Overview
Disasters in Space Exploration chronicles the history of the U.S. and Russian space programs through the risks, accidents, and tragedies that challenged the explorers who wanted to learn about space. Among the disasters, close calls, and rescue attempts included in the book are Challenger, Apollo 13, the Russian space station Mir, and the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy.Examines the failed missions, accidents, and destroyed vehicles of various world space programs, including the explosion of the space shuttle Columbia in 2003.
Synopsis
Disasters in Space Exploration chronicles the history of the U.S. and Russian space programs through the risks, accidents, and tragedies that challenged the explorers who wanted to learn about space. Among the disasters, close calls, and rescue attempts included in the book are Challenger, Apollo 13, the Russian space station Mir, and the Space Shuttle Columbia tragedy.
Susan Hepler, Ph.D. - Children's Literature
Revised edition. In a moving introduction, Vogt explains that he updated his previous book to include the Columbia disaster in which seven people died and has dedicated this book to K.C., Kalbana Chawla, one of the astronaut scientist/engineers who perished and the only woman aboard that flight. Vogt discusses disasters, both with human death, and with death avoided, in four chapters. An early Soviet flight in 1969 suffered numerous mishaps and finally landed 2000 miles from where it was supposed to have landed, lucky to touch down at all. Various other smaller disasters such as a space suit malfunction, a near drowning upon reentry, and docking errors at the space station pale before the story of the Challenger disaster and the Columbia disintegration. Vogt conveys plenty of information about how flights work and what is accomplished for science, a gruesome page on what happens within the human body if a space suit fails, and plenty of optimistic discussion about the possible future of the space programs with a prediction that we will establish a permanent space station on the moon. Photographs vary with a few in color, most in black and white, and reproduction is fuzzy or murky on many, perhaps reflecting conditions under which they were taken. While the title suggests otherwise, Vogt points out how many successes the space program has had in this informative look at a program currently under scrutiny. An index, glossary, modest bibliography, and two websites support further research. 2003 (orig. 2001), Millbrook Press, Ages 8 to 12.
Editorials
Children's Literature
Revised edition. In a moving introduction, Vogt explains that he updated his previous book to include the Columbia disaster in which seven people died and has dedicated this book to K.C., Kalbana Chawla, one of the astronaut scientist/engineers who perished and the only woman aboard that flight. Vogt discusses disasters, both with human death, and with death avoided, in four chapters. An early Soviet flight in 1969 suffered numerous mishaps and finally landed 2000 miles from where it was supposed to have landed, lucky to touch down at all. Various other smaller disasters such as a space suit malfunction, a near drowning upon reentry, and docking errors at the space station pale before the story of the Challenger disaster and the Columbia disintegration. Vogt conveys plenty of information about how flights work and what is accomplished for science, a gruesome page on what happens within the human body if a space suit fails, and plenty of optimistic discussion about the possible future of the space programs with a prediction that we will establish a permanent space station on the moon. Photographs vary with a few in color, most in black and white, and reproduction is fuzzy or murky on many, perhaps reflecting conditions under which they were taken. While the title suggests otherwise, Vogt points out how many successes the space program has had in this informative look at a program currently under scrutiny. An index, glossary, modest bibliography, and two websites support further research. 2003 (orig. 2001), Millbrook Press, Ages 8 to 12.— Susan Hepler, Ph.D.