Remove Before Flight: Memoir of a Space Shuttle Team Member

by Scott Phillips

As a ten-year-old boy inspired by fellow Ohioan, Neil Armstrong, when he landed on the moon in 1969, Scott dreamed of someday becoming part of something larger than himself. Ten years later, through a series of serendipitous life events, Scott Phillips embarked on a career with NASA's groundbreaking Space Shuttle Program. He was the last team member to exit the first External Tank prior to its maiden flight on April 12, 1981, and saved the Remove Before Flight ribbon as a memento. What followed was an extraordinary thirty-three-year adventure, encompassing the entire span of the program--from the depths of tragedy to the exclusive never-before-seen photos and first-hand stories. Remove Before Flight takes the reader on a historical and personal journey that will enlighten and entertain.

324 pages, Paperback

First published December 23, 2014

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Space Shuttle was a decades long program, from development through flight operations, that establishes its place in US history. Few people were involved with the program from beginning to end, but Scott Phillips was involved with the External Tank part of the program from manufacture of the first ET through the final ET. He has a unique perspective and he presents that perspective in a very personal way as he tells about his life and how he came to work for the NASA contractor who manufactured the ETs. He conveys the ups and downs of such a long-term program through stories of the excitement and challenges he witnessed and experienced. As a wood worker and amateur musician, Scott's story includes his passion for making Space Shuttle models and the Gibson guitar that he cherishes. Remove Before Flight is, indeed, a good read.

[Skip Strong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book from someone who spent a career working on the nitty gritty details of helping make the shuttle program a success.