Ironically, the loss of Challenger in January 1986 fired my interest in space exploration more than any other single event. I was nine years old. My parents were, at the time, midway through moving house and, luckily, the TV was one of the few domestic items still to be packed. I watched the entire horror unfold live on all of the network stations. Admittedly, my fascination with rockets and astronauts, stars and planets had begun several years earlier, but Challenger's destruction turned it from an occasional hobby to a fascination which has remained with me ever since. In September 1988, aged 11,1 came home from school to watch STS-26 return the Shuttle fleet to orbital operations. Five years later, I gave a speech on the STS-51L disaster to my teacher as part of my GCSE English assessment. Another decade passed and, now a teacher myself, I returned to my school one cold Monday morning to explain to my pupils what had happened to Challenger's sister ship, Columbia, a few days earlier. In some ways, the loss of Columbia affected me more deeply than Challenger.

About the Author

Ben Evans was born in October 1976 in Solihull and attended the University of Birmingham, from where he gained a degree in Ancient History and Archaeology and later a teaching qualification. He has written extensively for SPACEFLIGHT, COUNTDOWN and ASTRONOMY NOW magazines since 1992 and has previously had two books published by Praxis. These were NASA'S VOYAGER MISSIONS (2003) and, most recently, SPACE SHUTTLE COLUMBIA (2005). He researched and wrote both books whilst training and working as a history and English secondary school teacher. He is not a professional scientist, but merely a space enthusiast with an interest in writing.

"About this title" may belong to another edition of this title.

Store Description

We sell Brand New University Textbooks to students at very affordable prices. All orders are shipped by Trackable methods only and the tracking number is available within 48 hours of placing the order. We also offer free shipping to USA, Canada and Europe and lowest shipping charges in other countries. We have multiple warehouses to save on the transit time.

Visit Seller's Storefront

Seller's business information

SMASS Group LLC
1944 Loma Linda Dr, Irving, TX, 75063, U.S.A.

Sale & Shipping Terms

Terms of Sale

We sell Brand New Textbooks requied for studies in the Univesity. We have been in this business for the past 14 years and we know how to keep our customers happy and satisfies by providing them the required course material and the most affordable prices.

Shipping Terms

We ship all orders from our Multiple warehouses by Tracakble method only. We have tie up with Fedex, DHL, UPS and USPS for our logistics requirements. All tracking numbers are available within 48 hours of processing the order.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.

Shipping rates within U.S.A.
Order quantity	5 to 10 business days	3 to 6 business days
First item	US$ 0.00	US$ 0.00

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.