Riding Rockets; The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut
Language: English
Published by Scribner, New York, 2006
- Signed
- Hardcover
- Used
Seller: Ground Zero Books, Ltd., Silver Spring, MD, U.S.A.Ground Zero Books, Ltd.
AbeBooks seller since August 14, 1998
Condition: Used - Very good
£ 154.38
Quantity: 3 available
Add to basketItem description from seller
ix, [3], 368, [4] pages. Illustrations. Glossary. Signed by author on title page. DJ has some sticker residue, rubbing and edge wear. Sticker on fep. On February 1, 1978 the first group of space shuttle astronauts, 29 men and 6 women, were introduced to the world. Among them would be history makers, including the first American woman and the first African American in space. This assembly of astronauts would carry NASA through the most tumultuous years of the space shuttle program. Four would die on Challenger. USAF Colonel Mike Mullane was a member of this astronaut class and Riding Rockets is his story–told with a candor never before seen in an astronaut’s memoir. Mullane strips the heroic veneer from the astronaut corps and paints them as they are–human. His tales of arrested development among military flyboys working with feminist pioneers and post-doc scientists are sometimes bawdy, often hilarious, and always entertaining. Mullane vividly portrays every aspect of the astronaut experience–from telling a female technician which urine collection condom size is a fit; to a wild, intoxicating, terrifying ride into space; to hearing "Taps" played over a friend’s grave. Mullane is brutally honest in his criticism of a NASA leadership whose bungling would precipitate the Challenger disaster. Derived from a Kirkus review: "Mullane’s disenchantment with NASA bureaucracy and his tragic recollections of crewmates who perished in the Columbia tragedy raise this book above the standard-issue space memoir. One astronaut’s messy, exhilarating story, with no edges sanded off." Decorated fly-boy, combat veteran, and International Space Hall-of-Famer Colonel Mike Mullane delivers a bright and revealing memoir of his life as an astronaut--the first book of its kind to take a close look at NASA's space shuttle program. February 1, 1978, the first group of space shuttle astronauts, twenty-nine men and six women, were introduced to the world. USAF Colonel Mike Mullane was a member of this astronaut class, and Riding Rockets is his story. Mullane, an Air Force Colonel, was graduated from West Point in 1967. He completed 134 combat missions as an RF-4C weapon system operator while stationed at Tan Son Nhut Air Base, Vietnam, from January to November 1969. Selected by NASA in January 1978, Mullane became an astronaut in August 1979. He flew on three Space Shuttle missions, serving as a mission specialist on the crew of STS-41-D in August 1984, on STS-27 in December 1988, and on STS-36 in March 1990. On his first mission Mullane served as a Mission Specialist on the crew of STS-41-D which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on August 30, 1984. This was the maiden flight of the Orbiter Discovery. After the Shuttle returned to service, he flew aboard the Orbiter Atlantis, on STS-27, which launched from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on December 2, 1988. The mission carried a Department of Defense (DOD) payload, as well as a number of secondary payloads. The mission concluded with a dry lakebed landing on Runway 17 at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on December 6, 1988. Mission duration was 105 hours. On his third flight, Mullane served on the crew of STS-36 which launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida, on February 28, 1990, aboard the Space Shuttle Atlantis. This mission carried DOD payloads and a number of secondary payloads. The STS-36 mission concluded with a lakebed landing at Edwards Air Force Base, California, on March 4, 1990. With the completion of his third flight, Mullane logged a total of 356 hours in space. He retired from NASA and the Air Force in 1990.…
Seller Inventory # 66167
- Title
- Riding Rockets; The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut
- Author
- Mullane, Mike
- Publisher
- Scribner, New York
- Publication year
- 2006
- Condition
- Very good
- Dust jacket
- Very good
- Signed
- Signed by Author(s)
- Binding
- Hardcover
- Language
- English
- ISBN 10
- 0743276825
- ISBN 13
- 9780743276825
- Illustrator
- Mike Mullane (Author Photograph)
- Edition
- Reprint. Second printing indicated.
- Seller catalogs
- Astronauts, NASA, Space, Space Shuttle
"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.
Review
-- Homer Hickam, author of Rocket Boys
"Compelling."
-- Entertainment Weekly
"This is not your father's astronaut memoir.... Mullane's story rings true every adventurous step of the way."
-- Rocky Mountain News
"Funny, harrowing, tragic...Riding Rockets is a thrill, from start to finish."
-- St. Louis Post-Dispatch
"About the title" may belong to another edition of this title.
Ground Zero Books, Ltd.
Silver Spring, MD, U.S.A.
AbeBooks seller since August 14, 1998
Shipping rates within U.S.A.
| Item | 5 to 20 business days | 3 to 6 business days |
|---|---|---|
| First item | £ 3.75 | £ 5.62 |
Payment methods
- Check
- Invoice
- Money Order
- Paypal
Store description
Founded and operated by trained historians, Ground Zero Books, Ltd., serves the book collector, the scholar, and institutions. We focus on the individual, and pride ourselves on our personal service. Please contact us with your wants, as we have many books not yet listed in our database.
Specialty
Military History, Nuclear, American Revolution, Military Medicine, Vietnam, World War II, British Empire, World War I, Unit Histories, Civil WarSeller's business information
Ground Zero Books, Ltd.
9033 Georgia Avenue
Silver Spring, MD U.S.A. 20910-2254
Terms of sale
Books are subject to prior sale. Please ask us to hold a book for you before you
mail your check. Books are returnable within 7 days, if not satisfactory. MD
residents add 6% state sales tax.
The mailing address for Ground Zero Books, Ltd. (a subchapter-S corporation) is
P.O. Box 8369, Silver Spring, MD 20907-8369. You can reach us by phone at 301-
585-1471, by fax at 301-920-0253, or by e-mail at gzbooksltd@aol.com. Ground Zero
Books, Ltd., is owned & operated by R. Alan Lewis & Lynne Haims.
Right of withdrawal
If you are a consumer you can withdraw from the contract in accordance with the following. Consumer means any natural person who is acting for purposes which are outside his trade, business, craft or profession.
Information regarding the right of withdrawal
Statutory right to withdraw
You have the right to withdraw from this contract within 14 days without giving any reason.
The withdrawal period will expire after 14 days from the day on which you acquire, or a third party other than the carrier and indicated by you acquires, physical possession of the last good or the last lot or piece.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, electronically fill in and submit a clear statement on our website, under "My Purchases" in "My Account". We will communicate to you an acknowledgement of receipt of such a withdrawal on a durable medium (e.g. by e-mail) without delay.
To meet the withdrawal deadline, it is sufficient for you to send your communication concerning your exercise of the right of withdrawal before the withdrawal period has expired.
Effects of withdrawal
If you withdraw from this contract, we will reimburse to you all payments received from you, including the costs of delivery (except for the supplementary costs arising if you chose a type of delivery other than the least expensive type of standard delivery offered by us).
We may make a deduction from the reimbursement for loss in value of any goods supplied, if the loss is the result of unnecessary handling by you.
We will make the reimbursement without undue delay, and not later than 14 days after the day on which we are informed about your decision to withdraw from this contract.
We will make the reimbursement using the same means of payment as you used for the initial transaction, unless you have expressly agreed otherwise; in any event, you will not incur any fees as a result of such reimbursement.
We may withhold reimbursement until we have received the goods back, or you have supplied evidence of having sent back the goods, whichever is the earliest.
You shall send back the goods or hand them over to Ground Zero Books, Ltd., Silver Spring, Maryland, U.S.A., +1 240-316-0119, without undue delay and in any event not later than 14 days from the day on which you communicate your withdrawal from this contract to us. The deadline is met if you send back the goods before the period of 14 days has expired. You will have to bear the direct cost of returning the goods. You are only liable for any diminished value of the goods resulting from the handling other than what is necessary to establish the nature, characteristics and functioning of the goods.
Exceptions to the right of withdrawal
The right of withdrawal does not apply to:
- The delivery of newspapers, journals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts; and
- The supply of digital content which is not supplied on a tangible medium (e.g. on a CD or DVD) if you accepted when you placed your order that we could start to deliver it, and that you could not withdraw once delivery had started.
Shipping terms
Orders usually ship within 2 business days. Shipping costs are based on books
weighing 2.2 LB, or 1 KG. If your book order is heavy or oversized, we may contact
you to let you know extra shipping is required.