Into the Black: The Extraordinary Untold Story of the First Flight of the Space Shuttle Columbia and the Astronauts Who Flew Her

by Rowland White, Eric Meyers (Narrator)

The real-life techno-thriller from a bestselling author and aviation expert that recaptures the historic moments leading up to the launch of the space shuttle Columbia and the exciting story of her daring maiden flight.

Using interviews, NASA oral histories, and recently declassified material, Into the Black pieces together the dramatic untold story of the Columbia mission and the brave people who dedicated themselves to help the United States succeed in the age of space exploration. On April 12, 1981, NASA’s Space Shuttle Columbia blasted off from Cape Canaveral. It was the most advanced, state-of-the-art flying machine ever built, challenging the minds and imagination of America’s top engineers and pilots. Columbia was the world’s first real spaceship: a winged rocket plane, the size of an airliner, and capable of flying to space and back before preparing to fly again.

On board were moonwalker John Young and test pilot Bob Crippen. Less than an hour after Young and Crippen’s spectacular departure from the Cape, all was not well. Tiles designed to protect the ship from the blowtorch burn of re-entry were missing from the heat shield. If the damage to Columbia was too great, the astronauts wouldn’t be able to return safely to earth. NASA turned to the National Reconnaissance Office, a spy agency hidden deep inside the Pentagon whose very existence was classified. To help the ship, the NRO would attempt something never done before. Success would require skill, perfect timing, and luck.

Set against the backdrop of the Cold War, Into the Black is a thrilling race against time and the incredible true story of the first space shuttle mission that celebrates our passion for spaceflight.

Genres: Space, History, Nonfiction, Science, Audiobook, Aviation, Technology

Audible Audio

First published March 24, 2015

Reviews

[Ana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a space nerd. I'm such a space nerd, in fact, that I will sit through technical pages on how the Space Shuttle was built, even though I barely understand the physics behind it. This book is gripping and has a more thriller-paced style than anything else. I wish I was alive to see this happen in real time, because the wonder of it being a first would've had much more impact.... but I can wonder retroactively.

[Spad53 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Into the black by Rowland White
This was a surprisingly boring book. First I must say that I’m totally into aviation, but I have rather sharp limits, things like helicopters and space rockets are outside my sphere of interest, Yes I know it’s silly, but there it is.
So I tried to broaden my outlook , technically the space shuttle is an aircraft, and I thought there’d be plenty of aviation in this book, and there was some interesting stuff about the X-15, but somehow not enough to keep me interested. I’m afraid I found it a bit of a struggle to get through. There was a lot of politics, which I usually don’t mind, and the first start and landing was fun, but it felt like Rowland White was milking what little story there was for all it was worth. Which was strange because it really is quite a story.
It doesn’t help that the space shuttle was basically a failure; it failed to achieve its promises, and two crashed.
The title was funny; Into the black by Rowland White.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the dedicated enthusiast. I'm not so interested in the Space Shuttle program, but White still tells a good story. He is completely uncritical of NASA and the program, however. In his eyes, NASA can do wrong. He does not mention any of the big management failures leading to the Challenger disaster, and skips over the program's failure to achieve affordable space access, or anything particularly significant. Boondoggle though it may have been, it was still a cool spaceship, and White engagingly tells the story of its development, testing, and first mission to orbit.

[Jade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was really excited to get into this one but somehow it felt like there was something missing, in spite of being constantly bogged down in details/biographies. I didn't find myself mentally engaging with the account until Columbia was actually on its maiden voyage which was a comparatively small section of the narrarive.

Also have to agree with some of the other reviews that say this account is a little biased and doesn't question NASA much.

[K.M. Pohlkamp · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is thoroughly researched and I learned several things about the history preceding STS-1. But unfortunately there are large sections of the book where each chapter follows the same structure. This repetitive nature makes the book boring to read. It's as if the chapters were written following a fill-in-the-blank formula.

[Nguyen Hoang Phong · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subject material is awesome, the amount of technical details is incredible. HOWEVER, the biographies of each and every characters in the book are so detailed and long and detailed and long that you will spend so much time just juggling all these names and profiles and personal stories in your head before anything happens.

[Danilo Oberti · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm into this book for just two days, and I already want to review it...it's The Right Stuff on steroids. Rowland White has done a superb job (just like for his previous titles) and, well every airplane/space buffs MUST read this. It's not a simple collection of data and charts but it's history alive! You will find again heroes like Chuck Yeager, and find new ones, like John Young and Robert Crippen, Joe Engle and Mike Adams, ad so on. Read it. Please, it will be a truly great experience.

[Julian Walker · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true and thoroughly gripping account of the US space shuttle programme, written like a boys’ own adventure rolled into a spy novel, with the impact of a Hollywood action movie.

Lifting the lid to give an insider’s view on the characters, politics and secrecy surrounding one of the most intriguing elements of man’s quest into space, this is a cracking piece of history - well told, with pace, pathos and perception.

The right stuff indeed.

[Greg Stoll · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a really well-written book about the development and first flight of the Space Shuttle. It had me on the edge of my seat despite knowing generally what happened :-)

But reading it made me think of the classic rant A Rocket to Nowhere and while the engineering behind the Shuttle was amazing given all the compromises they had to make, it's hard not to think of the whole program as a big missed opportunity.

[Aaron Bright · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily, one of the best books I've ever read. Masterful writing of a true story that only reality could script, I was almost upset that I'd come to the last page. Now I want to be an astronaut.

[Josi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe I’ll raise this to a four. Liked this, maybe even a lot. Very interesting, definitely detailed and really drew me in.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic technical and human history of the path from Apollo through spycraft, to the space shuttle.
I learned a ton about the air force, the CIA, NRO, amazing innovations in the materials, and engine technologies and flight control systems.

[Tyler Critchfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun deep dive into the engineering and mission behind the space shuttle - a unique mix of space and aviation.

[Scott Delgado · Rating 2 out of 5]

I gave this book two stars because it bored me, but please know that someone who is more into the technical tidbits of this would probably enjoy the book more than I did. I did the audiobook version, and I just found myself zoning out too much to enjoy the book that much. It was just too much information and minutia for me. I've seen lots of much higher reviews, so if you are interested in them, check those out. It is written well. I just didn't find it that intriguing.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting story leading up to the first flight of the Columbia space shuttle, including a behind the scenes look at the heat tiles covering the shuttle - and what to do if some of them fall off. The first shuttle mission dealt with that scenario much more than the public at the time realized. Good account.

[lucid-beatnik · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was about a quarter of the way through this book when one of its central players, astronaut John Young, passed away. Based on this book alone, I can say he had an amazing, rich life and was probably the most accomplished and capable astronaut. This book is the story of the space shuttle Columbia--the conception of the STS program, the political maneuvering between NASA, the Air Force, the intelligence community, and politicians, the frustrating design process, and the harrowing first flight.

There is a lot of rich background in this book. We first meet astronauts John Young and Bob Crippen in their days of military service as test pilots and go on to follow Young on his voyage to the moon and Crippen during his involvement in the Air Force's (ultimately unlaunched) Manned Orbiting Laboratory. We also meet the other astronauts (plus other MOL veterans who go on to be astronauts) who will be conducting atmospheric testing of the shuttle and providing ground support to Young and Crip's flight, as well as other legendary NASA ground crew mainstays like Gene Kranz, Chris Kraft, and Max Faget. Rounding out the cast of characters is Hans Mark, whose job title rapidly shifts over the course of the book as he navigates the fraught territory between engineering, politics, and national security. On a personal note, Mark is a huge deal not just in the space sector as a whole but also in the aerospace engineering department at UT Austin--he's the former department chair and served my university for years. I'm lucky enough to have sat in on a guest lecture of his and can tell you he is the real deal.

The core story of the book is the cooperation between Air Force national security assets in space and NASA to assess possible damage to Columbia's heat shield. Tiles were observed to be missing from the aft engine pods, and there was significant concern regarding possible damaged tiles on the bottom--tiles that, as we learned through tragedy in 2003, were vital to the survival of the shuttle.

Overall, I recommend this book, but I do have a few bones to pick. About a tenth of the sentences need some reworking to be readable--I found my attention wandering often as I slogged through a sentence that felt like it was going on forever. I got over this because the book is relatively well-written and engaging, but one should be prepared to work for it a little. My other complaint concerns the Columbia tragedy I alluded to above. I would have appreciated a few chapters outlining what changed in between 1981 and 2003 to rule out tile inspection (although if White wants to write a whole new book about that, I would definitely read it).

Relatively minor complaints aside, I liked this book. White brings the astronauts and their coworkers to life in an endearing way. Also, if you like technical details, this book does a good job of breaking down complex concepts in understandable ways that make sense to a broad audience but don't make engineers groan.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was a space shuttle kid. I loved the space shuttle. I would get up when it was still dark out, before everyone else in the house was up and watch every shuttle launch I could. It simply was the most amazing thing I had ever seen. I could not get enough and talked about it to the point my parents just would roll their eyes, said yes, a lot, and eventually "go and play". Then the big story, Challenger and a teacher in space. Leading up to it I had every news story about it and even the cardboard cut out we got at school that you put together.

After the loss of Challenger and her 7 crew, over a year later the shuttle started carrying her crews back into space, along with Hubble, parts for the Space Station, satellites, and experiments, and I kept following. Then just as she broke through the heavens to bring her crew back we lost Columbia and her 7 crew. By then many saw shuttle missions as almost mundane, and in a way they were, but there was nothing mundane about Columbia, Challenger, Discovery, Atlantis, and Endeavour.

From 1981 to 2011, for 30 years, these 5 amazing machines changed humankind and space forever. Though we came to see it as such, their is nothing ordinary about the shuttle. Yes many times through this book I was on the edge of my seat (and I knew how it ended) and I fought back tears for all they did on this amazing journey.

[Caleb · Rating 3 out of 5]

We had this friend who made scones and EVERYONE swore by them. "OMG you HAVE to try Bob's scones!"

One afternoon I was blessed by the presence of several of Bob's scones and consumed one in rapt anticipation. Instantaneously the moisture in my mouth left as it transferred to the cursed desert scone. The sandy remnants of my once admired treat felt like I'd just eaten a mouthful of baby powder.

In a lot of places, this book was as dry as that scone. It actually took me two years to read.

And that doesn't mean it's terrible! Far from it. An immense amount of research and passion went into this work and it shows in abundance. There's just so much research and passion that it perhaps drowns out the larger narrative. Honestly... that's alright. I learned a ton about the shuttle and its inner workings. If you're genuinely interested in how these unbelievably complex machines were crafted and flown, this is a great book for you.

So I'm probably being mean comparing this book to my friends scone. I actually enjoyed this book and it earns a higher rating in my life than that ill-fated pastry.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a detailed history of the first Shuttle flight and the events that led up to it. The book has everything that I like to learn about:

Space
NASA
NRO
Blue Cube
KH-11 satellites
Testing and developing complex systems

About 15 years ago, I was able to tour the Blue Cube in Sunnyvale as a civilian. They took us to the shuttle mission control section. That was very cool, as it showed they could take over the mission from that small room. After reading the book, it makes more sense why that capability was built out in that place.

Plus as an elementary student, my class had a tour of the NASA Ames complex, including the big wind tunnels. I didn't realize that it was also a big computer center, too.

If you are someone who is interested in any of the above, this is an awesome book. Try not to get interrupted in the last section of the book, where the author goes into extreme detail for launch and reentry. As close as you can get without listening to the tapes, but with the hindsight of deep mission debriefs.

[Andrew Connell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic history story of how Columbia came to be and the details around the first flight. If you're a space nut as I am, you'll love it.

[Stanislav Stanchev · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this book as my ever-present though often latent fascination with space, astrophysics and space exploration grabbed hold of me once again. Funnily enough, this was triggered by my recent job change to the LEGO Group. It's true that one of my childhood dreams was to work for LEGO (as a designer - not as a lobbyist!), but my very first childhood dream job was in fact to be an astronaut. As a six-year old I had a plastic space exploration set consisting of several astronaut miniatures, a lunar lander and a lunar rover - but the centrepiece was a space shuttle - orbiter, fuel tank and solid rocket boosters. Oh the many hours I played with that thing...

So to celebrate my new job, I bought myself the new LEGO NASA Space Shuttle Discovery set (10283). I had made the decision to get it before I actually switched jobs. And in the time since making the decision, changing jobs, ordering the set, building it and displaying it, I listened to "Into the Black" as an audiobook.

Long-winded introduction aside, this book gave me everything I had hoped for. I learned a lot about the space race, about the historical events, persons and decisions leading up to the development of the Space Shuttle, the challenges and the triumphs of the first flight - and a fitting epilogue centred on the system's contributions (to the Cold War, to science and to space exploration) as well as the tragedies of Challenger and Columbia.

The author is knowledgeable and passionate about the subject - there can be no doubt of it. And large parts of the book feel less like reading and more like watching a movie like Apollo 13 or the series For All Mankind. As exhilarating as that is, the exuberant level of detail is also my reason for dropping the review down to 3 stars. I simply believe this would have been a better book with slightly more editing and a cut of 10-15 pct. in content. The tale would feel slightly more focused with some of the excess weight removed, so to speak. I do feel that the large attention paid to the Air Force and DoD classified programmes were interesting, but they also detract a bit from the core subject. There are plenty of acronyms and names to keep track of - even if the level of detail had been slightly reduced.

Nevertheless, to any fan or fellow geek of space, I can highly recommend taking the dive into the black. It is a thrilling story, it is structured in a nice way with the minute-by-minute retelling of Space Shuttle Columbia's first mission being no less engaging for being slightly too detailed (for my taste). So as a book in general, I would give it 3 stars, but for anyone with an innate interest in the subject, it's probably 4½ :-)

[Brendan Newport · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a book I knew I'd enjoy, having read White's Mosquito a year earlier.

I didn't think I'd enjoy it quite this much. Into the Black is almost alone in being a new genre thrilling history.

Timing is everything, and White's account of the launch of Columbia conveys the power of the SRB's ignition, the sound (that could kill anyone closer than 800ft from the launch tower) and something I hadn't known; the damage caused by the shockwave.

And then, to match the launch, the fiery hypersonic return of Columbia, its 1st mission a little spoilt by the fear that vital re-entry tiles had fallen-off.

There's humour, there's a lot, an awful lot, of incidents, anecdotes and facts I'd never read before, and over-the-years I thought I read everything and anything generally available about the first Shuttle Mission, and development of the Shuttle itself.

Into The Black emphasises a thread that isn't present in other histories; the connection between the USAF's MOL and NASA's desire to do something, anything, useful after the Apollo Program was cut short. MOL's demise would see many of its astronauts move to NASA, where they exercised huge influence.

Over three decades, The Space Shuttle would make 135 flights. Far less than was needed to see space flight reduce in price; The Shuttle was never really reusable, needing a huge amount of maintenance and parts swap-out after every Mission. It's key achievements were the construction of the ISS, and the epic Mission that saved The Hubble Telescope. Two Shuttles were lost - Challenger, and of course the venerable Columbia though both tragedies were avoidable (Challenger shouldn't have launched that day, Columbia shouldn't have tried to return-to-Earth without an effort to repair it, or been abandoned after a rescue mission).

Only now, with the promise of the SpaceX Starship is the promise of reusable and regular spaceflight for humans being (possibly) realised. The Shuttle always amazed me, and Into the Black is a book of human endeavour and enduring optimism that any problem can be hurdled by having the right people in the right roles.

[Danny Tio · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is much more than its subtitle makes it out to be; as a matter of fact, the flight of STS-1 covers only the last quarter. Most of the narrative focuses on the people and events throughout Shuttle’s development leading up to its first flight — particularly the military’s involvement, from the MOL program and its refuge of astronauts to the KEYHOLE reconnaissance satellites. The material touches on more technical detail than I expected, which can be a hit or miss depending on the reader’s interest. The author, however, did a fine job in elaborating on these aspects in a way that makes them digestible for the average reader. I particularly enjoyed the coverage of the intensive and stressful development and improvement of the thermal protection tiles.

There were some very present typos and factual errors such as the repeated mistake of the “Saturn 1C” instead of the Saturn 1B booster, and the glaring error on page 329 (of the Corgi edition). I understand that the author was aiming to draw parallels between space shuttle Columbia and Apollo 11's Columbia. But on that page, it was stated that Columbia was the name of the Lunar Module that Neil Armstrong landed on the Moon, when it is actually Eagle; Columbia was the Command Module. Despite these slipups, a wealth of information was presented in the book which is news to me, since a good portion of it came from newly declassified sources available around the time of publication.

This book is interesting, but not exactly a page-turner and it took me much longer than expected to finish it. I think that’s because it weaves together a conglomerate of backstories from a large cast of characters, politics, missions, and technologies, which can sometimes be confusing to follow and piece into the bigger narrative. It can take some effort to remember all the details as the story jumps between them, and makes the narrative slow at times. Still, White manages the difficult task of balancing technical depth, historical context, and human storytelling. Into the Black fills an important gap in the literature on the early development of the Space Shuttle program.

[Stephen Pearson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite being a big space nerd (admittedly with a leaning towards the pioneering mercury / Apollo missions amidst the real Cold War tensions) this was a rather boring story. I have read a number of Roland’s other works of non-fiction… but they have all focused on military missions and action which obviously result in a more exciting read… not to space that space travel isn’t dangerous, it’s arguably more dangerous than front line combat and terrifying in terms of its risks in terms scientific and engineering developments and the braveness of those heading into the unknown is unrivalled.

But, this story of the development of the space shuttle lacked a lot of drama that make his other books page turners. Sure there were calamities and problems to be solved by the astronauts and NASA at the time (needing photographs of the underside of the shuttle to access damage was an exciting technical feat, but more because of the secrecy of the US militaries photographic capabilities and how to deal with the public / press and leaking of secrets). Unlike the capers told on his other books, I can’t see this making it into an action packed movie… although it could perhaps be a TV series that focuses’ on the science/tech of developing the shuttle. Some of my favourite passages were the experiments carried out and assumptions made on the heat shield and ceramic plates for the shuttle. I could have read a lot more about the computer limitations and software glitches that were prevalent at the time.

Finally, one thing that really slowed down the book was the lengthy backstories of those involved (some not directly with the shuttle) and while I understand it’s important to pin this all to the importance of the early days of the space race, I would say most people interested in the later shuttle missions would be very aware of the Apollo missions, the pilots and people at mission control. It felt like it was padding out the story when the cover and title suggests this should all be about the development and early test flights of the space shuttle.

[Jenni V. · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover
I picked this book from Book Outlet when browsing online. I like books about space but my husband is especially interested so this was an "I got this with you in mind but I might as well read it since it's in the house" purchase. Most of what I've read has either been about the beginnings of space exploration/the Apollo flights or personal memoirs of individual astronauts so this topic (the first flight of Columbia) will be entirely new to me.

The book is heftier to hold than I thought it would be. There are multiple pictures included.

My Opinion

There were three different sections of photos, diagrams, etc. which added a lot to the information provided. Space travel is inspiring and it really is remarkable how many things have to align, especially at a time when NASA was relying on human calculations. It's easy to get lost in the technical descriptions but it's important to take a moment to reflect on how the ingenuity, bravery, curiosity, and passion of so many people made the seemingly impossible possible.

The overlap/competition between the Air Force and NASA is too bad in hindsight...I wonder how much more could've been accomplished if the resources (both financial and manpower) had been combined from the start. It's also a testament to people's commitment that when the two departments did eventually start working together, they were able to overcome the natural resentment and mistrust for the good of the nation.

Looking at my impressions before reading, I was correct that the majority of the missions, people, and information were brand new to me. Since the new/declassified information was a part of the description and I knew I wouldn't be a good gauge for that claim, I also asked my husband and my mom if they had ever heard of the Air Force's involvement in space travel. My husband has always had a huge interest in space (including starting college as an aerospace engineering major) and my mom is a huge reader who seems to know a little bit about everything so when both of them were just as surprised as I was, I knew this was truly new or not widely known information.

Even though I knew they would make it back, it was still tense reading about the changes they had to make on the fly (haha, unintentional pun). I guess it's similar to watching "Apollo 13" - you can't help but get wrapped up in the human emotions even though you know it's going to work out in the end.

Find all my reviews at: https://readingatrandom.blogspot.com

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book, providing a history of the Space Shuttle’s development along with the close but contentious relationship between the DoD’s satellite intelligence programs and NASA. The author, noted aviation historian Rowland White, offers up two different stories in one book. The first is a pilot-centric narrative of NASA’s transition from the rocket capsule flights of Apollo to the reusable space plane of the Shuttle program. This is great big-idea history, going through the many tribulations the Space Shuttle’s development endured. The second story is the parallel development of the ‘spy satellites’ launched by the Department of Defense. Though Rowland tries to emulate his previous books by centering the story on the aviators who flew the Shuttle, the sheer complexity and very nature of space flight results in a more mundane, but still fascinating, programmatic history instead. Rowland centers the climax of the book on NASA’s use of satellite photos to verify the safety of the first shuttle prior to its return. Yet with so many dangers and obstacles presented during this first mission, this culmination is ‘lost in the shuffle.’ Despite this structural confusion, the book flows well and does a great job narrating the story of American space flight post-Apollo. Highly recommended for anyone interested in the history of America’s space programs.

[S.B. (Beauty in Ruins) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a long, dry read . . . heavy on detail, and even heavier on the technical specifications . . . but still entirely fascinating. I've always been enthralled by the Space Shuttle program, having seen it rise and fall all within my lifetime, so I was excited to forget about the disasters for a moment and reexamine the triumphs that started it all.

This is a book that explores the doubts, the fears, and the challenges of getting a new space program off the ground (no pun intended). Having been too young at the time of Columbia's launch to truly appreciate what a feat of scientific and political engineering it was, I was fascinated to see how it all came about. At the same time, it's sobering to know just how many of those challenges and risks they simply chose to accept, and to know (in hindsight) how they'd come back to haunt them years later.


Originally reviewed at Beauty in Ruins

Disclaimer: I received a complimentary ARC of this title from the publisher in exchange for review consideration. This does not in any way affect the honesty or sincerity of my review.

[Tijs · Rating 4 out of 5]

There's no denying that Into The Black is one of the most comprehensive books about the first Space Shuttle flight, which makes it double unfortunate the book doesn't quite deliver on its promise. From the title to the cover and the quotes from big names like Chris Hadfield, Into The Black appears to deliver a nailbiter about a Shuttle flight gone almost wrong as if it were akin to Apollo 13. In truth, the story just goes into very longwinded details about the intricacies of NASA and Air Force bureaucracy, only to end with a relatively mild problem at about 4/5 in the book which is resolved quite quickly. If it weren't marketed like a disaster novel but rather a factual account of one of the most iconic space missions ever flown, there would be less anticipation only to build up to an anticlimax. All that said, everyone who is interested in the history of NASA's most impressive engineering feat should definitely read Into The Black - only few books capture the story in this much detail.

[Davina · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my coming of age. I may have been one of those kids, and Star Trek fans writing to get the first shuttle named Enterprise. There is a lot of interesting detail on the program that I didn't know. And, the author speaks of one of the Shuttle landings I was there for, on the desert at Edwards Air Force Base. Too, you realize, that with any program like this which is years in development, that the technology is late 1960's by the time it's flying in the 1980's or maybe the technology is from the early 1970's. It's amazing what was accomplished in the program. Still, space flight had lost its luster far too quickly in to the Shuttle program, all the while, not delivering the original cost savings, nor ever getting us to the point of space travel as simple and routine as catching the flight from SF to LA, or NYC to DC. And, it was great to hear more about John Young, who had quite a reputation from the Gemini and Apollo programs. Maybe I was just delving in to childhood nostalgia, but I had fun.

[Jerome Daly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've been a spaceflight enthusiast since I first saw Gemini 12 being recovered live on television. While I followed the development of the Space Shuttle closely in the 70s, I learned a few thing from Rowland White's book, such as some details of the military's involvement, and the background stories of many of those involved in the Shuttle's development. I tempered that learning noting the presence of several factual but minor errors, and White's constant and annoying reference to the Orbiter's "heat shield". While not technically incorrect, few familiar with the STS ever called it that. That said, White clearly did his homework researching the history of the program leading up to the Shuttle's first flight, with the emphasis placed on the story of the people involved over the technical development. Despite the small quibbles, this book is was a solid page-turner for spaceflight nerds! Recommended.