Return to Flight: Inside NASA's Space Shuttle Missions in the Wake of the Columbia Disaster

If you’ve ever wanted to know what the Columbia astronauts and NASA Mission Control were thinking, feeling, and doing in the final moments of the shuttle’s flight on February 1, 2003, look no further than Return to Flight by Dr. James F. Peters. But, as implied by its title, this is not merely the recounting of a tragic accident; it is a story about the passionate and dedicated women and men who, in the wake of disaster, faithfully supported the US human spaceflight program, creatively striving to ensure the next shuttle mission would be the safest yet.

With the very existence of the shuttle program hanging in the balance, Dr. Peters is appointed to lead a team of NASA engineers and contractors whose job is to identify and solve debris issues and scientifically determine the “safety of flight.” Facing the technical challenges, as well as the mounting criticism, with determination, the team achieves the impossible and makes way for future missions.

From inside NASA, Return to Flight gives a fascinating, in-depth account of the process that led to the continuation of the Space Shuttle Program and the people who made it possible.

Dr. James F. Peters is passionate about human spaceflight. He holds master's degrees in mechanical and aerospace engineering, as well as a PhD in systems engineering, and has over twenty-five years of experience in the aerospace industry. Currently working as the risk manager on the Commercial Crew Program at NASA's Johnson Space Flight Center, he is also vice president of technology and managing partner at Quasar Data Center, as well as a Professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Prior to joining NASA, Dr. Peters worked with the Boeing Company for thirteen years as a principal scientist and engineer on the International Space Station, Space Shuttle, and Orbital Space Plane programs.

Return to Flight is an in-depth account of Dr. Peters's years at NASA serving as the Shuttle Debris Integration Chair, responsible for correcting the problems that led to the 2003 Columbia accident.