Dark Star

I read this as an ebook checked out from the library. A fairly interesting account of the tortured development and operation of NASA's "space plane". The book points out the many compromises made during the craft's design phase, resulting in flaws that were made obvious by 2 fatal accidents. The boo......more

I hadn't expected the book to engage so literally with its namesake film. “Astronauts alienated from society, without a sense of purpose or even a basic funding mandate, riding atop a bomb to create a better future: the crew of Dark Star and the astronauts of NASA’s space shuttle shared more than a......more

An interesting retrospective history of the space shuttle program. His thesis is that while the risk level of the shuttle is often framed as one of poor management culture and risk assessment, or of risk born of an extremely complex design with uncontrollable risks; the truth was that NASA knew the......more

Succinct and accessible writing for an academic book, also doesn't pull any punches. Particularly enjoyed reading about the Soviets' near-identical problems with Buran.......more