Riding Rockets: The Outrageous Tales of a Space Shuttle Astronaut
Mike Mullane
Feb 2006 · Simon and Schuster
4.6star
43 reviewsreport
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384
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About this ebook
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.
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.
Ratings and reviews
4.6
43 reviews
Adrian Toh
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September 27, 2017
This was such a well written book that kept me engaged at some many levels. First, the narrations on the Shuttle flights (especially the launches) were vivid and nerve-wracking. Moreover, the stories of the sacrifices made by his family and his likewise devotion to them were very touching. Finally, the humorous writing style and hilarious stories of goofy exploits with fellow astronauts had me constantly in stitches.
4 people found this review helpful
Julie Ritt
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October 7, 2017
Absolutely brilliant. I've read over a dozen books on NASA, but I still learned a great deal from Mr. Mullane. I also literally laughed until I cried at one point (the tale of the UCD fitting, for those who've read it), "just" laughed aloud at others, and shed the tears he could not for the loss of the crew of Challenger. I highly recommend reading it. (Unless you're offended by crude humor - in that case, skip it. Mullane had very sexist views when he was younger, and a seriously dirty mind. (He probably still has the latter - LOL.) I was highly amused by his humour - and his views have changed - but not everyone likes dick jokes.)
3 people found this review helpful
Jeremy Pratt
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January 30, 2018
Well written, hilarious, no holds barred story of living the dream. The ups and downs of living on the edge of the envelope and its effects on the astronauts and their families.
1 person found this review helpful
About the author
Upon his graduation from West Point in 1967, Mike Mullane was commissioned in the USAF. He flew 134 combat missions in Vietnam. Selected in the first group of space shuttle astronauts, he completed three space missions. He lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, with his wife, Donna, and enjoys the challenge of Colorado's fourteen-thousand-foot peaks—six climbed, forty-seven to go. He is also an acclaimed motivational speaker. For more information visit MikeMullane.com.
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