASA Flight Controller and former US test pilot Kaz Zemeckis watches from the ground—unaware that its arrival will pull him into a high-stakes game of spies, lies, and secrets that hold the key to Cold War air and space supremacy. For within that plane is a Soviet pilot pleading to defect, offering a prize beyond value: the workings of the Soviets' mythical "Foxbat" MiG-25, the fastest, highest-flying fighter plane in the world. But trusting him is risky, and Kaz must tread a careful line."
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3 Final Orbit Final Orbit
Written by Chris Hadfield
Copyright: 2025

"1975: A new Apollo mission launches into orbit, on course to dock with a Russian Soyuz craft: three NASA astronauts and three cosmonauts. But as NASA Flight Controller Kaz Zemeckis listens in from Earth, a deadly accident onboard the orbiting spacecraft changes everything. Meanwhile, the first Chinese spacecraft secretly launches. On board is China’s first astronaut, Fang Kuo-chun, whose mission puts him on a collision course with the Apollo crew. As Kaz races against an enemy on the ground and for answers beyond the sky, the safety of the remaining crew hangs in the balance…
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MY COMMENTS

I state upfront that these highly entertaining suspense thrillers have their spy elements throughout all aspects of the activity but spy-ness is not the centerpiece of any of them. It did give me reason to pick up these exciting adventures. It was the quality of the writing and the incredible authenticity in the things that went on inside these pages that kept me reading.

I really enjoyed the time I spent inside the Kaz Zemeckis universe. Author Chris Hadfield knows his stuff and can tell it land-loving folks like me.

GRADE

My Grade: B+

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SpyGuysAndGals is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, and links with the Buy from Amazon button are affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.