Disaster Strikes!: The Most Dangerous Space Missions of All Time

by Jeffrey Kluger

Twelve thrilling and terrifying space-mission failures, told by the bestselling author of Apollo 13!

There are so many amazing, daring, and exciting missions to outer space that have succeeded. But for every success, there are mistakes, surprises, and flat-out failures that happen along the way. In this collection, bestselling author and award-winning journalist Jeffrey Kluger recounts twelve such disasters, telling the stories of the astronauts and the cosmonauts, the trials and the errors, the missions and the misses.

With stories of missions run by both Americans and Russians during the height of the space race, complete with photos of the people and machines behind them, this book delves into the mishaps and the tragedies, small and large, that led humankind to the moon and beyond.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Historical, Space, Middle Grade, Childrens, Science

224 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 2019

About the author

Jeffrey Kluger is Editor at Large at Time, where he has written more than 45 cover stories. Coauthor of Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13, which was the basis for the movie Apollo 13, he is also the author of 13 other books including his latest book Gemini: Stepping Stone to the Moon, the Untold Story.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Episodic by nature, this is a book for danger buffs or space buffs, chronically the times the odds caught up with spacemen, astronauts or cosmonauts. It's well written, building suspense in each chapter and giving the information to know what happened and why.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kruger takes the reader on a rather fascinating journey through some of the major failures that the Space Race produced. The pressure to succeed sometimes led to poor decisions being made. Twelve disasters are presented in this book, including missions developed by both the Americans and the Russians. Some of these disasters I had heard of, such as the loss of Apollo 1 and its three astronauts, Apollo 13, and the Challenger explosion. Other missions I was unfamiliar with such as the Apollo 12 mission involving a lightning strike, the unlucky mission of Soyuz 1 (Russian), and the Italian astronaut who almost drowned in his spacesuit in 2013. Each chapter focuses on one mission and summarizes beautifully the events leading up to the mission. The known causes of each disaster are included which helps make them more understandable. The book is well-written and deals with an intriguing topic while pointing out the dangers of allowing politics and competition to force missions before they should have occurred. A very engaging, well-written account of disasters that would, ideally lead us to make better decisions now.

[Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Disaster Strikes!” is a book about the most disastrous space missions of all time. Since it is made up of many different stories if one bores you there is another few coming up next. Although I doubt that any of these stories will be boring. The way these stories are told is by going through the mission as time goes on. This makes the story quite immersive. This book doesn't go into much about stuff like orbital mechanics, engine design, and other rocket science stuff. It is just the stories of these space missions. The most interesting thing that I learned while reading this was that in just about every mission something will certainly go wrong. If you want to learn about the mechanics of rocket engines I would recommend checking out “Ignition! An Informal History of Liquid Rocket Propellants.”

[John H · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a kids' book, but it was very interesting. I didn't know about several of these incidents - like the guy who almost drowned in space!

[Zero · Rating 4 out of 5]

1st read: July 2023
2nd read: April 2025

This is a really interesting book about disasters related to space exploration. It's not exhaustive, but it shows a wide variety of incidents, some deadly and some not. The deadly ones were very sad to read about.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Soviet style propaganda for a new century.

I thought the job was dangerous, and the participants were warned. So is it disaster?

And is it disaster that strikes? Or is it a disaster waiting to happen? Like with Chernobyl, idiot engineers, underqualified scientists, contracts made to satisfy the US Senators, people hired because they are the nieces or nephews of somebody in the administration. It's a miracle there were so few issues. After all, in this White man's game nobody gets punished, no bureaucrat pays for a million dollar broken toy, it's the taxpayer who is going to buy the next toy, and the next one, and the one after the next toy.

Probably it's no coincidence that the Moon Landing was watched live in the Soviet Block as well, a beautiful realization of Nazi engineering.

This sort of crap reminds me of Gil Scott-Heron's poem:

A rat done bit my sister Nell
With whitey on the moon
Her face and arms began to swell
And whitey's on the moon
I can't pay no doctor bills
But whitey's on the moon
Ten years from now I'll be payin' still
While whitey's on the moon
The man just upped my rent last night
Cause whitey's on the moon
No hot water, no toilets, no lights
But whitey's on the moon
I wonder why he's upping me?
Cause whitey's on the moon?
Well I was already giving him fifty a week
With whitey on the moon
Taxes taking my whole damn check
Junkies making me a nervous wreck
The price of food is going up
And as if all that shit wasn't enough:
A rat done bit my sister Nell
With whitey on the moon
Her face and arm began to swell
And whitey's on the moon
Was all that money I made last year
For whitey on the moon?
How come I ain't got no money here?
Hmm! Whitey's on the moon
Y'know I just 'bout had my fill
Of whitey on the moon
I think I'll send these doctor bills
Airmail special
To whitey on the moon

[Laura Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This thrilling nonfiction read chronicles disasters and near-disasters of missions from the 1960s to the present. The book highlights the dangerous, challenging work of being an astronaut. Readers will be fascinated to learn about early missions that helped astronauts learn from experience, both the mistakes and successes; each mission added to their knowledge base, but sometimes at great cost. Some missions may be familiar, like the Challenger explosion, but others will likely be new information, such as the difficult space walk of 1966 in which Gene Cernan's heart rate climbed to a nearly fatal 180 beats per minute. In addition, a few disasters were clearly due to government pressure to accelerate progress. Some of the disasters are described are from U.S. missions, some are from Soviet missions and one is from the International Space Station. Black and white photos are at the start of every chapter. A glossary and index are included.

This is narrative nonfiction at its very best. The writing is crisp and dramatic with direct quotes whenever possible. Each disaster is analyzed to determine the reasons for the problem and how future space craft and flight plans corrected issues of the past. This is a fascinating look at a dangerous profession and the difficult decision-making required to survive.

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really a series of short stories around the theme of disaster issues on space missions was fascinating and informative. Not negative, super tragic, or morbid, Kluger shares the straightforward information surrounding both the Russian and American space programs whether it be fires or explosions, spacewalks and disease.

It can be used as research about a specific mission or series of missions but if you're into space, a walk through the tragedies that did make space programs stronger. What was appreciated was the understanding that when all is said and done, we should still look to the stars to shoot for and that a Russian issue was an American issue and vice versa because everyone had the same dreams. A fascinating peek behind the curtain and a moment of silence in understanding the work that all the men and women put into missions that were ultimately unsuccessful or possibly deadly.

[Murray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a well done children's non-fiction book by Jeffrey Kluger, who has written adult non-fiction books about the U.S. space program, especially the Apollo 13 & 8 missions. Each chapter focused on a specific space disaster. He tells them in chronological order from 1961 to 2013. Some of these are infamous like the Apollo 13 and space shuttle Challenger incidents, and those not so well known, especially involving the Soviet and Russian space program. Each chapter is short and digestible making it perfect for young readers (late elementary and middle schoolers) and Kluger doesn't talk down to his readers and provides a glossy at the back of the book, which is helpful with the acronyms other space jargon. In his author notes he cites his sources including some of the NASA websites that readers can access to get more information.

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many things can go wrong in science, and regarding space travel, those accidents can so easily blow billions of dollars and multiple human lives in an instant. Set in chronological order, this book describes a dozen such accidents, from minor flubs that were corrected by anxious astronauts averting potential disaster, to outright horrors including Christa McAuliffe's ill-fated flight on the Challenger, which I actually remember watching unfold back in 9th grade. The author does a great job bringing each event to life, and also brings the knowledge of hindsight to explain what went wrong. This book was totally fascinating for me.

[Alexis · Rating 4 out of 5]

This nonfiction collection of twelve disasters in space was riveting and insightful. I really enjoyed the way the author used some humor and more entertaining ways of telling these stories and this would appeal more to younger readers or readers who do not normally read nonfiction. However, combined with the humor were strong and detailed facts that really made these missions come to life. I liked that it included American astronauts and Russian cosmonauts. I can’t wait to get a copy for my classroom and use this in my lessons.

[baharthebookreviewer · Rating 4 out of 5]

کتاب حاضر میتواند مجموعه ای بسیار جذاب برای علاقه مندان به مسائل مربوط به فضا باشد. هر داستان پر از اطلاعات در رابطه با سفر ، زندگی فضا نوردان، روابط شخصی و خانوادگی آنها و حتی گفتگو بین آنها در لحظات حساس است. به همین دلیل هنگام خواندن کتاب احساس می شود که تصویری واضح از وقایع و اتفاق هایی که در فضا پیما افتاده در جلو چشمانمان نقش میبند. تصاویری که قبل از هر داستان در کتاب آمده اند حس کنجکاوی و نوعی حدس و گمان را در خواننده بر می انگیزد.ود. در کل کتابی مهیج و پر از اطلاعات است..

[Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disaster Strikes!: The Most Dangerous Space Missions of All Time by Jeffrey Kluger is a fascinating journey through several major disasters in space. It is not a detailed account of every disaster. But a nice summary providing enough detail and explanation to interest the reader. The book is okay. There were times that thought Kluger glassed over some important details. The book is a quick read and worth the afternoon it takes to complete.

[Mary Keen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good review of space tragedies, most of which i remembered, some only vaguely.

Very brave astronauts (actual astronauts who took so many risks, unlike the "riders" on Jeff Bezos's and Richard Branson's rockets IMO --except for the wonderful Wally Funk, who's had actual astronaut training)

Recommend, especially if you don't have long periods of time! The short chapters are great.

Overdrive @ normal speed

[Enthusiastic Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title and cover make it seem like reading this will be an INCREDIBLY exciting experience, and while it is interesting, it doesn't quite make the leap to "exciting." The narratives are well-structured and relatively easy to read, and each is an engaging story. However, it seems to lack panache, especially right after reading Monstrous , which makes this pale in comparison.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting book about space disasters. There are not many photos, but the book does contain a table of contents, glossary and an index. The sources aren't listed in a bibliography, rather mentioned that the book used sources that are publicly available. Other sources used were also listed in the author's note. Some chapters were adapted from the author's previous work.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written, easy to read, children's book about the hazards of space.
I'm a sucker for books about the space program, and I've enjoyed Jeffery Kluger's books, so this seemed like a slam dunk. It is well researched and written in a way to make it easy for kids to read and understand. Some of the stories could be very disturbing for children, but Mr. Kluger handles things in a sensitive way. I wouldn't have a problem handing this book to my seven year old or my 15 year old.

[Kari · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book describes the pertinent events of a dozen space journeys for the United States, Europe, and USSR/Russia. Written at an advanced middle-grade level, it will both entertain and educate people interested in space exploration, engineering, and crisis management. It concludes with some suggestions for further research, including book and internet options.

[Alana "Loni" · Rating 5 out of 5]

I feel like I am clearly biased - I do have an Apollo tattoo after all - but these were exciting, and there were actually some things I didn't know! Even something that I experienced as a kid (the Challenger explosion) was exciting to read about, and I gained new knowledge from Kluger's perspective.

[Mandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

13 short stories about space disasters. It had some gripping stories, holding your breathe to see if they’d make it or not. Had lots of specific details about space and the entire space program. Featured stories of US space disasters and other international ones as well. Obviously not all survived in each story, so that could be something to be aware of for MS readers. A good book!

[Shelley Alongi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I kept thinking about how frightening some of those moments had to be. I remember Challenger. That was my first day of the choir class I took as a music major. The book is well written for any level.

[Patrick Trent · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book tells of various disasters in space since the first humans were launched into space. Pretty good story. I wish he would have gone into more detail on the Apollo 13 mission. He set up the disaster, but didn't really go into detail on how they faced all the problems.

[Yibbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's both heartbreaking and amazing. The tiniest flaw can mean instant death in space, but the ingenuity of the astronauts and the teams on the ground might just overcome the most deadly obstacles. It was a fascinating look at pivotal moments in various space explorations.

[Heidi Eastman Turner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if my mind was just wondering but this one didn't hold my attention as well as most space books. It should have because it's just short stories. Maybe I should try it again another time. Space really is dangerous. I think I remember language also

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a good book! Space exploration shows how even the smallest of errors or mistakes can cause catastrophic results. My only complaint about the book is that he did not talk about the Columbia disaster. It was only mention in passing while talking about the Challenger disaster.

[Eric Sullenberger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good for it's target audience, but simple for adults. Ther 's only one disaster I hadn't heard about before (or at least not details). Surprisingly the Columbia disaster gets less than a paragraph at the end of the Challenger chapter.

[Shauna Yusko · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative.

3.5

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great (though some sad) collection of stories about the troubles faced in space flight. Any fan of space travel should read this.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and amazing stories. I was a little disappointed that there wasn't more detail on the solution to Apollo 13's disaster.

[Mohamed Zidan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I find this a little uninteresting I thought this would be more of a adventures book but it's about a man explaining the horrors and danger of space....