Columbia: Final Voyage

by Philip Chien

In ‘ 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

464 pages, Hardcover

First published January 23, 2006

Reviews

[David Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides an in depth background of Astronauts and crew directly and indirectly impacted by this accident. It highlights the human impact of this event beyond the technology and technical details. Chien's book does not ignore the technical direct causes or the organizational factors leading to the accident but it is successful in not losing sight of the human element. For a detailed review of the technical elements of this accident, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board Report is widely available online. Mr Chien's book is an excellent complement to the CAIB Report.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this book up from the bargain bin on Amazon and read it in 2008 as part of my ongoing appetite for space history books.

I was then unaware of the author's reputation, so here's fair warning: Philip Chien was busted by Wired magazine in 2006 for fabricating quotes and sources (Wired News Writer Faked Info), and apparently he also had a penchant for writing glowing reviews of this book under pseudonyms--one or more of which may still exist on Amazon.

So be wary that the author of this book has earned a reputation for falsification.

With that out of the way, here are my brief comments about this book.

The astronauts come off as smart, driven people with special skills, but aren't supermen and superwomen. Good job on the human side.

Chien really wants us to forget about the accident for most of the book and focus on the science manifest, which he seems to think is a big win.

Chien's analysis of the accident is subjective, and he reads like a guy trying to 'set things straight.' The accident needs critical eyes with objective analysis, not bias.

Chien uses no footnotes or endnotes and his sourcing is poor. I guess he thinks a few websites will do for his sourcing. I could have done without the constant reminders to visit the book's website, too--I'm not interested in reading marketing pamphlets.

Chien's writing vacillates between third person and first person. I'm looking for journalism/history, not a memoir.

I suppose Chien could be pretty good at this stuff if he properly sourced his material and brought a good balance to his writing. As it is, it's a deeply flawed book. Read with caution.

[Lee · Rating 2 out of 5]

Halfway through this book. So far, a very dry read, very technical, and statistic oriented.