A realitic view of spacetravel done interestingly.
928960
I have a hard time picking out new books to read because I am one of those people that are to overly critical. But I started this series and just can't seem to stop reading them. They certainly have their problems like a bit of inconsistency in length and a strange pattern of main character story followed by an introduction to some secondary in the next story none of which I ever feel like drive the story one direction or another. But the plot already being decided and the course of the lives of the main group already set in motion, along with perhaps a bit to much plot armor hasn't stopped me from obsessing over continuing the story. I love the concept of space travel this series puts in place and the ideas of how the future can and even in some cases should go. It really shows me a world I can believe is possible that happens to be shown through the eyes of a group of people who in this universe live the most interesting lives possible, if not easy ones. Give the First book in the series a read and see space travel done right, amidst a story done fairly well.
1290605
This uses all kinds of Nasa footage never shown in public before. Some of the most striking was 'engineering' footage, showing rocket stages separating, various capsules separating and docking, and in one case, a moonwalk during the Gemini program. This concentrates on how the astronauts felt during their voyages and is based on audio interviews done years later. Some of these space cowboys get downright poetic. The best thing about the movie is the Brian Eno soundtrack which perfectly captures the balletic awe of space vehicles and the sights brought back from the Moon.
2492229
I enjoyed this book. I  don't read too much science fiction involving space travel. My sister in law told me about the book so I decided to give it a try. The characters and plot lines are interesting. The book takes place in the future. The description of the other world and its people was well written. I enjoyed reading this space adventure so much I am now reading the second book in the series
4386918
I have read Clarke before, but I didn't know what to expect when I picked this up.  It was a little tough to get into at first, as it seemed like no one stayed around long enough for the reader to become invested in really caring about.  Yet, the big idea implications of where the story is going makes the trip more enjoyable as the pages turn.  Jan's story-thread is particularly intriguing and makes up for any early lack thereof.  His introduction was almost off-hand, but he proves to be a worthy character that may make one think of their place in the Universe.

There are definately "wow" moments, but don't expect them to come shotgun-style.  The chapters are like pieces of one great mosiac, so an appreciation of "the big picture" is handy to have while reading this.  Throughtout the story, there is a sense of something inexorable coming.  Something you can't really quantify or understandand, but at the same time cannot deny its very existence.  I especially like how the book makes a point to comment that all that even the most alien of creatures are slaves to their beliefs, in a certain sense.  The prose is readable, and while the dialogue is good, it is a little spotty to follow at times (to be fair, this may just be how it is spaced on my Kindle).

On a final note, I would like to mention that this was originally written in 1952-53.  Big props to Clarke for writing this in a time before there was a space program, years before the first satellite even went up into space (yea..."holy crap!" pretty much sums it up)  Whether it was great foresight or great imagination, or a sublime mixture of both, Clarke is worth picking up.
2373279
I found this to be a very realistic take on what deep space exploration might be like as experienced as by a human crew, The space and planetary  imagery is outstanding and the plot somewhat surprising. I would recommend it for any true science fiction aficionado.
2696230
The book, covering a wide range of space missions from Ms. Atkinson's great experience, is a wonderful look at all of the pieces that go into space missions.  Very fast read; I wish there'd been even more.  If you have a chance to hear Ms. Atkinson discuss the book and the missions, as she did on The Planetary Society's Planetary Radio show, don't miss it.
2380645
Great book on a space exploration project that has increased our knowledge on interstellar space. Very fascinating and well written by one of the team members
2886213
This book is an interesting exploration of the nature of discovery, science and human origins. Often reminiscent of Arthur C Clarke, the concept seems plausible and well-rendered. The characters are somewhat stereotypical, almost playing their parts, but the choices they make quite rational in the context.

One assumes this is the start of a series, and I can't wait to see what lies ahead.
3194152
Ran across this book when I was looking to take a break from Sci-fi books.  Since I am a bicycle commuter, I found the idea of bicycling across the largest country in the world very interesting.  Many assumptions I had were shattered as I read this book about traversing the USSR in the late 1980's.  This isn't a day by day account of the trip but rather more like a week by week account with some details on the daily struggles.  Much of the book is devoted to the author's interactions with the local populace in rural russia.  The reader comes away with a solid understanding of the county as well as the difficulties of traversing russia's land ocean.
2597037
I wanted to be an astronaut as a child, did you not? Such a beautiful idea that of floating in the outer space, seeing the stars closer, having a look at the blueness of the Earth and even visiting other planets. Right?

However,  we do not think about the real challenges that astronauts face in space when we have whimsical dreams. After all, the Space has been part of our collective space/time-travel and 20th-21st centuries ultra frontier. Space travel has been romantically and stylishly portrayed in science-fiction movies and novels, but most of them do not show the nitty gritty reality of what space travel is, has been, or will be. And here comes Roach's book to our rescue, to enlighten us with a scientifically rigorous yet funny book, hilarious at times.

How and what do astronauts eat? How they wash themselves? How do they urinate and defecate? Do they have or can have sex? How do they interact with each other in such confined environment? Does the inner ship smells? How do our bodies react to zero gravity and high radiation levels in space? Which were the challenges and secrets of the first historical space trips in USA and Russia? This, and much more, is answered by cheery Mary, who does not leave a question unanswered by using first-hand archival material and personal interviews with astronauts and space engineers from NASA, and the Russian and European Space agencies, and some bits coming from her own experiences at these agencies.

This is an amazingly entertaining book, very easy to read, unpretentious and so very informative and rigorous. After reading it, you will not feel sorry for not being an astronaut, but you will bow to those men and women who go out there to expand our earthly rounded frontiers.
4829148
I initially thought that this was a couple who flew around the world (minus the transport between continents) but it's about a couple who flew in every continent...  the descriptions of some of their flights is pretty amazing, though - imagine flying over the Pyrenees Mountains - just BARELY - in a small gyroplane!  very impressive feat!  me want!
3250259
Alec Baldwin takes us on a journey through space. We see Neil Armstrong's footprints on the moon. Then it is on to Venus, Mercury and the sun. To Mars and the search for extraterrestrial life. The gas giants and Pluto. Interstellar space. Alpha Centauri 25 trillion miles away. Gliese 581. Algol. The Pleiades. Betelgeuse. Orion Nebula. Star birth. White dwarf. Crab Nebula. Supernova. Pulsar spinning 30 times a second. Black hole. Hypernova. We are outside the Milky Way in intergalactic space. Dark matter. Andromeda Galaxy. We see patterns, order in the chaos. Quasar. Countless galaxies. Light. The Big Bang 13.7 billion years ago. Baldwin ties mythology and science together with a sense of awe.
295640
This is an excellent documentary of the recent SpaceshipOne program, taking you through the design challenges, building the vehicle, the early test flights and ending with the winning competition flights.  The amount and quality of in-cockpit and external camera flight footage shown is very impressive, way better than what is seen during shutle flights.  Also provides insight into the mind and drive of Burt Rutan, one of the great aerospace minds of all time.
3362818
This is an interesting story about a space rescue 700-800 years in the future involving two groups with roots to Earth in their distant past. The Meridiens, a group of travelers in suspended animation for 72 years, are taken in tow by a space tug and moved to a friendly area developed by the Terrans. About 80% of the Meridiens did not survive the time in the stasis chambers. The survivors, a technologically advanced group. barter technology for materials and manufacturing space to repair their space vehicle so that they can return to their homeland. What they have to do, and how they do it, makes an intriguing story. THE SILVER SHIPS is the first in a four part (at present)adventure centered around Alex Racine, the space tug captain and Renee Guirnon, the leader of the Meridien group. Going to be interesting to see how this relationship plays out.
4552501
I hesitated to write a review because I'm not impartial, either. Our basement and garage were the Vehicle Assembly Buildings for the avionics section.

That said, the memoir covers the building and launching of the first amateur-built rocket to reach outer space. Think about it. That's about 60 miles up. That's past where the blue sky ends and up into the eternal night.

Like a peaceful version of The Manhattan Project, space enthusiasts from all over the US joined in. People like the stuntman who led the project, the adman-turned-inventor who kicked in funding and vision, a couple of sports TV engineers, a schoolteacher and his students and even an aeronautical engineer or two on their days off. The book includes color photos throughout of the team members at work and the equipment they built.

Readers don't have to be techies to enjoy the story, although there are just enough technical details to make the more technically-inclined happy.
2724004
A fun read for those interested in space travel.  The real life stories are great and the illustrations are a joy to look at.
2411357
Jeff has been covering the "New Space" industry with a measured tone and an expert eye for well over a decade. His written output, through The Space Review, Space Politics, Personal Spaceflight, and his live-tweeting of events, seems superhuman. Because he's been following the projects he writes about here since their inception he is able to put their work into context and call their claims into doubt when warranted, rather than simply rehashing company press releases.

This collection shows the progression of the industry, including its consistent underestimation of how long it will take to accomplish the huge goals it set for itself. There are times I wish he was a bit harder on companies making big claims, but it's a small industry and to be able to report on things year after year you have to get along.

Anyone interested in commercial spaceflight should read this, especially if they're thinking of buying a ticket.