Columbia: Final Voyage

Philip Chien

Springer Science & Business Media, Jun 23, 2006 - Science - 454 pages

In ‘Columbia: Final Voyage’ aerospace writer Philip Chien, who has over 20 years’ experience covering the US space program, provides a unique insight into the crew members who lost their lives in the Columbia disaster. Chien interviewed all seven crew members several times and got to know them as individuals. He reviews in detail their training, their scientific work and other activities during their successful 16-day flight, the background of the accident itself and a detailed first-hand account of what happened that fateful day in February 2003. The author provides a comprehensive and personal look at both the Columbia astronauts and the STS-107 mission, together with a behind-the-scenes account of other people involved in the mission and their personal reactions to the accident.

Forward by Jonathan B. Clark, widower of Columbia astronaut Laurel Clark

Introduction by Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin

Contents

• A Modest Mission: 1
• MISSION MAKERS: 11
• The Boy from Amarillo: 12
• Running Man: 32
• Pilot Doctor Gymnast: 40
• The Girl from India: 49
• The Kid Who Wanted to Fly: 59
• Submarine Doctor Mother: 69
• Israels First Space Traveler: 77
• The Astronauts Who Werent Selected: 87
• It Isnt Just the Astronauts: 94
• THE LONG ROAD TO LAUNCH: 111
• A NASA Primer: 112
• The Eighteen Delays: 127
• Training for the Mission: 136
• Presenting NASA to the World: 152
• STS112 and STS113: 160
• Preparing for Launch: 167
• Launch Day: 181
• Behind the Scenes: 195
• Living in Space: 215
• SIXTEEN DAYS IN SPACE: 227
• MEIDEX Phab4 ARMS Ascent Video: 228
• Calcium Kinetics Press Interviews: 238
• LSP Spacehab Problems: 241
• VCD MPFE: 248
• Ariel Sharon Call Internet Questions: 252
• MGM Astroculture: 254
• SOFBALL CIBX: 257
• STARS FREESTAR: 263
• BDS BRIC OSTEO: 271
• ZCG Biopack: 274
• ShiptoShip Call FRESH: 279
• Mist Biotube Challenger Anniversary: 284
• Press Conference: 291
• MEIDEX External Spacehab Payloads: 300
• Automated Payloads Preparing to Come Home: 306
• FEBRUARY 1 2003: 311
• Reentry: 312
• The Accident: 317
• Mission Control on Landing Day: 325
• What Should Have Happened: 331
• The Medias Coverage of STS107: 338
• The First Hours After the Accident: 345
• Viewing Columbias Reentry: 350
• Where Were You ?: 357
• The Publics Reaction: 365
• AFTERMATH: 371
• The Search for Debris: 372
• Other Evidence: 383
• Completing the Investigation: 390
• Kooks and Myths: 399
• Was a Rescue Possible?: 408
• Memorials: 412
• The Science Not Lost: 419
• Afterword: 428
• Charities: 433
• Companion CDROM: 434
• Emails with Columbia: 436
• The STS107 Crew Logo: 440
• The 18 Delays to STS107: 441
• Special Thanks: 442
• Bibliography: 444
• Glossary: 445
• Index: 449

About the author

Philip Chien is a full-time space journalist. Over the last twenty years, he has covered over a hundred Shuttle launches. His reports have appeared on CNN, in Popular Science, Time and in the Jerusalem Post, among other venues.

Bibliographic information

• Title: Columbia: Final Voyage
• Author: Philip Chien
• Edition: illustrated
• Publisher: Springer Science & Business Media, 2006
• ISBN: 038727149X, 9780387271491
• Length: 454 pages
• Subjects: Nature / Sky Observation; Science / Space Science / Astronomy