Chapter 8, Blowing Up Burbank Summary and Analysis

In 1956, Kelly wants to build a hydrogen-fueled jet that can travel long distances. This project is initiated alongside the operation and production of the U-2s. He asks Ben Rich to research how to handle hydrogen fuel, and Ben obliges by taking on a fake identity and meeting with various scientists. Kelly wants a jet engine that can fly for hours at speeds that exceed Mach 2. They first run a feasibility study with Dave Robertson, another engineer. The experiments with volatile hydrogen gas were dangerous, but no one was hurt. Within three months, they are creating more hydrogen fuel than anywhere on the planet. The Air Force gives them $96 million for the project, in part because they know that the Soviets are working on a similar project.

Various engineering problems and accidents create problems, but...