Tag Archives: human space flight

Back to Earth

Posted on August 13, 2021 by smellincoffee

Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet and our Mission to Protect It© 2021 Nicola Stott304 pages A staple of astronaut memoirs is the attempt to communicate the near-religious experience of seeing the Earth … Continue reading →

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Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars

Posted on July 30, 2021 by smellincoffee

Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars© 2021 Eileen Collins314 pages Eileen Collins was obsessed with flying. Maybe it was an unusual preoccupation for a girl, but her parents – despite their struggles with mental illness and alcoholism – always … Continue reading →

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Into the Black

Posted on July 29, 2021 by smellincoffee

Into the Black: The Extraordinary Untold Story of the First Flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia © 2016 Rowland White480 pages As the Apollo missions neared the completion of their goal, NASA looked ahead and charted a bold new course … Continue reading →

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A year in space: some quotes and something completely different

Posted on July 20, 2021 by smellincoffee

Scott Kelly had his brother send him a gorilla suit so he could pull pranks on his coworkers. Pranks look…a little different on the International Space Station. And now, some quotes. The space shuttle, fully fueled with cryogenic liquid, creaked … Continue reading →

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It’s not so lonely out in space: three to celebrate Apollo 11

Posted on July 20, 2021 by smellincoffee

Fifty-two years ago, men from Earth touched down on the moon and inaugurated a new era in human exploration. I usually re-watch From the Earth to the Moon (a Tom Hanks docu-drama that is in my “Everything is burning but … Continue reading →

Posted in Classics and Literary, Reviews, science fiction | Tagged , , , , , , | 6 Comments

Spaceman

Posted on July 16, 2021 by smellincoffee

Spaceman: An Astronaut’s Unlikely Journey© 2016 Mike Massimino336 pages All his life, Mike Massimino wanted to be an astronaut. He was six when he saw Neil Armstrong’s famous small step, and he wanted to be out there with the men … Continue reading →

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Space Camp!

Posted on July 13, 2021 by smellincoffee

It’s been ages since I went on a proper astronaut spree (Deke!, 2016), and lately I’ve been feeling the itch. With the Moon landing anniversary right around the corner (literally — it’s a week from today), why not have some … Continue reading →

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Flying high in rockets and opiods

Posted on December 31, 2018 by smellincoffee

Well, folks, Christmas is over, and so is 2018 — almost.  Below are the final comments or reviews for 2018: Dreamland and Rocket Girls,   two very different histories. One is inspiring, the other….so very not. First up, Rocket Girls!  Call to … Continue reading →

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North Alabama II: Space, the Final Frontier

Posted on November 18, 2017 by smellincoffee

I visited the Huntsville Space and Rocket Center in my childhood, but my memories of it are hazy.  I found it much changed; although the rockets are still there, of course, what little I remember is gone and a lot … Continue reading →

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Mars

Posted on June 2, 2017 by smellincoffee

 Mars© 1992 Ben Bova560 pages Mankind has finally arrived on Mars, via a joint venture between the United States, Russia, Europe, and Japan. An expedition slated to last several months on the planet itself plans to explore part of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Reviews, science fiction | Tagged , , | 14 Comments