Final Countdown: NASA and the End of the Space Shuttle Program - Softcover

Duggins, Pat

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0813033845 ISBN 13: 9780813033846

Publisher: University Press of Florida, 2009

Synopsis

Go behind the scenes of NASA's most visible program

"NPR journalist Duggins reviews the 25-year saga of the shuttle missions, some of which have been shrouded in mystery, as astronauts took secret military payloads into space; others received worldwide attention and acclaim, as when the Hubble Space Telescope was restored to 20–20 vision. . . . A worthy addition to the recent torrent of books about the American space program."--Publishers Weekly

"A story of lost dreams, new hopes, and the ongoing conquest of space."--Spaceflight

"Provides a very personal look at America's manned space program from a veteran reporter who has covered the shuttle's ups and downs for more than 20 years."--Bill Harwood, CBS News

"A refreshingly candid look at the U.S. space program at this crucial juncture. Duggins's enthusiasm for space flight enhances his ability to explore tough questions about NASA's ability to plan for its next giant leap."--David Brancaccio, Host of "NOW" on PBS

"Artfully merges excellent reporting with great writing to chronicle the highs and lows of the Space Shuttle program, along with rare astronaut anecdotes about what it's really like to fly to space and back."—Craig Covault, senior editor, Aviation Week & Space Technology Magazine

 

In Final Countdown,Pat Duggins chronicles the milestones, the setbacks, the breakthroughs, and the breakdowns of the Space Shuttle program. His unfiltered perspective is that of a journalist, but his passion, evident on every page, is that of a space enthusiast who grew up just south of Kennedy Space Center.

About this title

About the Author:

Pat Duggins, National Public Radio's resident "space expert," is senior news analyst at public radio station WMFE-FM in Orlando.

From Publishers Weekly:

Many Americans' only memories of their country's excursions into space are of the space shuttle program, inaugurated with the launch of Columbia in 1981. Twenty-two years later, Columbia's disintegration over the Southwest played a major role in the decision to end the program. NPR journalist Duggins reviews the 25-year saga of the shuttle missions, some of which have been shrouded in mystery, as astronauts took secret military payloads into space; others received worldwide attention and acclaim, as when the Hubble Space Telescope was restored to 20–20 vision. The author repeats the oft-made charge that the shuttle is a space vehicle in search of a true mission. Too often shuttle administrators have settled for running a billion-dollar short-distance trucking service to ferry supplies to the International Space Station. The book's first chapter is a look forward at what NASA plans for the next quarter century, but this misplaced preview delays launch of the main story. Readers also might wish Duggins had shared more of his reporter's experiences in covering the shuttle program. Nevertheless, this history is a worthy addition to the recent torrent of books about the American space program. Illus. (Oct. 21)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About this edition

• Publisher: University Press of Florida
• Publication date: 2009
• ISBN 10: 0813033845
• ISBN 13: 9780813033846
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 264