Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut

NASA astronaut Mike Mullane delivers a hilariously candid and often raw astronaut memoir of life in the Space Shuttle era. Selected in 1978 as part of the groundbreaking astronaut class—the first to include women—Mullane exposes the unfiltered reality behind the heroic veneer of NASA. His stories bounce between bawdy military-flyboy antics, interactions with feminist pioneers and post-doc scientists, and the unforgiving bureaucracy of NASA leadership. Mullane pulls no punches: from drinking games at mission briefings to the embarrassing logistics of urinary-collection devices, no detail is too small or too irreverent. He recounts the emotional highs of launch and the sublime beauty of orbit, and the heartbreak of losing four crewmates in the Challenger disaster. His tough critique of NASA’s culture—especially its sexist undercurrents and managerial ineptitude—makes this more than a spaceflight chronicle; it’s a cultural memoir of human spaceflight. With uproarious humor, brutal honesty, and emotional depth, Riding Rockets offers an unforgettable look into the life of an astronaut: the risks, the camaraderie, the mistakes, and the moments of awe that define a generation of space explorers.
ASIN: 0743276833
VSKU: RDV.0743276833.VG
Condition: Very Good
Author/Artist:Mullane, Mike
Binding: Paperback
Note: Any images shown are stock photographs and product may differ from what is shown.
Condition Notes: This book is in excellent condition. There may be minimal writing on the inside cover or cover page. Cover image on the book may vary from photo. Ships out quickly in a secure plastic mailer.