Disasters in Space Exploration

Children's Literature

This strange book jumps right into a discussion of the flight of the Russian spaceship Voskhod 2 without any adequate introduction to space exploration in this century. After describing the flight of the Voskhod and the difficulty the two astronauts had in landing the craft, the chapter ends abruptly with the two being rescued—hardly a disaster. The next chapter discusses some of the many events that could go wrong in space, and the third chapter discusses types of space capsules. A variety of often grainy black-and-white and color photographs are included. The book seems to be a collection of discussions about spacecrafts and space exploration, but the lack of sequence makes it difficult to follow, and the title is misleading. A glossary, index and resources for further reading are provided. 2001, Millbrook Press, $23.90. Ages 10 to 12. Reviewer: Meredith Kiger

School Library Journal

Gr 5-7-Having enthusiastically promoted the exploration of space in an array of books for young readers, Vogt now takes the measure of its tragic price, recounting mishaps and disasters from 1965's Voskhod 2 mission, which missed its landing site by 2000 miles, to the collision between Mir and a resupply vessel in 1997. He describes the hazards astronauts have faced, and for the most part survived, with characteristic verve ("Outer space is a thrilling but alien environment. You have never experienced anything like it, and if you ever do [without the proper protective clothing and equipment], you will die") and then goes on to explain what went wrong and why, and what lessons were learned, from each of over a dozen incidents. He closes with a look at unmanned space probes that failed, up to 1999's Mars Polar Lander. For its vivid writing and superior level of detail, this rockets past Elaine Landau's Space Disasters (Watts, 1999), and will be a significant addition to library collections of any size.-John Peters, New York Public Library Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.