Columbia Final Voyage; The Last Flight of NASA's First Space Shuttle
New York: Copernicus Books, in Association with Praxis Publishing, LTD., 2006. First Printing [Stated]. Hardcover. viii, [2], 454 pages. Foreword by Jonathan B. Clark, widower of Columbia astronaut Laurel Clark. Introduction by Buzz Aldrin. Illustrations. Appendices (including Glossary and Bibliography). Index. Philip Chien is a science journalist whose primary subject is the U.S. space program. He has been present at many launches and has interviewed astronauts over a period of more than twenty years. He was also a witness to the loss of the Columbia space shuttle in February of 2003. On that date the space shuttle burned up on re-entry. Chien tells the story of this tragedy and profiles each of the seven crew members who were lost in Columbia: The Final Voyage. The volume is divided into three parts. The first focuses on the crew and other people involved in the mission. Next is a description of the events leading to the launch. The final section details each day of the mission and the accident. Space Review contributor Jeff Foust commented: "In terms of explaining the mission itself, Columbia: The Final Voyage is unparalleled, and unlikely to be equaled given the sheer amount of information Chien has compiled." Writing for Universe Today, Mark Mortimer stated: "Chien's overall objective is to establish a synopsis of Columbia's mission, and he succeeds. His is a fair and honest book about the people and the mission…. His own involvement with the shuttle operations comes through as he provides information regarding systems, structures and procedures, though not so much as to overload the reader. In total, he's produced a warm memorial both for the people and the mission." In "Columbia: Final Voyage" aerospace writer Philip Chien, who has over 20 years' experience covering the US space program, provides a unique insight into the crew members who lost their lives in the Columbia disaster. Chien interviewed all seven crew members several times and got to know them as individuals. He reviews in detail their training, their scientific work and other activities during their successful 16-day flight, the background of the accident itself and a detailed first-hand account of what happened that fateful day in February 2003. The author provides a comprehensive and personal look at both the Columbia astronauts and the STS-107 mission, together with a behind-the-scenes account of other people involved in the mission and their personal reactions to the accident. Excerpt from a review by Jeff Foustof The Space Review found on-line: If the perception that Columbia is fading from our collective consciousness far faster that the Challenger accident or even Apollo 1 is true, it would be ironic, since Columbia may end up being far more influential over the long term that than the other two manned spaceflight accidents suffered by NASA to date. Apollo 1 did not cause NASA to surrender its quest to land humans on the Moon, and Challenger, while triggering some long-term changes in national launch policy, did not lead to the end of the shuttle or then-nascent space station program. Yet the loss of Columbia and its crew was the flash point that started a long-needed overhaul of the nation’s space program, resulting in less than a year in a new Vision for Space Exploration that marked the beginning of the end of the shuttle and the start of a new quest to return humans to the Moon. Columbia’s long-term importance, then, will be tied to the ultimate success or failure of the Vision, but regardless, Columbia—Final Voyage reminds us that the accident that has reshaped the American space program was not an abstract event but rather a tragic end to a mission involving hard-working astronauts trying to extend the frontiers of science. Condition: Very good / Very good.
Keywords: NASA, Space Shuttle Columbia, Space Transportation System, STS-107, Rick Husband, Willie McCool, Dave Brown, Kalpana Chawla, Mike Anderson, Laurel Clark, Ilan Ramon, Astronauts, Spacecraft, Accident Investigation
ISBN: 9780387271484
[Book #84518]
Price: $75.00